LEGACY & AWARDS
Race Director, Sabrina, has really grown this popular event and even got us through a pandemic!
In 2019, Race Director Sabrina Seher broke the event’s 2018 participation record, registering 375 teams and 2,371 runners—more than doubling the size of the event within her first four years as Race Director. From 2020 through 2022, Sabrina successfully guided the event through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring its continuity and long-term success.
In recognition of her leadership and impact, Sabrina received the Founder’s Award in 2021. Under her direction, the Rainier to Ruston Relay has grown into the largest annual fundraiser for the Foothills Trail Coalition.
Sabrina is an energetic and highly respected runner, known both locally and nationally within the running community. She serves as founder and Race Director of the Run Super Series, is a USATF-certified coach, and founded the traveling Super Pacers Team for full and half marathons. A prolific endurance athlete herself, Sabrina has completed 505 full and ultra marathons, including 52 marathons in a single year. See News Tribune article here about the race.
How did this event start?
Check out this video History of the R2R - An Adventure in Your Own Backyard.
The Mayor's Cup
Introduced in 2013, the Mayors’ Cup is a handcrafted trophy from the Tacoma Museum of Glass awarded to the fastest mayor-sponsored team along the Foothills Trail. After a brief hiatus following damage to the trophy, the Cup returned in 2017 and continues to celebrate community pride and friendly competition between towns.
2013 Sumner, Fleet Feet Sports in 6:03
2014 Buckley, Rise and Shine in 6:31
2015 No award given
2016 No award given
2017 Tacoma, Start Slow Then Taper Off in 6:09
2018 Puyallup Parrotheads in 7:12
2019 Puyallup Parrotheads in 7:23
2020 No award given due to COVID-19
2021 No award given due to no Mayor’s team in the race!
2022 Orting #willrunforcarbs in 6:57
2023 Orting #willrunforcarbs in 7:08
2024 Orting #willrunforcarbs in 7:33
2025 Tacoma Back from the 80s in 6:16
The Mayors’ Cup is designed to be simple, inclusive, and fun.
Requirements:
Teams must consist of 2, 3, 4, or 6 runners
Teams must be officially sponsored by the Mayor of an eligible town
(one team per town, please)
That’s it.
There are no restrictions on:
Who pays the registration fee
Where team members live
Gender, age, or composition of the team
Who serves on the team
Runners must take turns completing all runner legs and handing off at each exchange—just like any team competing for an award.
Simple. Fair. Fun.
Founder's Award
Each year the R2R Race Committee presents the Founder's Award to someone who has made a significant contribution to the event. Here is a list of past winners:
2006, John Selby for founding the R2R in 2002
2007, Russ Matthews, for his work on the Race Committee
2008, Thomas Moeller for creating our original website
2009, Tom Faubion for the BackCountry Horsemen trail work
2010, Don Partington for trail crew work
2011, Tom Gibson for the website management
2012, Bob Rowan for video and photo documentation
2013, Alan Hughes for radio communication and first aid
2014, John Downs for leadership of exchange volunteer teams
2015, Buzz Grant for work on the Race Committee, Trail Crew and the Bell Stand Team
2016, Ernie Bay for co-founding the Foothills Trail Coalition and leadership in advocating for trails
2017, Bob and Diane Kastama for R2R volunteering and leadership in the Friends of the RiverWalk
2018, Dixie Gatchel for volunteering every year of the R2R and leadership in Friends of the RiverWalk
2019, Becky Gilbert for volunteering as exchange captain at Wilkeson every year of the race
2020, Sabrina Seher for more than doubling the number of registrants in her first 4 years as Race Director and dealing with a pandemic this year!
2021, Carl Fabioni for his many years of valuable work both alone and on the Coalition Trail Crew.
2022, Dan Bucci for his management assistance of the Rainier to Ruston Relay, the B&O event and the race websites.
2023, Pat Johnson for her many years of volunteering for the event.
2024, Shayla Miles for her outstanding work including managing over 100 volunteers.
2025, Jerry Gamez, Assistant Race Director, for all his work to arrange the course over many years.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Rainier to Ruston exists because of the people who believed in this race and the Foothills Trail from the beginning. Today, the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition continues that work by connecting communities from Mount Rainier to Puget Sound.
Learn more about the Foothills Trail and the organization behind R2R →
