50 years and almost 2,000 miles keep S2N Everytimers running

Sam Ring could tell you inch by inch, mile by mile the MultiCare Sound to Narrows 12K race course from Vassault Park through Point Defiance.

He’s completed the race 50 times — every year in its history — and even won the first run in 1973.

Ring is one of a small group of runners affectionately known as the Everytimers. This group of five men have competed in every Sound to Narrows run for the past 50 years. Together, they’ve logged 1,875 miles on Sound to Narrows race day, not including training and other runs throughout the year.

For Ring, competing in Sound to Narrows is a natural part of his life. He grew up competing in track and field in Tacoma and has stayed involved in running ever since. Ring now coaches the cross country and distance running teams at University of Puget Sound.

Other Everytimers come from all different backgrounds, and all share a love of fitness and running.

The self-proclaimed “youngster” of the group, Mike Thomsen, completed his first Sound to Narrows when he was 13 years old. He never expected this beloved local run would become an essential yearly tradition.

“There was never a question of should I go, it was always ‘How am I going to get there?’” Thomsen says, as life took him away from the Tacoma area after his college graduation. “There were some years I’d fly in on Friday night, run the race Saturday morning and fly out on Saturday night.”

None of the Everytimers can pinpoint an exact moment they made a conscious decision to keep running year after year. After several races, it just become tradition. As the group started meeting formally, around the 20th year, they realized they were part of something special.

“When I get up to the starting line, I can’t help but get choked up,” says Thomsen. “You realize what it would mean if you did miss it. It would be an emptiness. It really becomes a lifelong commitment.”

“Being an Everytimer is a motivating factor,” Ring says. “The group has become like a family, in effect.”

Each year the Everytimers gather for dinner the day before the race. Now mostly in their 70s and 80s, they’ve developed a camaraderie and shared motivation to keep going.

“You don’t want to be the one that exits the group,” says Ring.

Sound to Narrows is a beloved Tacoma race held annually in June. Started in 1973 by The News Tribune and now run by MultiCare, Sound to Narrows brings together community members of all ages and fitness levels.

There’s the challenging 12K run or walk, a faster and flatter 5K run or walk, and even a 20-yard diaper dash for babies and toddlers. The event also relies on volunteers, with some positions earning free registration on race day.

“To this day, Sound to Narrows is my favorite run in the world,” says Thomsen. “When you suddenly see Vashon Island, or you hit the scenic lookouts and the Narrows Bridge, you can’t help but be in awe of the course. It’s hard but it’s so beautiful.”

Whether it’s your first time participating in Sound to Narrows or your 51st, the event promises to be a fun-filled community celebration. There’s something for everyone at Sound to Narrows.

Ring’s advice for those running?

“Always start slow,” he suggests. “Think of it more of a fitness activity than a race and meet the challenge of the hills. Just by getting across the finish line, you’ve accomplished it.”