Coast to Coast: The Transístmica Relay That Carried Us Across Panama

US Army SOUTHCOM, 1995
Every year teams lined up on the Atlantic and raced 50 miles to the Pacific. It was called the Coast-to-Coast Transístmica Relay, and in 1995 about 25 to 30 teams showed up ready to run. Ten runners per team. Men and women. Ten legs of roughly five miles each. Our crew ran under a name that fit fieldwork and first aid alike — the Bandaids — sponsored by USAID.

From Colón To Balboa

The route was plain on a map and anything but simple underfoot. We started in Colón on the Atlantic side and finished in Balboa on the Pacific. The course followed the Carretera Transístmica, literally the highway across the isthmus. Shoulders were mostly bush. Ground was uneven. Traffic blew by a few feet to the left, horns and cheers rolling with the diesel.

Setting The Lineup

Our captain was Kermit Moh, USAID’s Director. He placed runners by speed and grit. Tradition said you open with a rabbit to get clean air early, so our rabbit took the first flat leg and did exactly what rabbits do. I drew a middle segment through the hills. My job was simple. Keep the baton moving.

Running The Middle Miles

Along the Transístmica you measure distance in telephone poles and handoffs. Crowds leaned out of bus windows to shout encouragement. The shoulder shifted from dirt to grass to ruts. When I finally crested the continental divide, the road tipped down toward the Pacific. I handed off, exhaled, told the next runner “piece of cake,” then lay flat until our van rumbled up.

The Finish That Mattered

Kermit ran anchor and brought us home in Balboa. There were no trophies waiting and not much of a crowd. What we had was better. Ten happy people, salty with sweat and dust, who crossed a country together in a single day. That feeling is hard to frame and easy to remember.

Photo Notes From The Day

Photo 1 — “Rolling to the Start”
Alt text: A group of teammates in yellow event shirts and teal caps turn to smile inside a support van.
Caption: The Bandaids en route, quiet jokes and last-minute checks before the first handoff.

Photo 2 — “Transístmica Shoulder”
Alt text: A runner with bib 696 waves while striding along a rural roadside lined with banana trees and power lines.
Caption: Heat, brush, and traffic on the left. Cheering from open windows never let up.

Photo 3 — “Team Bandaids”
Alt text: Nine adults in yellow relay shirts and teal caps pose together after the race; a little girl stands on the right.
Caption: Dusty shoes, big smiles, and that post-finish glow. This is what a good day looks like.

Photo 4 — “The Handoff”
Alt text: Two runners reach for a baton on a broad city road while teammates and a bystander with a camcorder look on.
Caption: Relay magic in one frame  timing, trust, and a clean exchange before the clock steals a second.

What The Relay Taught Us

• Plan the order, then trust the order. Good captains see both speed and temperament.

• Respect the terrain. Side-of-road running asks for focus and humility.

• Celebrate the middle. Most races remember the start and finish. Teams are made in the quiet handoffs between.

• Finish as you started. Together.

A Small Thank-You

To the organizers at US Army SOUTHCOM, to the volunteers, and to the strangers who yelled “dale” from bus windows — thanks for the push. And to our teammates, thanks for the miles that still make us grin.