The Lynden-Bellingham Relay Race
Twenty-three local boys sprinted 16 miles to beat the Bellingham record, ending in a victory banquet.
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Twenty-three Lynden boys ran the distance from Bellingham to Lynden—between 15 and 16 miles—Saturday in 73 minutes and 30 seconds. This is at least 6 minutes and 30 seconds better time than the Bellingham boys made on the same route. The Lynden boys faced the disadvantage of running uphill, rather than downhill like the Bellingham team. While not a regulation relay, and marked by minor confusions like a wrong turn into a blind street, it was a splendid exhibition of speed and endurance. Upon arrival in Lynden, the boys were treated to a banquet in the M.E. church parlors, hosted by the schoolgirls. Mayor deMattos of Bellingham sent a message via the runners, congratulating Lynden on its fertile soil and industrious youth.
“His place was taken by one of the runners that had been picked up, so no time was lost by the incident.”
Intercity rivalry between Lynden and Bellingham remains a fixture of Whatcom County life, though today it is usually expressed through high school sports rather than relay races across Highway 539. The route the boys ran is now a heavily trafficked commute, a stark contrast to the dirt roads of 1910.
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