Petaluma's Westside Relays celebrates 50 years

PETALUMA, Calif. (KGO) -- In 1975, Coach Doug Johnson started Westside Relays, a track and field event for elementary students in Petaluma, California.

On May 20, 2025, he stood in the exact same spot watching the start of the event on its 50th anniversary.

"You think about really how influential and how many kids have been touched by this event," Coach Johnson said. "Over 50,000 kids have ran in this program."

"I can't believe it's been 50 years," Coach Johnson's son, Jeff, said. "Wow. That's amazing."

Students from Petaluma schools, their teachers and parents filled the Petaluma High School track, ready for a day of exciting competition.

"There will be 15 schools, fifth and sixth graders," Jeff Johnson said.

"They're all wearing their school colors. The red, the green, the blue, the yellow. There's this beehive of activity. The whole time, all day long," Chief Communicator Eric Hoppis said.

The day's schedule included sprints, middle-distance races, discus, high and long jump to name a few of the events.

"The kids have fun. The parents have fun," Jeff Johnson said.

The idea for the Westside Relays came to Coach Johnson after running in his sixth grade elementary school track and field competition.

"It had such a lasting impression on me," Coach Johnson said. "I said, 'If I ever get the opportunity, I want to put something together like that, but I don't want it just for one school. I want it for as many schools as we can handle.'"

According to Coach Johnson, the event is a great opportunity for students to experience camaraderie, competitiveness and confidence.

"If you talk to a lot of the kids that run in the relays, and they have an event, they can't do, and then all of a sudden, they get in it, and they said, 'Hey, this is not too bad,'" Coach Johnson said. "And, I think what it does through the relays is build their self-confidence."

Over the last five decades, Coach Johnson has enjoyed seeing the effect the event has had on students.

"I've gotten a bevy of letters from kids that said I would never ran track if it hadn't been for the relays," Coach Johnson said. "One of the greatest thrills of my life is watching these kids."

"You realize his commitment to the kids and to doing this and how much it is him. It's so deep in his heart and sort of his life's work," Hoppis said.

"I'm really proud of my dad. I'm just so proud of him. And I love him more than you'll know. He's a good man," Jeff Johnson said.

"Somebody said, 'Well, when you're done here and you done that.' I'll never be done. I'll never be done,'" Coach Johnson said.

"It's going to keep going," Hoppis said.