This year marks the final year of the runner exchange between the Prefontaine Memorial Run and the Lasse Viren Run in Finland, said Bob Huggins, race director for the Pre.

The idea was generated by former Nike employee Geoff Hollister, Lasse Viren and Finnish runner Jaakko Tuominen. Nike paid the travel expenses the first few years, then each race paid for the runner it sent across the ocean. The past several years, the Prefontaine Memorial Run has funded runners going to both races.

The cost this year is about $3,000, a major expense when Nike also is scaling back funding for other elements of the race, Huggins said.

Huggins will miss the exchange program — he and his wife have played the role of host for the runners from Finland, while several other community members have treated the visitors to various aspects of South Coast life.

He said the decision to stop the exchange was mutual between the Prefontaine Memorial Committe and the organizers of the Lasse Viren run.