Dipsea Race

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The Dipsea Race is the oldest cross country running event, and the second oldest running race, in America. The 7.1 mile long Dipsea Race has been held annually since 1905, starting in Mill Valley, Marin County, California and finishing at Stinson Beach. Since the early 1980's, the race has always been held on the second Sunday in June.

The Dipsea is well known for its scenic course (it passes through Muir Woods National Monument, Mount Tamalpais State Park, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area) and challenging trails (mostly single-track trails, with uneven footing, steep footing, and hundreds of stairs, with about 2200-foot elevation gain and loss over the 7.1 mile course). Additionally, all runners are given a head start based on their age and gender; the oldest and youngest runners are given up to a 23-minute advantage over the fastest competitors. This makes it possible for virtually any age group to produce a race winner; 9-year-old girls and 70-year-old men have won the race in the past.

The trail is also known for shortcuts like "Suicide" and "The Swoop"

Because of the nature of the course, the field of competitors must be limited to 1500. It is a popular race, and as many as 3000 people apply for entry every year. This makes it difficult for people, particularly those who have never run it before, to get accepted into the race.

The defending champion currently is three time winner Melody Anne Schultz.

Jack Kirk, aka the 'Dipsea Demon', holds the record of most consecutive competitions in the Dipsea, having run 68 consecutive Dipseas from 1930 until 2004. (There was no official Dipsea Race in 1932 or 1933, due to economic reasons, nor in 1942-1945 due to World War II)

[edit] Other races on the Dipsea Trail

Two other races use the same course route: the Double Dipsea, held in late June, and the Quad Dipsea in late November. Despite the use of the Dipsea name, these two races are not officially affiliated with the Dipsea Race.