First run in 1905, the Dipsea is the oldest trail race in America. It is run every year on the second Sunday in June. The scenic 7.4 mile course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The stairs and steep trails make it a grueling and treacherous race. And its unique handicapping system has made winners of men and women of all ages. Because of its beauty and challenge, it is a very popular event, and because of safety and environmental concerns the number of runners is limited to about 1,500. While racers enter from all over the world, the Dipsea is primarily a Northern California event and the entry process is tilted slightly to favor local contestants. Please see the section on How To Enter for details.
The 102nd Annual Dipsea will be run on Sunday, June 10th, 2012 at 8:30 am sharp!
Course Page Updated: We've updated the Course Page on our website, including detailed photos to help first-time Dipsea explorers follow the race route.
Final Race Results: The race results are finalized! Click here to see them. (Link opens in a new window.) We've also sorted the results alphabetically by last name, and by head start group. Also, be sure to check out our Race Summary page!
Congratulations! Congrats to second-time champ Jamie Rivers for winning the 101st Annual Dipsea Race. Also, congratulations to the Pelican Inn Track Club for winning the team trophy, Alex Varner and Liz Gottlieb for winning Best Time awards, and all of the finishers of this year's race! Read all about it in our 2011 Race Summary.
Race Photos: Brightroom Event Photography will be taking race pictures on Sunday. They'll be at the bottom of the stile on Hwy 1, so smile, look pretty, and don't trip!
Counting Down to the 101st Dipsea! The 101st Dipsea Race is rapidly approaching. Runners, remember, you can pick up your bibs on:
- Friday, June 10th, between 5:00pm and 7:00pm at the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Center, 1 West Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley;
- Saturday, June 11th, between 10:00am and 3:00pm at the Larkspur Hotel, 160 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley
- Sunday, June 12th, between 6:30am and 8:00am at the race staging area in Downtown Mill Valley.
Note that the race is completely full, and no new registrations will be accepted at these bib pickup locations. Also, runners should be sure to read The Dipsea Runners
Information and Rules before the race. It contains very important information.
100th Dipsea Champion's Plaque Unveiled: Reilly Johnson, an elementary school student in Mill Valley who won the historic 100th running of the Dipsea race last year as an 8-year-old, had her championship plaque unveiled and engraved into the famed Dipsea Steps in a ceremony on Saturday, April 23.Click here for more details.
Entrants List is Up: The registration period has ended, and we've finalized the Entrants List for this year's race. Click here to see it. If you were not accepted, expect your refund check in the mail in the next few days. Please note that the race is completely full and we are not accepting any more applications for the 2011 Race.
Dipsea: The Greatest Race, Centennial Edition: The Centennial edition of Dipsea: The Greatest Race, by official Race historian Barry Spitz, is a must for all who love the Dipsea. Completely revised from the original 1993 version, with new tables and photographs, many in color, the book tells the story of all 100 Dipseas. Results go up to 100 deep, so your name may be in it! Go to DipseaBook.com to order.
Special Dipsea Runner Hotel Rates: The Larkspur Hotel in Mill Valley, formerly Holiday Inn Express, is providing a limited number of guestrooms at a special Dipsea rate of $170/night for June 11th to out of town participants. Race amenities: early Breakfast set-up at 5:00 AM for the runners and ice bath in the pool area following the race on June 12th. The hotel has 100 newly remodeled guestrooms with first class amenities. It is located on Richardson Bay with easy access to trails. For reservations use the following link: https://gc.synxis.com/rez.aspx?Hotel=25758&Chain=5175&promo=DIP
Charles McGlashan Passes Away: Charles McGlashan, a Marin County Supervisor and longtime advocate of the Dipsea Race, died on March 27 at the age of 49 of an apparent heart attack during a ski outing in Lake Tahoe. Click here for more details.
We're on Facebook: If you're on Facebook, check out our page there and become a fan of the race to get up-to-the-minute updates to your news feed. Click Here to become a fan!
2011 Handicaps posted: The handicaps for the 2011 race have changed a bit this year. Please see the Handicaps page for more details.
FINAL RESULTS UP: Click here for the official results. Also visit the Race Summary Page for information on this year's awards, and a link to the 2010 Dipsea Race Photo Album.
REILLY JOHNSON WINS THE 100th DIPSEA: Reilly Johnson, an 8-year-old fourth grade student from Mill Valley running in her third Dipsea, held off 68-year-old grandmother of four Melody-Ann Schultz of Ross to win the 100th Running of the Dipsea Race from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach on Sunday. Johnson became the youngest runner ever to win the Dipsea, topping Megan McGowan, who won the time-handcapped trail race at the age of 9 in 1991. Handicaps are determined by age and gender. Johnson and Schultz, a three-time Dipsea winner, both started with a 25-minute head start in the first group of runners to leave downtown Mill Valley. Johnson, who finished 199th in the 99th Dipsea in 2009, ran the 7.5 mile route 15 minutes faster than the previous year to cross the finish line first in Stinson Beach, seven seconds ahead of Schultz. Johnson's adjusted clock time was 47:30, minus the 25-minute head start. 53-year-old Roy Rivers of Mill Valley, the 2008 Dipsea champion, finished third followed by 24-year-old scratch runner Alex Varner of San Rafael, who recorded the fastest time (48:54) in the field of 1,500 runners. Chris Lundy of Sausalito had the fastest time by a female runner and 15-year-old John Lawson of Forest Knolls was the first high school finisher.
Answers to your questions: We've added a Frequently Asked Questions page to the website which addresses most of the questions we get throughout the year.
Marin Independent Journal Coverage: Once again, the Marin Independent Journal has complete coverage of the Dipsea Race in print and on its Web site, www.marinij.com. On race day, check the site for complete results, a photo slideshow and up-to-the-minute commentary and analysis from Mill Valley, Stinson Beach and all points in between.
Past Race Info Now Available: Ever wonder how fast you need to run to qualify for Invitational? Or how far out of your grasp one of those spiffy black shirts are? Or perhaps you just want to find out how "elite" a Dipsea finisher really is... Well, your prayers have been answered, as we've added a table of historical times to the Previous Races page.
Check back for more news about Dipsea Race events!