The 2004 Dipsea

On a beautiful day that was perfect for spectators and only a little hot for the runners, Shirley Matson, 63, won the Dipsea Race again, establishing a new women's record of four victories.

There was more excitement than usual because for the first time in five years, the top four winners all crossed the finish line in less than a minute and the top ten were done within four minutes. Last year, after Melody Anne Schultz crossed the line, the crowd waited more than five minutes for the second finisher to show up.

There were some new faces and surprises this year, despite the fact that the second and third place winners (Russ Kiernan, 66, and Melody Anne Schultz, 62) have dominated the top ten honors with Matson for almost a decade.

The most notable newcomer this year was fourteen year old Alesandra Roger, who steamed in to claim fourth with a very speedy actual time of 58 minutes and 19 seconds.

For the first time in 74 years, the name of Jack Kirk was missing from this year's list of runners. The 97-year-old "Dipsea Demon" showed up in a wheelchair, recovering from a broken hip. and telling friends he plans to run it again, and wants to do it for the last time when he turns 100. He was awarded a new award, The Jack Kirk Trophy, for "dedication, perseverance and performance over time."

And speaking of great performance over time, The Dipsea Race will turn 100 next year. To mark the anniversary, there will a Centennial Celebration to remember the people who started it, the ones who support it today, and to preserve the trail for the generations to come.. At the award ceremony following this 2004 race, Dipsea Foundation President Peter Butcher invited help from runners and friends-of-the-race. The Centennial Celebration team is looking for people with ideas and energy who want to help plan and create an event worthy of the race. He can be reached through the Dipsea web site.