Dipsea race legend Ron Elijah to attend Hall of Fame and Scholarship Dinner on June 9

Three-time Dipsea fastest time award winner Ron Elijah, who still owns the course record set in 1974, will make a special appearance at the Dipsea Race Foundation’s annual Dipsea Hall of Fame and Scholarship Dinner at the Mill Valley Outdoor Art Club on Friday night, June 9.

The 107th Dipsea, a 7.4-mile trail race from downtown Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, will be held on Sunday morning, June 11.

The Dipsea Hall of Fame and Scholarship event will begin with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment at 6 p.m. followed by the dinner program at 7 p.m.

The newest inductee(s) into the Dipsea Hall of Fame will be announced as well as five graduating high school seniors who will receive college scholarships from the Dipsea Race Foundation.

Running from scratch with no head start in the time handicapped Dipsea, Elijah clocked the fastest time from start to finish in 1971, 1972 and 1974. His time of 44:49 -- when he finished third overall in 1974 -- has stood as the race course record for 42 years. No Dipsea runner has come within two minutes of that time since.

Two-time race winner and Dipsea Hall of Famer Darryl Beardall, now 80 years old, and then 13-year-old Debbie Rudolph finished ahead of Elijah that day in 1974 in a starting field that included future Academy Award nominated actor Bruce Dern.

Cost to attend this year’s Dipsea Hall of Fame dinner is $75 for adults and $50 for children. Space is limited. Make checks payable to the “Dipsea Race Foundation” and mail to P.O. Box 10, Mill Valley, CA 94942. For more information, contact Eric Ellisen, DRF dinner chairman, at eric@dipseafoundation.org.

The Dipsea Race Foundation is a charitable non-profit (501(c) 3) corporation whose mission is ”to inspire our community and beyond to support the tradition of the Dipsea Race, the maintenance of the Dipsea Trail, and the legacy for current and future generations.” It was established in 1997 to protect and promote the race and the values it represents. After a century of existence, the race has become an essential part of the community and cross-country running; the Foundation was created to preserve the race for future generations. The Dipsea Race Foundation has three main goals: to preserve the race and the trail for current and future generations, to support the entities and organizations that control the property over which the trail winds, and to encourage boys and girls from all backgrounds to appreciate and protect the Dipsea and other trails on Mt. Tam.

Visit the Dipsea Race Foundation website at www.dipseafoundation.org.