The weather for this 99th Dipsea was picture perfect: sunny and mostly clear, yet cool enough to avoid any heat-related problems that can occasionally plague the Dipsea Race.
Despite suffering from an injury two weeks earlier, Brian Pilcher was able to pass all other competitors by the time he reached the Swoop to win his first Dipsea title. At the awards ceremony after the race, he received the final Grizzly Bear trophy; a new trophy design will debut for the 100th running of the Dipsea in 2010.
Mark McManus, winner of the fastest actual time award for the past three years, was only 30 seconds behind Pilcher to finish in second place. And only 30 seconds behind McManus, Alex Varner finished third and denied Mark McManus a record fourth consecutive fastest time award by finishing in 49:26.
Rounding out the top five, 13-year-old Julia Maxwell not only finished fourth, but also won the female Best Time award, all in her first Dipsea. And Eric Olson of Novato High School won the High School Trophy and finished fifth overall. These young runners brought the average age of the top five to the lowest in years, if not decades. While many long-familiar named continued to grace the top 35, these younger racers are expected to win many Black Shirts to come!