Race Report: 2024 Dipsea Race
09 Jun 2024 fitness
Summary
- What: 2024 Dipsea Race
- When: Sunday, June 9, 2024
- Where: Mill Valley, CA
- Distance: Run 7.4M
- Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11614167430
- Finish time: 1:38:52 gun, 1:12:51 chip
Discussion
Today, I ran the 113th Annual Dipsea Race in Mill Valley, California, the oldest trail race in America. The race is unique for a bunch of reasons:
- Getting in is difficult. I was lucky enough to snag a spot via the “first-come, first-served” method of entry thanks to USPS Priority Mail.
- There’s an incredible variety of runners who participate: kids as young as seven, adults older than seventy, and everyone in between. Lots of past race winners, too.
- There’s a “head start” mechanic based on gender and age, which makes it possible for any age group to win the race. You’re either chasing or being chased the entire time.
- Some parts of the course—especially the stairs—were bottlenecks. Navigating these bottlenecks while remaining respectful of the other runners is part of the challenge.
- The course is point-to-point, and shortcuts are fair game. In fact, because the race is so old, there’s a wealth of lore surrounding the course and which routes are fastest.
The race was challenging, chaotic, charming, and scenic. I fared well, managing to finish without any major falls or stoppages. I decided not to take any shortcuts, to avoid twisting an ankle, and I’m happy with that choice. I got a side stitch around mile seven, but thankfully it didn’t last too long. I finished in 770th place overall, just shy of my goal of finishing in the top 750, but I’m still really proud of how I did.
In lieu of a bunch of pictures, I made a video containing the footage I captured during the race. Click on the picture below to watch!
