Dipsea Race
The Dipsea Race is the oldest trail run and the second oldest running event in the United States after the Boston Marathon . The race has been held - with interruptions - since 1905 and extends over a length of 7.44 miles (around 12 km). It leads from downtown Mill Valley up to the slopes of Mount Tamalpais , on through the Muir Woods National Monument and through Mount Tamalpais State Park to Stinson Beach on the coast of the Pacific .
One of the special features of the race is that a total of 1219 meters of altitude has to be overcome, with the first sections of the route leading over the labyrinth of stairs and paths typical of Mill Valley at the foot of Mount Tamalpais. Another special feature is that the goal can be reached via various routes chosen by the runners from a strategic point of view. In order to guarantee equal opportunities for the runners, a handicap system is used in which participants - according to their age and gender - start the race at different starting times.
history
The history of the Dipsea Race goes back to 1904. This year, members of the Olympic Club - the oldest athletics club in the United States, based in San Francisco - organized a day trip to the Dipsea Inn, a tourist eatery on California's Pacific coast. They first took the ferry to Sausalito and then took the train to Mill Valley. Once there, they made a bet on who would get to the Dipsea Inn first. The company presented itself as such a challenge that the club members decided to hold the race once a year from now on.
The first official Dipsea Race took place on November 19, 1905. Announced by the San Francisco Examiner newspaper as "the greatest cyclo-cross race" "ever held in this country or any other country," more than 100 runners registered. This first edition of the Dipsea Race was won by John Hassard, a student from Oakland .
Today's edition of the Dipsea Race is largely similar to that of 1905. Only minor changes have been made. In 1907, for example, the race was shortened by the last section that led across the beach on the Pacific coast. In 1965, a set of rules was introduced for the lead that runners get according to their age. Previously, this lead had been adjusted to the running ability of each individual participant. The option for women to participate was included in the regulations in 1971, although they had in fact been taking part in the race since 1950.
The history of the race was interrupted twice in the first half of the 20th century. It was suspended due to funding problems during the Great Depression in 1932 and 1933, and no races were held between 1942 and 1945 due to the United States' participation in World War II .
Due to the ever increasing popularity of the race, the number of participants has been limited since 1977 (today 1500 runners). Since 1983 the race has been held annually on the second Sunday in June.
The race
Routing
The route of the Dipsea Race leads over the "Dipsea Trail", a path that may have been used by the Miwok Indians before the arrival of the European settlers . The trail was first pictured on the first map of Marin County in 1854. In 2010, the Dipsea Trail was added to the National Register of Historic Places .
The official length of today's race was measured in 2010 with 7.44 miles , which corresponds to about twelve kilometers. If the runners take all approved shortcuts, the distance is 7.12 miles.
The route has been changed again and again throughout the history of the race. In 1974, when Ron Elijah ran his current record time of 44 minutes and 49 seconds, the length of the route was measured at 6.75 miles. The extent to which such times are comparable to today's runners, given the changes in the course, is a matter of frequent debate among fans of the race.
| position | description | Distance traveled (miles) | image |
| Mill Valley, Miller and Throckmorton | The Dipsea Race traditionally starts in the heart of Mill Valley , near the Mill Valley Railway Depot. First, head west on Throckmorton Avenue (right in the picture) to Old Mill Park. In the early years of the Dipsea Race, the race started right at the "Historic Clock" (center). | 0 |
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| Dipsea Steps | The famous steps of the race, the "Dipsea Steps", begin at the foot of Mount Tamalpais in the Old Mill Park (picture). Up until the late 1960s there were 671 steps, which is what Jack Kirk (see below) had to say in the legendary saying “Old Dipsea runners never die. You only reach the 672nd step “inspired”. A plaque on the top step reminds of Kirk († 2007). After repairs, there are now a total of 685 steps. | 0.39 |
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| One-mile marker | On the way to Bayview Drive, the runners pass the marker stone for the first mile covered (picture). In the 1980s, the words “One Mile Tree” were carved into a cypress tree at this point, but the wound healed and the writing disappeared. Today's marker stone was ceremoniously unveiled in November 2005. | 1.0 |
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| Bayview Drive and Panoramic Highway | The runners reach the Panoramic Highway via Bayview Drive. In the first few years, the participants crossed the Panoramic Highway in a direct line at this point. After houses were built on this historic section of the race towards the end of the 1960s, clashes began with the residents who blocked the previous route. In 1970, a race participant allegedly secretly fed the residents' dog in order to run unhindered on the original trail on race day. Today the route leads past the houses on the right (picture). | 1.19 |
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| Muir Woods parking lot | After 2.1 miles, the runners will reach the parking lot of the Muir Woods National Monument (picture). From here the path leads over Redwood Creek, a small river, through the sanctuary, famous for its redwood trees. | 2.1 |
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| Jetty over Redwood Creek | Just a few steps behind the Muir Woods parking lot, the runners cross Redwood Creek over a wooden walkway (picture). In the 1970s, the wooden walkway was marked with a sign "No Running on Bridge", which was ignored by many runners and later dismantled. The footbridge is removed in particularly rainy winters. | 2.17 |
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| Dynamite | As soon as the runners have crossed Redwood Creek, they reach a section called "Dynamite" (picture), which climbs steeply over half a mile. This is the beginning of an ascent extending over several miles, which later reaches the highest point of the entire route with the "Cardiac Hill" (see below). | 2.18 |
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| Halfway rock | After 3.19 miles you will reach the “Halfway Rock”, a prominent rock (picture) in Mount Tamalpais State Park . According to today's route, however, only 43% of the total route has been covered at this point. | 3.19 |
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| Rainforest | After 3.65 miles, the runners exit Mount Tamalpais State Park and re-enter Muir Woods National Monument. The following section of the route is called "The Rainforest" because of its dense tree cover (picture). In years with particularly high rainfall, the trails in this section are covered with mud. | 3.65 |
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| Cardiac | The steeply ascending section of the route between miles 4.21 and 4.29 is known as the "cardiac". The summit of the Cardiac (picture) is also the highest point of the race. From here, the runners have a view of the Pacific , San Francisco and - under particularly good weather conditions - as far as the Farallon Islands . | 4.21 |
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| Steep ravine | After 5.68 miles, the runners reach the “Steep Ravine” section (photo). This section leads steeply downwards over rocks, tree roots and stairs. Particularly skilled runners take four steps in one step. Other participants in the race descend the steep path slowly and carefully. In recent years, this has led to extremely dangerous racing situations and numerous falls. This makes Steep Ravine one of the most dangerous sections of the Dipsea Race. | 5.68 |
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| Stinson Beach | The destination on Stinson Beach (picture) will be reached after 7.44 miles today. | 7.44 |
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The application process
The process by which the participants in the race are selected has changed several times in the history of the Dipsea Race. While the regular entry fee is $ 60 today , no entry fee was charged early on in the race. In addition, up until the 1960s, runners could register on the day of the race in a list of participants in the start area in Mill Valley. Since the starting field was limited to 1,500 runners in the late 1970s and the pressure of competition among potential participants grew, the application process has become increasingly complicated. Today runners can qualify for the race in a number of ways. Before each Dipsea Race, the race commission sends out an invitation to those runners who received an invitation in the previous year and who were among the first 450 participants to reach the finish line. In addition, those runners who were among the first 750 participants who reached the finish line in the previous year and who started in the group whose runners were not invited will receive an entry form. Runners from these two groups of participants are considered seeded, provided they return their participation form by the application deadline - usually April 1st. The remaining places will be given to those applicants who are either the first to fill out an entry form, who buy a place through a covert auction or who are drawn for the race as part of a lottery. In addition, it says on the current website of the Dipsea Race that there will also be a chance for those applicants who can either persuade the race stewards with a “convincing and touching story” or bid for one of the last two places to participate at a dinner on the Friday before the race , with bids starting at $ 500.
The handicap system
The handicap system has been an integral part of the race since the Dipsea Race was first held in 1905. The English term “handicap” is used to describe the deficit that a runner receives on the participants who start with a lead. The start is in groups, with the last group - called the "scratch group" - entering the race without a lead. The actual running time of a participant is called the "clock time". In 11 races alone - and not a single time since 1985 - a runner who ran the fastest clock time and was therefore the fastest runner overall could win the Dipsea Race.
While the “handicap” in the first few years was based on an individual assessment of the runner, from 1965 onwards the “handicap” was determined solely on the basis of age. Since the official entry for women in 1971, the lead has been determined based on a combination of age and gender. The new regulation of 1965 meant that older participants in the Dipsea Race had better chances of winning. Between 1993 and 2009, the race was always won by runners over the age of 50. In 2010, a total of 52 different groups started, each starting with a time difference of one minute.
With the dominance of the runner Sal Vasquez (see below), who won the race for four consecutive years, a separate rule was also introduced in 1986 for former winners of the Dipsea Race. This rule, known as the “Winners Penalty” (originally “Sal Vasquez Rule”), states that the winners of one of the previous five years had to start the race one minute behind. After Megan McGowan won the race for the second time in a row in 1992, the "Megan McGowan Rule" was introduced, in which these minutes were accumulated per runner. In the races between 2007 and 2009, the previous year's winner started four minutes behind, regardless of how many races he had won in previous years. In 2010 the race for last year's winners was slightly defused. Since then, all previous year's winners have started one minute behind for each race they won in the previous three years.
Participants (selection)
- Jack Kirk, called "Dipsea Demon" - Between 1930 and 2002 Kirk took part in a total of 67 races. When he died in 2007 at the age of 100, he held the attendance record. Kirk finished his last fully completed race in 2002. In the following year he could not complete the race, but came - at the age of 96 - to the summit of "Cardiac Hill".
- Sal Vasquez - Vasquez competed in his first Dipsea Race in 1980 at the age of 40. During the course of the race he fell twice and then had to be treated with 12 stitches in a hospital. The newspaper Marin Independent Journal Then he said it was insanely to come to Mill Valley. In the years after 1980 he won the Dipsea Race a total of seven times and thus holds the record for the most victories to date.
- Melody-Ann Schultz and Reilly Johnson - Both runners started in the anniversary year 2010 (hundredth Dipsea Race) with a lead of 25 minutes. Shortly before the finish, Johnson crashed and was cheered by Schultz to get up and finish the race. In the end, Johnson won the race with seven seconds ahead of Schultz. Schultz was a 67-year-old grandmother and Johnson was an 8-year-old student at the time.
The race is also open to runners six years of age and under
Runner on reaching the finish line
A runner waits shortly before the finish line for her husband, who is also taking part in the race
Upon arrival at Stinson Beach
Records
| record | Record holder, record number | year |
| Fastest time (men) | Ron Elijah, 44 minutes and 49 seconds | 1974 |
| Fastest time (women) | Peggy Smyth, 55 minutes and 47 seconds | 1988 |
| Most wins | Sal Vasquez, seven wins | 1982–1985, 1990, 1994, 1997 |
| Oldest winner | Hans Schmid, 72 years | 2012 |
| Youngest winner | Reilly Johnson, 8 years and 341 days | 2010 |
| Greatest distance to runner-up | Ralph Perry, 6 minutes and 56 seconds | 1953 |
| Shortest distance to runner-up | Leslie McGregor, 2 seconds | 1948 |
| Most of the best times | Mike McManus, 8 times fastest time | - |
| Most places in the top five | Russ Kiernan, 20 placements | - |
| Most destination arrivals | Jack Kirk, 67 finish arrivals | 1930-2002 |
| Most participations until the first win | Russ Kiernan, 26 participations (1967–1998) | - |
| Most frequent placements in the top ten without a win | Roger Daniels and Bob Malain, 24 places | - |
Other dipsea races
Double and Quadruple Dipsea
The "Double Dipsea" has been held once a year since 1970. The route runs from Stinson Beach to Mill Valley and back again. The Double Dipsea takes place 13 days after the Dipsea Race. In 2010, 570 runners crossed the finish line. Russ Kiernan, multiple Dipsea Race participant, holds the Double Dipsea record of a total of eleven victories.
The "Quadruple Dipsea" has been held annually since 1985. Its history goes back to 1978, when the two runners from Mill Valley, Mike McKenzie and Hans Roenau, ran the quadruple Dipsea Race course for the first time. McKenzie won that first race after Roenau, completely starved, stopped to pick blackberries.
The Quadruple Dipsea begins and ends in Mill Valleys Old Mill Park. The race is held without a handicap system; all runners start at the same time. Since the race takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and therefore comparatively late in the year, the participants often have to deal with bad weather conditions.
The "Women's Dipsea Hikes"
The five “Women's Dipsea Hikes” held between 1918 and 1922 hold a special place in the history of athletics in the United States. Since founded in 1888 Amateur Athletic Union as the leading amateur sports federation excluded women of long-distance runs at that time, the race was officially called "migration" (English hike declared). Regardless of this, the Women's Dipsea Hikes had the same characteristics as an official running event: the participants trained in advance for the race, the winners received prizes and both placements and times were recorded.
Although the first commentators rated the participation of women in the race positively and awarded the female athletes not only a “greater persistence” but also a “greater endurance” than equally trained men, discussions soon arose about whether it was appropriate for women to attend running events like this Women's Dipsea Hike . These discussions centered on the clothes worn by the female race participants and the question of whether the female body might be exposed to an “inappropriate strain” for women during the race. According to the sports historian Rita M. Liberti, no sources are available for the exact reasons why the Women's Dipsea Hikes were discontinued five years after they were first held; she assumes, however, that it was precisely these discussions that led to the end of the women's race in 1923. It wasn't until six years after the last Women's Dipsea Hike in 1922 that women were allowed to run in the Olympic Games .
Cinematic processing
In May 1986 the film " On the Edge " was released in American cinemas. Rob Nilsson, born in Mill Valley, wrote the book for the film, directed and co-produced the film. Nilsson was already fascinated by the race in his school days and took part in the race several times as a runner. The film tells the story of Wes Holman (played by Bruce Dern ), a former high-performance athlete who was unfairly banned from the Olympics and banned from racing in the United States. Years later, Holman returns to his hometown of Mill Valley to take part in the Dipsea Race and ultimately to win it - despite all the adversities. In an article for the New York Times , film critic Nina Darnton drew the balance that On the Edge conveys a similar enthusiasm for running as the 1981 film The Victory's Hour .
Tim Amyx, like Nilsson a former participant in the race, combined his footage of the Dipsea Race from the 1980s into a 40-minute video "The Dipsea Race". He later produced an 11-minute version for the hundredth race in 2005. The American company Magus Films produced a film about the participation of the blind runner Harry Cordellos under the title “Survival Run”. And in 2004 a documentary film about the story of Jack Kirk was released under the title "The Dipsea Demon".
literature
- Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race - Centennial Edition. San Anselmo, CA 2010, ISBN 978-0-9620715-4-6 (first published under the title "Dipsea. The Greatest Race" in 1993).
Web links
- Dipsea.org - Official website of the Dipsea Race.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Barry Spitz: A Brief History of the Dipsea Race. From Dipsea.org, last accessed May 25, 2012.
- ^ "The greatest cross-country run that was ever held in this or any other country." Quoted here from Barry Spitz: A Brief History of the Dipsea Race. From Dipsea.org, last accessed May 25, 2012.
- ↑ a b c d e Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 5.
- ↑ "Old Dipsea runners never die. They just reach the 672nd step. ”Here quoted from Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 6.
- ↑ Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 7.
- ↑ Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 254.
- ↑ How to enter. From Dipsea.org, last accessed June 25, 2012.
- ↑ "send a convincing sob story that will persuade the race committee to make room for the applicant." How to enter. From Dipsea.org, last accessed June 5, 2012.
- ↑ "on the Friday before the race, there's the Annual Dipsea Race Foundation banquet where two Invitational race numbers are auctioned to the highest bidders, starting at a bid of $ 500." How to enter. From Dipsea.org, last accessed June 5, 2012.
- ↑ a b c Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 15.
- ↑ “It's ridiculous to come here.” Quoted here from Robert Skip Sandberg: Steps, Lanes and Paths of Mill Valley. Mill Valley CA 2010, ISBN 978-0-9830494-0-1 , p. 114.
- ^ Robert Skip Sandberg: Steps, Lanes and Paths of Mill Valley. Mill Valley CA 2010, p. 114.
- ↑ All records reproduced here - unless otherwise stated - according to Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 240, P. 248 (as of 2010).
- ^ The 2012 Dipsea. From Dipsea.org, last accessed June 10, 2012.
- ↑ Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 258.
- ↑ Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 259.
- ↑ Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. Pp. 217-224.
- ↑ So George James in April 1918 after the first participation of women in the race: "[the female athlete] is more game, more tenacious and has greater power of endurance [than an equally trained man]", quoted here from Rita M. Liberti : Trailblazing in Marin - Women's Dipsea Hikes, 1918–1922. In: California History 81, 1, 2002, pp. 54–65, here p. 54.
- ^ A b Rita M. Liberti: Trailblazing in Marin - Women's Dipsea Hikes, 1918–1922. In: California History 81, 1, 2002, p. 54.
- ↑ a b Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 257.
- ↑ "As in 'Chariots of Fire', the film conveys the excitement of running." Quoted here from Barry Spitz: Dipsea. The Greatest Race. P. 257.
- ↑ See the film review of The Dipsea Demon on Filmbaby.com, last accessed on May 27, 2012.
