The Dipsea Race
Always double-check with the organizer's website! This page may contain affiliate links.
The Dipsea Race
First run in 1905, the Dipsea is the oldest trail race in America and is held each year on the second Sunday in June. The event covers a scenic 7.4 mile course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach.
The course includes long flights of stairs and steep, narrow trails. Those features make the route physically demanding and technically treacherous in places. Organizers limit the field to about 1,500 runners for safety and environmental reasons.
The race uses a unique handicapping system that staggers start groups and includes time penalties for prior winners; this system has produced winners of different ages and both sexes. While entrants come from around the world, the event is primarily a Northern California race and the entry process is tilted slightly to favor local contestants.
Race operations include expanded timing stations that provide near real-time race splits at several points on the trail, including the top of the Dipsea stairs, Windy Gap, Muir Woods, Cardiac, White Gate, and Stile. The Dipsea Race Foundation also supports related activities such as trail maintenance and community events tied to the race.
Minimum age rules were adjusted in recent years: a 6-year minimum took effect June 11, 2023, and a 7-year minimum began June 9, 2024. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
