At age 53, Chris Lundy, who boasts the best actual time for the past two years, and who had already won the race twice and owns a record nine Women’s Best Time trophies, won the 2024 Dipsea Race with a time of 48:10. Her actual time was 1:03:09.35.
Clara Peterson finished second, followed by Julia Maxwell Bailey.
Darrin Banks, 58, placed third. Dominic Vogl was fifth. Eddie Owens was 6th.
Diana Fitzpatrick was 7th. Mark Tatum was 8th, Buzz Burrell, 72 was 10th.
In 2018, for the 108th Dipsea Race, Lundy outlasted Alex Varner of San Rafael and his then-record-tying performance.
“But this one was more enjoyable,” said a smiling Lundy at the time, having suffered a torn left knee ligament near the finish the prior year.
The list of top placements closely matched the prognostications of Dipsea Race legendary prognosticator Barry Spitz.
Paddy O’Leary, a 35-year-old oncology scientist at the University of California, San Francisco, won the 112th Annual Dipsea Race in June 2023, claiming his first career Dipsea win one year after he finished a closed second to 2022 winner Eddie Owens, who was unable to compete in 2023. O’Leary topped former Branson School standout and Ross resident Julia Maxwell Bailey, 27, while Mill Valley’s Chris Lundy, 52, and Larkspur’s Diana Fitzpatrick, 65, finished third and fourth, respectively.
First run in 1905, the Dipsea is the oldest trail race in America. It is run every year on the second Sunday in June. The scenic 7.4 mile course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach is considered to be one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The stairs and steep trails make it a grueling and treacherous race. And its unique handicapping system has made winners of men and women of all ages. Because of its beauty and challenge, it is a very popular event, and because of safety and environmental concerns the number of runners is limited to about 1,500. While racers enter from all over the world, the Dipsea is primarily a Northern California event and the entry process is tilted slightly to favor local contestants. Please see the section on How To Enter for details.
EXPECT PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN DOWNTOWN MILL VALLEY ON JUNE 9TH!
All photos by Steve Disenhof Photography.