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Teton Crest Club

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Field journal / 001 / Trail running

The Dipsea Race.

Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. My photos, route map and kit from the 2026 Dipsea.

Marin County, California2026 edition7.4-mile published courseWords & photographs / Clifton Schaller
Runners gathered beneath the Dipsea start banner in Mill Valley, surrounded by tall trees
01 / At the start. Mill Valley, California.

Race morning

I ran the 2026 Dipsea in Norda 003s and used Shokz headphones. These are my photos from the start in Mill Valley and out on the course.

We took a family photo before the start. On the trail, runners were single file through the woods; farther out, the fog covered the open grassland.

Family selfie at the Dipsea gathering in Mill Valley
02 / A family photograph in Mill Valley.
Wide view of runners gathered in downtown Mill Valley before the Dipsea Race
03 / The street before the start.
Runners moving along a narrow dirt trail beneath dense green foliage
04 / Single file through the woods.
Runners following a narrow trail through dry grass and dense fog
05 / Fog on the course.
From the camera roll: a little Dipsea history

A sign photographed in Mill Valley traces the race’s beginnings to the early 1900s.

Historic Mill Valley sign describing the early history of the Dipsea Race
06 / The Dipsea history sign in Mill Valley.

The notebook map

Mill Valley to the Pacific.

The published course runs 7.4 miles from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. The opening stairs lead toward Windy Gap, followed by the descent into Muir Woods. After the climb to Cardiac, the course heads toward Steep Ravine, Insult Hill, and the coast.

Notebook-style Dipsea course sketch from Mill Valley on the right to Stinson Beach on the left, via Muir Woods and Cardiac Hill

Course sketch, not to scale. For navigation, use the official course guide.

Open full-size map ↗My run on Strava ↗

Course references: My BEST Runs · Official Dipsea course guide.

Pack notes / Dipsea

My Dipsea kit

Race gear laid out on a table, including Nathan belt, Salomon flask, Wahoo chest strap, clothes, tape, snack and race bib
07 / Kit laid out before the race.

Open the gear ledger and usage totals →

Food & drink

On the table before the race: a Bobo’s grape PB&J oat snack and Enlighten Mint yerba mate.

A beer after the race

I had a beer after the race. This is the Dipsea “On Your Left!!” Marin IPA, with the course illustrated on the can.

Dipsea Race On Your Left Marin IPA cans with illustrated race labels in a shop refrigerator
08 / Post-race beer. The can marks the 115th Dipsea, 1905–2026.

Photos by Clifton Schaller. Map based on the course reference above.

My Dipsea run on Strava ↗

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