The 2007 Dipsea

For the spectators at Stinson Beach, there were no complaints about the weather: sunny and warm. However, as many Dipsea runners can attest, warm weather is not exactly the most ideal of conditions to run the Dipsea Race. Heat and dehydration take their toll, and many runners required medical attention and were unable to finish the race.

Jamie Berns and Russ Kiernan started the race together with 17 headstart minutes, but it was Jamie who was able to outkick Russ to win her first Dipsea championship. Roy Rivers was able to pass Russ on the "Swoop", and was looking to catch Jamie before the finish, but perhaps the heat was too much for him, and was passed by Russ Kiernan before staggering to the finish. Still, Roy Rivers walked away with a respectable third place.

Mark McManus tore up the trail to repeat the fastest time of the race, with a time of 51:54, earning him eighth place; while Liz Fagan-Gottlieb finished with the fastest women's time of 58:33, and sixth place overall.

However, the 97th Dipsea was marked by the conspicuous absence of Jack Kirk, who passed away in January at the age of 100. The "Dipsea Demon" ran every Dipsea from 1930 through 2003, and still appeared at both the start and the finish in subsequent years. This year was the first year since 1929 that the Dipsea Demon was not at the race. However, his presence will still be felt at the Dipsea Race for generations to come.