The 110th Dipsea Race has been postponed to Nov. 7 because of the pandemic, organizers said Wednesday, the first time in 82 years the trail-running event has been held in November.
The event was originally scheduled for June 13, but organizers cited the unpredictable COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the potential impact of new variants of the virus and the unknown future of public health guidance for large outdoor events among the reasons for the postponement.
“We want to put the safety of our runners of all ages, volunteers, families, friends and the community-at-large first and we felt it would be too ambitious, even risky, to attempt to hold the race on June 13 with so many unknowns,” Dipsea Race Committee Chairman Merv Regan said.
“We apologize for not holding the race on the traditional date on the second Sunday in June as we had hoped, but, for this year only, we are moving the race back to November with the goal of staging a race that provides a safer and more comfortable environment,” Regan said.
The 7.5-mile race from downtown Mill Valley to Stinson Beach was canceled in 2020 for the first time since 1945. The race was first held in 1905 and was canceled from 1942 to 1945 due to World War II and military activity on Mt. Tamalpais.
The race has not been held in November since 1939, when it was held Nov. 26. According to organizers, that remains the latest date the event has been held in its history.
Applications for the race will be available in mid-August. Runners who qualified for the 2019 race will automatically qualify for this year’s event, according to the race’s organizers.
Further updates about the Dipsea Race can be found at https://www.dipsea.org.