2011 Dipsea

2011 Supplement to the Centennial Edition of “Dipsea, The Greatest Race”

101st Dipsea

June 12, 2011

In some ways, the 101st Dipsea seemed a throwback to earlier years. For one, at least 15 runners toed the start line with a reasonable chance of winning. This is how it was before 1965, when handicaps were still assigned individually. But the shift that year to handicapping by age changed things, and only top age-graded runners then had any chance of winning. In many recent years, just a handful of entrants really were contenders to win. And there was also, as in the distant past, high drama over who would the Team Trophy. In the end, Jamie Berns Rivers, 60, emerged as the 13th runner ever to win more than once, and the 34-year win streak of the Tamalpa Runners team was finally broken.

After winning in 2007, Jamie had been punished with a Winner’s Penalty of four lost head start minutes in 2008 and three in ’09. Last year, when the Winner’s Penalty was softened to just one minute lost for a win during the previous three years, she limped in, injured, near last among the Invitationals. Jamie then stayed below the proverbial radar scene; neither she nor husband Roy Rivers, the 2008 champ, raced at all during 2011. So although many identified her as a possible winner, her fitness level was unknown.

Three-time winner Melody-Anne Schultz led the maximum, 25-minute head start group through early checkpoints. Hans Schmid, 71, starting three minutes later, overhauled her on Dynamite and was first to Cardiac. (Computer-generated splits at Cardiac, a bonus since chip timing was introduced in 2006, were missed this year when no recording mat was placed there.)

Jamie, in the 20-minute handicap group, crested the course’s high point 59 seconds after Schmid. No one else was near; third place Schultz reached Cardiac a distant 2:11 later. Rivers caught Schmid as she descended Steep Ravine two steps at a time, to his one. At the tape, she stretched her victory margin over runner-up Schmid to 23 seconds.

Brian Pilcher, the 2009 champion who sat out a year due to injury, waged a Race-long duel with Roy Rivers and ended up third, 44 ticks back of Jamie. That was less than his one-minute Winner’s Penalty. The other two runners with a Winner’s Penalty in 2011, Roy Rivers and Reilly Johnson, were both strong candidates to win, and both experienced problems. Rivers faltered in the last mile and came down the final straightaway slowly, on very wobbly legs, in ninth place. (It was still more than enough for the Rivers’ to win the Alan Beardall Family Trophy.) Johnson, now age nine, had stomach woes early and gamely struggled in 90th overall.

Scratch runner Alex Varner arrived 50 seconds after Pilcher, clinching the Best Time Trophy. His actual time was 49:09. Varner became the fourth man to win three successive Time awards, joining Mason Hartwell, Mike McManus (who did it twice) and Mark McManus. Debbie Rudolf is the lone female to “three-peat.” No one has been able to win this prestigious award four years in a row.

Andy Ames, a Colorado runner admitted directly into Invitational, was fifth. Another Colorado star also placed into Invitational in his debut, Chuck Smead, fared less well. Smead, a four-time winner of the Pikes Peak Marathon and a PanAm Games marathon silver medalist, had winner’s credentials, and was sixth to crest Cardiac. But he then tired, fell in the Swoop, and ended up 20th.

Sissel Bernsten-Heber, also thrice a Best Time winner, returned after several years away to claim sixth place.

There was a splendid battle for Women’s Time honors. Julie Nacouzi, the teen who won the Runner Section in 2010, appeared to have taken the trophy when she hit the line seven seconds ahead of fellow nine-minute handicap starter Chris Lundy. But Liz Gottlieb, with eight head start minutes, crossed 39 seconds later, in 17th place, to grab the title. It was Liz’s third Time award, tying her with Lundy and Bernsten-Heber, behind the four of Debbie Rudolf and Peggy Smyth. Nacouzi did win the female High School Trophy; Johnny Lawson repeated on the male side.

But there was no more dramatic contest than that for the Team Trophy. The newly formed Tamalpa Runners had entered their first team in 1977 and won every year since. Indeed, they had rarely been even remotely challenged. In 2010, a group enjoying Tuesday evening runs out of Muir Beach’s Pelican Inn for more than 20 years decided to enter as the Pelican Inn Track Club. Several had current or recent Tamalpa affiliations. Their challenge came up just short. But in 2011, the Pelicans placed five runners among the top 12, including new recruit Don Stewart (8th), winner of the DSE Practice Dipsea, and Tamalpa’s legendary streak was snapped.

Julian LePelch, 10, arrived 30th, five seconds behind his father Patrick, to become the youngest boy to win a black shirt. Peter Carter, 12, had held the honor. Other 10-year old boys had finished higher—for example, Vance Eberly winning in 1969, Michael Boitano winning in 1972 and Tommy Owen placing fourth in 1973—but all in the pre-shirt era.

--There were several changes in the head starts. Women ages 52 and 53, and seven-year-old boys, gained one minute. Girls of eight lost two minutes.

--Oddly, of the 27 runners who had won ten or more black shirts, only three—Steve Stephens (now with 23), Jamie Rivers (now with 14, most of any woman) and Schultz (12)--added to their collection. Christie Patterson Pastalka and Roy Rivers joined the 10-shirt club. It was Christie’s first black shirt in 18 years, the longest gap between shirts by a woman. The overall record is 24 years, by Roy Kissin.

--Tanya Fredricks of San Anselmo won the Runner Section. Her actual time was 1:03:38 (12hc). Runner-up Sarah Bamberger, who bicycled to the start from San Francisco, was next overall across the finish line, 27 seconds back.

--Lori Cohen, running despite battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), received a prolonged and moving standing ovation when presented with the Norman Bright Trophy. Her husband and three daughters stood beside her on the podium.

--Leon Sivertson, long the Race’s data manager, received the Jerry Hauke Perpetual “Red-Tailed Hawk” Award. Roy Harvey, 85, finished 1,275th with a time of 2:13:42 and was presented the Jack Kirk “Dipsea Demon” Award.

--Phil Smith, who won the Dipsea in his debut in 1961 and then completed the next 49 in a row, decided to sit out this year. Smith’s ended streak of 50 straight finishes is topped only by Jack Kirk’s 67.

--Thirteen days later, Jamie Rivers came back to also win the DSE Walt Stack Double Dipsea. She ran 2:18:18, with 41 head start minutes, to finish 2:10 ahead of runner-up Alex Varner. Varner’s 1:39:29 (scratch) was the fastest actual time since 1987. Sarah Bamberger, 12th, had the fastest women’s time, 2:04:14.

--The first flight of Dipsea steps in Mill Valley was closed for renovation immediately after the Double Dipsea. All 280 wood steps were to be replaced with concrete steps, as on the third flight rebuild four years earlier, with the topmost 33 stone steps left intact. The Dipsea Foundation again sold step plaques to finance the project, and all were sold. The plaque for the very first step was auctioned at the Dipsea Dinner. Trevor Schultz paid $1,500 to honor wife Melody-Anne Schultz, inducted into the Dipsea Hall of Fame as its 25th member that same evening.

-- Hannah Berman, William Cooney, Daniel Milechman, Rachel Skokowski and Benjamin Vogensen were awarded college scholarships at the Dinner.

1. Jamie Rivers (60), Mill Valley, 1:07:34 (20hc) [:23 margin]

2. Hans Schmid (71), Greenbrae, 1:09:57 (22hc)

3. Brian Pilcher (54), Ross, 55:18 (7hc)

4. Alexander Varner (25), San Rafael, 49:09 (scratch) fastest time

5. Andy Ames (48), Boulder, CO, 54:28 (5hc)

6. Sissel Bernsten-Heber (47), Mill Valley, 1:01:32 (12hc)

7. Roy Kissin (54), Larkspur, 57:43 (8hc)

8. Don Stewart (50), Sebastopol, 56:00 (6hc)

9. Roy Rivers (54), Mill Valley, 57:06 (7hc)

10. Diana Fitzpatrick (53), Larkspur, 1:05:36 (15hc)

11. Iain Mickle (50), Sacramento, 56:38 (6hc)

12. Gus Gibbs (25), Mill Valley, 50:40 (scratch) 2nd fastest time

13. Julie Nacouzi (17), Santa Rosa, 59:48 (9hc) 2nd fastest woman, 1st HS

14. Brian Gilliss (31), San Francisco, 51:49 (1hc)

15. Chris Lundy (40), Sausalito, 59:55 (9hc)

16. Johnny Lawson (16), Forest Knolls, 54:18 (3hc) 1st male HS

17. Liz Gottlieb (35), San Rafael, 59:34 (8hc) fastest woman

18. Jared Barrilleaux (26), Petaluma, 51:43(scratch)

19. Steve Stephens (67), San Anselmo, 1:09:44 (18hc)

20. Chuck Smead (59), Masca, CO, 1:02:47 (11hc)

21. Karen Steele (53), Novato, 1:06:48 (15hc)

22. Wayne Best (43), San Rafael, 54:49 (3hc)

23. Mark Richtman (56), Novato, 1:01:02 (9hc)

24. Stephen Donahue (33), San Francisco, 53:04 (1hc)

25. Heather MacFalls Tanner (32), Menlo Park, 1:00:18 (8hc)

26. Melody-Anne Schultz (69), Ross, 1:17:23 (25hc)

27. Tomas Pastalka (64), Belvedere, 1:07:27 (15hc)

28. John Litzenberg III (41), Glen Ellen, 54:40 (2hc)

29. Patrick Lepelch (48), Mill Valley, 57:42 (5hc)

30. Julian Lepelch (10), Mill Valley, 1:03:47 (11hc)

31. Christie Pastalka (63), Belvedere, 1:14:53 (22hc)

32. Tim Wallen (47), San Francisco, 56:58 (4hc)

33. Mark Helmus (57), Davis, 1:03:00 (10hc)

34. Alison Zamanian (41), Orinda, 1:03:06 (10hc)

35. Thomas Iseler (48), Washington DC, 58:14 (5hc)

36. Jamey Gifford (33), San Francisco, 54:15 (1hc)

37. Danny Dimeo (24), Sacramento, 53:47 (scratch)

38. Mike Lopez (53), Mill Valley, 1:00:48 (7hc)

39. Ty Strange (50), Santa Rosa, 59:52 (6hc)

40. Brad O’Brien (49), Novato, 58:54 (5hc)

41. Alan Reynolds (47), Sausalito, 58:04 (4hc)

42. Mimi Willard (47), Kentfield, 1:11:18 (17hc)

43. Frederick Huxham (15), Ross, 58:26 (4hc)

44. Lauren Creath (18), Corte Madera, 1:03:28 (9hc)

45. Clayton Hutchins (15), San Anselmo, 58:31 (4hc)

46. Chris Knorzer (42), Rocklin, 57:32 (3hc)

47. Preston Sitterly (63), Sonoma, 1:09:33 (15hc)

48. Chris Hauth (41), Mill Valley, 56:41 (2hc)

49. Johnny Rutledge (40), Forest Knolls, 56:54 (2hc)

50. Paul Breimayer (52), Novato, 1:01:56 (7hc)

Team Pelican Inn Track Club: Jamie Rivers, Varner, Stewart, Roy Rivers, Gibbs

1,328 finishers; cool and overcast at start and finish, sunny and mild mid-course