Dipsea Trail Sign
Photo by Kristie Wells
Dipsea Race
Photo by K Gam
Dipsea Trail towards Stinson Beach
Photo by Miguel Vieira

Marin Headlands. Tennessee Valley. Muir Beach. Ring Mountain. Baltimore Canyon. Muir Woods. Bootjack. Pantoll. Rock Spring. East Peak. Phoenix Lake. Deer Park. Bon Tempe. Lake Lagunitas. Samuel P. Taylor. China Camp. Big Rock Ridge. Indian Valley. Mt. Burdell. Olompali. Bear Valley. Audubon Canyon.

With over 600 miles of trails and plenty of open space, Marin County is home to one of the finest urban park systems in the world. We’ve talked extensively about things to do outdoors as we’ve gone through our list of why we love where we live: surfing, cycling, golfing, and all the ways to get up and go. We’ve also mentioned some of our favorite recreation areas: Ring Mountain, Muir Woods, and Spring Lake.

But one of the things that we love the most is that if you’re looking for an easy, economical way to exercise, relieve stress, or simply enjoy some fresh air, all it takes is a pair of good running shoes (and no surprise, the North Bay has plenty of places to find those, too – check out Marin Running Company in San Anselmo).

In fact, the North Bay has long been home to a very active running culture. The annual Dipsea Race is the oldest cross-country trail running event – our fellow centenarian will celebrate its 101st run in 2011 – also making it one of the oldest foot races of any kind in the United States. Known for its difficulty and scenic beauty, the race takes off from downtown Mill Valley, goes up three flights of stairs as tall as a fifty-story building, and winds its way up and over majestic Mt. Tam along trails named “Dynamite,” “Cardiac,” “Swoop,” and “Insult Hill,” before culminating at Stinson Beach. However, despite the foreboding names, the Dipsea trail is a favorite amongst hikers and runners year-round and is also the location of the Double Dipsea and the Quad Dipsea races (yep, there and back four times, or 28.4 miles).

There are many other organized races throughout the North Bay. Whether looking for a 5K, 10K, half or full marathons, you can pretty much pin a number on your shirt on any given weekend. Check out active.com and do a search for upcoming races nearby. This is a great resource for runners – and fitness fans in general.

In addition to races, the local running subculture meets in organized clubs, such as the Tamalpa Runners Club whose Saturday morning runs commencing at the Mountain Home Inn are open to non-members – just show up ready to tackle 7-10 miles in those good shoes of yours.

Follow along as the full list unfolds – 100 Reasons Why We Love Where We Live

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Posted by:  Frank Howard Allen Realtors