Summit Line

⏵ Course guide · Marin County classic

Double Dipsea Course Guide

The Double Dipsea sends runners across the legendary Dipsea Trail twice, Stinson Beach to Mill Valley and back, about 4,500 feet of climbing over 13.7 miles of fire trail, single track, pavement, and stairs. Run since 1970 with a handicapped wave start that gives most divisions a head start, it is one of the Bay Area's bucket-list trail races. I will walk you through the format and the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for a short, steep, double crossing. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.

⏵ At a glance

Double Dipsea quick facts

Date
Saturday, August 22, 2026 (56th annual, run since 1970)
Location
Stinson Beach to Mill Valley and back, entirely on the Dipsea Trail
Distance
13.7 miles (double crossing, out and back)
Elevation gain
About 4,500 ft (per the Brazen Ultra Half Series page)
Start
A handicapped wave start, 6:50 to 8:01 AM, based on age and sex divisions
Cutoffs
Overall: cross the finish before 1:00 PM. On-course: 10:25 AM at Old Mill Park (mi 6.8), 11:00 AM at Muir Woods (mi 8.6), 12:10 PM at Cardiac (mi 10.6)
Terrain
Fire trails, single track, pavement, and plenty of stairs, 100% on the Dipsea Trail
Rules
No headphones or trekking poles (disqualification); shortcuts are strictly forbidden

These facts come from the official Brazen Racing race pages. The 2026 (56th) edition reached capacity and registration is closed as of this writing, so use this guide for the course itself, next year's planning, or race-day spectating. Check the current status and any updated cutoffs before you rely on this for race day.

The format and the course: where Double Dipsea is won

The entire race runs on the Dipsea Trail, out to Old Mill Park in Mill Valley and back to Stinson Beach, so you climb and descend the same terrain twice in one day. The handicap start is as much a part of this race as the trail itself.

The handicap: everyone starts at a different time, on purpose

Waves start between 6:50 and 8:01 AM, sorted by age and sex division, and every division except male-under-40 gets some kind of head start. That means the runner crossing the line first is not necessarily the fastest on the day, and the organizers publish both a handicapped result and an "actual time" result (measured from your own wave start) so both stories get told. Know your wave start time going in and treat it as your personal race clock, since the on-course cutoffs run on real clock time regardless of when your wave went off.

Fire trails, single track, pavement, and the famous stairs

The Dipsea Trail mixes everything: smooth fire road, narrow technical single track, short paved stretches, and a well-known set of stairs that show up early and often. Because you run the trail twice, every stair section and every steep pitch gets repeated on the return leg, usually with more tired legs than the first time through. Headphones and trekking poles are banned outright, and using either is grounds for disqualification, both to keep runners aware on narrow shared trail and to keep the format fair on such a technical course.

One trail, minimal marking, zero tolerance for shortcuts

Because the entire course sits on a single trail, Brazen keeps marking light on purpose, just signage and some colored flags. The organizers are explicit that any shortcut, including ones locals might know from hiking the Dipsea outside of race day, is treated as intentional cheating and can get you disqualified from that race and barred from future editions. If you are new to the trail, walk or preview the wooded sections beforehand, since that is where it is easiest to get turned around.

Pacing strategy for a steep double crossing

With three on-course cutoffs before the overall 1:00 PM finish deadline, Double Dipsea rewards a runner who paces the outbound leg with the return leg already in mind.

Save something for the second crossing

It is tempting to push hard on the outbound leg to Old Mill Park while your legs are fresh, but every climb you bank on the way out becomes a climb you have to repeat, more tired, on the way back. A grade-adjusted pace target for the Dipsea's steep, stair-heavy climbs gives you an honest number for effort you can actually sustain across both crossings, not just the first one.

Treat the on-course cutoffs as your real pacing plan

The mile 6.8, 8.6, and 10.6 checkpoints matter more day-to-day than the overall 1:00 PM finish, since falling behind any one of them puts real pressure on the miles that follow. Check your progress against those specific checkpoints rather than just watching the overall clock, so you know exactly how much buffer you are carrying (or burning) at each stage of the double crossing.

Fueling strategy for a short, steep race

Most finishers are done in well under 5 hours, so this is not a deep ultra-fueling problem, but the repeated stairs and climbs burn through glycogen fast enough that showing up under-fueled still costs you on the second crossing.

Carbs: light but real, timed to the five water stops

Aim for roughly 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, using the five water stations along the route, Cardiac at mile 3, Muir Woods at mile 5, the Old Mill Park turnaround at mile 6.85, Muir Woods again at mile 8.6, and Cardiac again at mile 10.6, all stocked with water, sports drink, gels, pretzels, and candy. That spacing means you are rarely more than a couple of miles from a resupply across the whole double crossing.

Sodium and pacing for an August afternoon

Keep sodium moderate and adjust up if the August day runs warm, especially on the exposed fire-road sections. Because the race is short by ultra standards but front-loaded with climbing, a simple, well-rehearsed fueling plan beats an elaborate one: know your carb number, hit the water stops, and save the improvising for a longer race.

⏵ Build your fueling plan

Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a steep August double crossing with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.

⏵ Train for it with Summit Line

Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact double-crossing climbing profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for repeated steep climbing and descending, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.

Start free →Explore the demo

Double Dipsea FAQ

How does the Double Dipsea handicap start work?

The Double Dipsea is a handicapped race, meaning nearly every age and sex division gets a head start based on past results, except the male-under-40 division, which starts last. Waves go off between 6:50 and 8:01 AM, and they are adjusted every year to try to spread the top finishers across many different groups. Awards go to both the "handicapped time" (adjusted for your wave) and the "actual time" (from your own wave start to the finish), so there are effectively two races happening at once. The organizers are upfront that this system is imperfect given how much finishing times vary year to year, but it is core to the Double Dipsea tradition.

How hard is the Double Dipsea?

It is legendarily hard for a 13.7 mile race. You cross the Dipsea Trail twice, Stinson Beach to Mill Valley and back, climbing and descending roughly 4,500 feet total on a course that mixes fire trails, single track, pavement, and a serious amount of stairs. The trail is narrow, exposed, and technical in stretches, and running it twice in one day means you face the steepest sections, including the famous stairs, four separate times. The race has been run since 1970 and earned its reputation honestly: this is not a course where fitness alone gets you through, footwork and pacing matter just as much.

How much climbing is in the Double Dipsea?

The Brazen Racing Ultra Half Series lists the Double Dipsea at about 4,500 feet of gain over the 13.7 mile double crossing, which works out to well over 300 feet of climbing per mile, steep for any distance. Because you run the Dipsea Trail out and back twice, every climb becomes a descent and then a climb again on the return leg, so there is no easy half of the course to bank time on.

How should I fuel for the Double Dipsea?

With a race that most runners finish in well under 5 hours, fueling is lighter than a typical ultra, but the stairs and repeated climbing still burn through glycogen fast. Aim for roughly 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour and keep sodium moderate, adjusting up if the August day runs warm on the exposed sections. Water stations sit at Cardiac (mile 3), Muir Woods (mile 5), the Old Mill Park turnaround (mile 6.85), Muir Woods again (mile 8.6), and Cardiac again (mile 10.6), stocked with water, sports drink, gels, pretzels, and candy, so you have five real chances to restock across the double crossing. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.

What are the cutoff times for the Double Dipsea?

To count as an official finisher you need to cross the line before 1:00 PM. Along the way there are three on-course cutoffs: 10:25 AM at the Old Mill Park turnaround (mile 6.8), 11:00 AM at the Muir Woods aid station (mile 8.6), and 12:10 PM at the Cardiac aid station (mile 10.6). Because the start is staggered across a handicapped wave system, these cutoffs apply in real clock time to everyone regardless of which wave you started in, so a later wave start effectively shrinks your personal time budget. Know your wave start time and treat these checkpoints as hard gates, not suggestions.

What is the terrain like on the Double Dipsea, and can I use trekking poles or headphones?

No, and using either one is grounds for disqualification. The course runs entirely on the Dipsea Trail, a mix of fire trails, single track, pavement, and a well-known set of stairs, and the organizers ban headphones and trekking poles specifically to keep everyone safe on narrow, crowded, and sometimes slick terrain shared with hikers. Course marking is minimal on purpose (the entire race stays on one trail), but the wooded sections can be disorienting, and cutting any part of the course, including shortcuts locals may know from hiking, is treated as intentional cheating and grounds for disqualification from that race and future Double Dipseas.

Link this guide

Race directors and clubs: link or embed this guide anywhere. It stays current.

HTML link
<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/double-dipsea">The Double Dipsea course guide</a>

This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and format come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.