Marin dominates Quad Dipsea
By: Barry Spitz, Marin Independent Journal :: It was a banner day for Marin at Saturday's Quadruple Dipsea. Roy Rivers of Mill Valley captured the men's title and Rachel Lloyd of Fairfax won the women's division in a race that saw the lead men and women trade places several times. Novato's Larry Castano become the first person to finish the Quad 20 times.
Rivers' arrival in Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, after four crossings of the Dipsea Trail, was greeted with loud applause. Rivers, popular in Marin's running circles, has been near but not at the top of his four previous Quad runs (he was second in 2002 and fourth last year). He took the lead for good at the bridge over Redwood Creek in Muir Woods on lap four with just two miles left in the grueling
28-mile affair, winning in 4 hours, 14 minutes and 38 seconds, a personal best by more than 7 minutes for the 48-year-old.
"This feels so good," an elated Rivers said immediately after the finish. Known for the occasional "bonk" - he collapsed and needed medical
attention in a run over the Dipsea Trail just a week ago - Rivers took a more conservative approach.
"I ran the first lap chatting with (fellow Mill Valley runner) Tim Knudsen," Rivers said. He also took five helpings of a glucose supplement, including two on the critical second Stinson Beach-Mill Valley crossing, the bane of all Quad competitors. It resulted in strikingly even splits of 1:01, 1:03, 1:06, and 1:04.
Rivers grew up in Larkspur. After graduating with a computer sciences degree from Berkeley, Rivers spent the 1980s as a professional mountain bike racer.
Eric Grossman of Virginia, leading until Rivers' pass, struggled home second, 3:25 behind. Knudsen, in front during laps two and three, was another 3:22 behind. Veteran Quad racer Greg Nacco of Sausalito took fourth in 4:25:14.
San Rafael's Mike Sweeney was the first in the over-50 division in 4:54:47. Gard Leighton topped the 60-plus set in 5:29:20. Setting a record as the oldest finisher was 79-year-old Mike Tselentis. He started at 7 a.m., an hour early.
Castano, 52, arrived at 6:27:32 and was immediately presented with a black commemorative plaque. He quipped, "(It) looks awfully like a tombstone." Castano, whose 20 finishes were consecutive, said, "I'll keep running the Quad as long as John (Medinger, the race founder) keeps directing it and God and my wife
permit me."
The women's race was also a seesaw affair. Larkspur's Diana Fitzpatrick, a four-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon, led into the third lap. But going up Dynamite Hill out of Muir Woods, both her calves went into spasms and she was passed first by Lloyd and then by Kim Holak, last year's winner. Salt tablets given by a fellow runner enabled Fitzpatrick to finish in third place.
Lloyd held the fore to Stinson and back for the win in 5:01:33, which was 21st overall. Her slowing splitsÊ- 1:09, 1:13, 1:18, and 1:21 - are typical of most Quad racers. It was the first outright running win for Lloyd, 30, whose main sport is mountain biking. She's a professional with a best of 13th in the world cross country championship and a ninth in the world cyclocross championships.
"I run just three times a week," said Lloyd, a native of Bellingham, Washington, who also works as a massage therapist. "During the race, my quads got pretty trashed, which was tough, because that's where my strength comes from."
The 240 starters were treated to perfect crisp, clear weather, and a dirt surface rendered ideal by the previous day's light rain. Some veterans called it the Quad's best conditions ever.
Rivers' arrival in Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, after four crossings of the Dipsea Trail, was greeted with loud applause. Rivers, popular in Marin's running circles, has been near but not at the top of his four previous Quad runs (he was second in 2002 and fourth last year). He took the lead for good at the bridge over Redwood Creek in Muir Woods on lap four with just two miles left in the grueling
28-mile affair, winning in 4 hours, 14 minutes and 38 seconds, a personal best by more than 7 minutes for the 48-year-old.
"This feels so good," an elated Rivers said immediately after the finish. Known for the occasional "bonk" - he collapsed and needed medical
attention in a run over the Dipsea Trail just a week ago - Rivers took a more conservative approach.
"I ran the first lap chatting with (fellow Mill Valley runner) Tim Knudsen," Rivers said. He also took five helpings of a glucose supplement, including two on the critical second Stinson Beach-Mill Valley crossing, the bane of all Quad competitors. It resulted in strikingly even splits of 1:01, 1:03, 1:06, and 1:04.
Rivers grew up in Larkspur. After graduating with a computer sciences degree from Berkeley, Rivers spent the 1980s as a professional mountain bike racer.
Eric Grossman of Virginia, leading until Rivers' pass, struggled home second, 3:25 behind. Knudsen, in front during laps two and three, was another 3:22 behind. Veteran Quad racer Greg Nacco of Sausalito took fourth in 4:25:14.
San Rafael's Mike Sweeney was the first in the over-50 division in 4:54:47. Gard Leighton topped the 60-plus set in 5:29:20. Setting a record as the oldest finisher was 79-year-old Mike Tselentis. He started at 7 a.m., an hour early.
Castano, 52, arrived at 6:27:32 and was immediately presented with a black commemorative plaque. He quipped, "(It) looks awfully like a tombstone." Castano, whose 20 finishes were consecutive, said, "I'll keep running the Quad as long as John (Medinger, the race founder) keeps directing it and God and my wife
permit me."
The women's race was also a seesaw affair. Larkspur's Diana Fitzpatrick, a four-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon, led into the third lap. But going up Dynamite Hill out of Muir Woods, both her calves went into spasms and she was passed first by Lloyd and then by Kim Holak, last year's winner. Salt tablets given by a fellow runner enabled Fitzpatrick to finish in third place.
Lloyd held the fore to Stinson and back for the win in 5:01:33, which was 21st overall. Her slowing splitsÊ- 1:09, 1:13, 1:18, and 1:21 - are typical of most Quad racers. It was the first outright running win for Lloyd, 30, whose main sport is mountain biking. She's a professional with a best of 13th in the world cross country championship and a ninth in the world cyclocross championships.
"I run just three times a week," said Lloyd, a native of Bellingham, Washington, who also works as a massage therapist. "During the race, my quads got pretty trashed, which was tough, because that's where my strength comes from."
The 240 starters were treated to perfect crisp, clear weather, and a dirt surface rendered ideal by the previous day's light rain. Some veterans called it the Quad's best conditions ever.
posted by Ryan Amirault at Tuesday, November 29, 2005
