Dipsea: Hall of famer Pease’s global travels always take him back home
No matter how far from home he traveled, Norman Pease always returned for the second Sunday in June, every year like clockwork, for The Dipsea.
No matter how far from home he traveled, Norman Pease always returned for the second Sunday in June, every year like clockwork, for The Dipsea.
In 2022, at age 84, Norman Pease was the oldest runner in the 111th Dipsea, continuing a string of 40 consecutive Dipsea races. He finished the 7.4-mile course from downtown Mill Valley to Stinson Beach in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 20 seconds to place 1,143rd overall in 2022, the last time he ran The Dipsea, ending his streak.
Pease runs hard, but spoke softly and briefly during Friday night’s Dipsea Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“The Dipsea is a wonderful race and I’ve enjoyed it for years,” Pease said as he thanked the guests at the dinner.
Pease, born in Oregon, ran track at Stanford University under longtime head coach and 1965 Olympian Payton Jordan. Pease became a very active member of the Orinda Roadrunners Club in 1983, which led him to his first Dipsea race. Pease and Fred Flowers began a friendly competition to see who would run the most consecutive Dipsea races. Pease won.
According to the website www.pease.com, Norm Pease settled in Orinda and, on April Fool’s Day in 1970, purchased 1,200 acres of land known as Mysterious Valley Ranch, on which he homed buffalo, chickens, peacocks, pygmy goats, and more.
The same website also offers a list and a chronicle of photos of the various countries on all seven continents Norman and Janet Pease visited between the years 2000-2017.
“Norm is well known for his reputation of being constantly on the move, not home for very long periods of time, and traveling all over the world,” said Linda Wendt, the wife of Roadrunners co-founder Jerry Wendt. “I was thinking about his 40-year record and how Norm managed, for all that traveling and everything he did, for 40 years he was home on the second Sunday of June every year. Norm was always here.
“Norm has climbed the highest peak in every state, except Alaska. But again, (he was) home on the second Sunday. He’s hiked the highest peak in every county in California, but was always home on the second Sunday in June. He’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and done 13 marathons… But again, he was always home on the second Sunday in June.”