Саманта Смит стала первой женщиной в истории, завершившей 16-кратный ультрамарафон Dipsea

Samantha Smart knows the Dipsea Trail well enough. She’s tackled the course a few times while growing up around Mill Valley. Recently, Smart got to know the Dipsea Trail like few others ever have. The 2022 Tam High grad became just the third person in recorded history — and the first woman — to complete a “Quad Quad” Dipsea (16 times) when she arrived at the Mill Valley Depot after 61 hours on the trail. “There was a moment at mile 80, about halfway through, I was sitting on the trail with my mom and crying because my body hurt so much,” Smart said. “I told her ‘I can’t believe I’m not going to finish.” And then I realized I didn’t feel the pain anymore, so I just said I’m going to take it slowly, but I am going to finish.” Few have attempted the Quad Quad Dipsea, a 118-mile trek with nearly 38,000 feet of elevation, on the traditional trail without any shortcuts, from downtown Mill Valley to Stinson Beach and back. Smart used the event as a fundraiser for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, collecting $6,000 for a cause that is important and personal to her. “Ultra running saved my life,” Smart said. “I had bad PTSD a few years ago, and I was stuck with my thoughts during COVID. Everything was shut down, but the trails were there. I became obsessed with running. I was desperate and I had nothing to lose.” Smart discovered ultra running at Tam High when a PE teacher gave her a homework assignment to research a sport — she chose ultra running. She has tackled 31-mile, 50-mile, and 62-mile marathons already. Then she read about the Quad Quad Dipsea. Don Lundell was the first person to complete the Quad Quad in 2003, followed by Bradley Fenner in 2020. Smart set out from The Depot in Mill Valley at 6 a.m., just as the sun was breaking through the morning fog to light her way for an odyssey that would challenge her beyond any reasonable point. But Smart steeled herself during the difficult trek, determined to complete her journey. The logistics were mindboggling: eating on the go; sleeping for an estimated total of 1 hour over 3 days; navigating the trail in the dark … and the pain. Smart had bags of nutrition bars tucked in her vest. Other runners who heard what she was trying to accomplish came out to support her on the trail, and there was an aid station set up at The Depot for her, along with an information booth about the fundraiser. “About halfway through, my knees and hips were not moving,” Smart said. “I had to lean on my trekking poles, at times I had to sit down on my butt and slide down the trail. At one point, it just felt easier on my joints to go down the steps backward, so that’s what I did. It became a matter of problem solving.” Smart trained for the feat for less than a month. A Princeton rower, she had some hope she’d be able to compete for a spot on the U.S. Under-23 roster with Tigers teammate and Marin Rowing Association alumnus Joely Cherniss, who won gold in the women’s eight at the World Championships in Germany in July with Quincy Stone, a Marin and Stanford rower. Smart, who competed at the 2023 U19 World Rowing Championships in the women’s four, also competed in the championship single at the 2023 Head of the Charles, a gem in the rowing calendar. Smart’s collegiate rowing career has been derailed by injuries, however. She tried to row during her freshman and sophomore seasons with stress fractures to her ribs, making the injuries worse and leading to a punctured lung. Smart said she tried to power through the injuries, but eventually needed rib plating surgery to allow her to continue to compete. “I’d like to row again next season,” Smart said. “Every summer for the past few years I was supposed to row U23, but I haven’t been able to. I didn’t want to spend another summer on the couch. This time I had another goal.” Rowing was not far from Smart’s heart on the Dipsea Trail. She wore a “KG” pin on her vest in memory of Princeton teammate Kerry Grundlingh, who died in July 2025 after she was hit by a car while riding her bike near her hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa, the day before Smart was scheduled for surgery. “Kerry kept me going. Thinking of Kerry gave me the strength when it was hardest to keep going,” Smart said. Smart, who hopes to row at Princeton next season, also has plans to compete in more ultramarathons. She also plans to write her senior thesis on women in ultrarunning. “I love running. I want to find more challenges,” Smart said.