Hi! My name is Sam Smart, and on August 1st, I will be attempting to run the Quad Quad Dipsea, a roughly 113-mile course with nearly 38,000 feet of elevation gain, to raise at least $5,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

I grew up in Mill Valley, California, and graduated from Tam High in 2022. I'm now 21 years old, going into my senior year at Princeton University. The Dipsea Trail runs through the place I grew up, from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, and is home to the oldest trail race in America, first run in 1905.

The Quad Dipsea crosses the trail four times. I plan to do the Quad Dipsea four times over. 16 crossings of the Dipsea Trail: The Quad Quad Dipsea.

No woman has ever been documented to finish a Quad Quad Dipsea, and on August 1st, I'll attempt to be the first.

I discovered ultrarunning when I was 16 years old, during one of the lowest periods of my life. Since I was too young to sign up for any official ultramarathons, I would run the Marin trails on my own, sometimes for 30 or even 50 miles in one go on the Dipsea Trail. At the time, ultrarunning became an escape, but it also slowly became a way for me to find myself again when I believed it was impossible.

I truly don't think I would be where I am today without the lessons I learned from pushing myself through those miles. Ultrarunning gave me a way to channel my pain and taught me to keep my head up through adversity. Essentially, the Dipsea Trail and ultrarunning changed my life. This challenge is going to hurt, and it's going to take an incredibly long time. There will inevitably be moments when every part of me wants to give up. But that's part of why this challenge means so much to me.

My goal is to raise $5,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), an organization dedicated to saving lives, funding research, advocating for mental health policy, educating the public, and supporting those affected by suicide.

It feels especially meaningful to attempt this on the same Marin trails where, as a 16-year-old girl, I first found ultrarunning and a way forward through adversity.

If you are able to donate, any amount makes a difference. If you can't donate, sharing this fundraiser means just as much. Thank you for supporting me, this run, and a cause that is incredibly close to my heart. ❤️