Cliff Lentz is showing his running versatility, from London to Marin County

If the Colts are willing to follow Lentz’s lead, they can’t not get better because they won’t have a better role model than Lentz when it comes to running. The 55-year-old Lentz returned home Tuesday after competing in the London Marathon Sunday. Next month, Lentz will compete in the Dipsea Trail Run — the longest-running trail run in the United States, having been first contested in 1905, and one of the most unique races in the world — where he is a contender to win it all.

“Before I left (for London), I was hanging out with the football coaches at El Camino,” Lentz said. “They asked me, ‘What motivates you to keep [running]?’ And I told them, ‘It’s fun.’

“It has to be fun.”

Lentz, an El Camino alumnus, became an All-American wrestler at San Francisco State and took up running in earnest after finally hanging up his wrestling singlet.

“I wrestled … and had to lose weight and the best way to lose weight is to run,” Lentz said. “When I gave up wrestling, I transitioned to running to stay competitive. … I started running (competitively) in my late 20s, early 30s.”

London was not Lentz first marathon. He has the run the California International Marathon, as well as the Montreal Marathon. He has even run the Mount Fuji Marathon in Japan.

But for the most part, “I really just run the local races,” Lentz said.

That all changed a couple years ago when he posted a 2-hour, 42-minute time at the CIM, at which point he was encouraged to attempt to qualify for what would be a first: the 2020 world age-group marathon championship, slated for the London Marathon that year.

To qualify for the age-group championship, he had to put up a pair of qualifying preliminary times in two marathons, which he accomplished by running in the CIM and the Montreal Marathon.

With a spot in London secured, Lentz went about preparing for one of the biggest races in the world. A couple weeks out from the race, Lentz was at his peak.

“I was super fit; ready,” Lentz said.

And then COVID came and the race was postponed. Initially postponed from June to October 2020 before being rescheduled for 2021. At that point, the “fun” aspect of running kicked in. Lentz went back to his favorite style of running — trail running — to while away the time.

“All the intense training goes away. You have to have a mindset of, ‘I’m running for fun,’” Lentz said. “We are just blessed with open space in San Mateo County, Marin County. … I was running San Bruno Mountain and just exploring trails.”

About three months ago, however, Lentz got back into marathon mode and spent 13 weeks running the asphalt trails at Sawyer Camp Park and the Bay Trail to prepare his body for the rigors of road racing.

The work paid off as Lentz completed the race in 2:46, finishing ninth in the Mens’ 55-59 age group, of which Lentz said had 1,400 participants.

“When I get into a race, I don’t really worry about the time. It’s really more about the competition,” Lentz said. “I went out with the fastest runners in the world in my age group. It was pretty exciting.”

Not worrying about time plays right into Lentz’s wheelhouse when it comes the Dipsea Trail Run, which is scheduled for Nov. 7. The 7.5-mile race begins in Mill Valley, winds it way through Muir Woods, skirting the south flank of Mount Tamalpais along the way. The finish line is Stinson Beach.

The run features the 680-step Dipsea Stairs just a quarter mile into the race and it reaches a maximum elevation of 1,360 feet.

There are three aspects of the race that make it different from other trail runs: the start is staggered based on age and gender, but the first one to the finish line wins — time not being a factor. The most interesting aspect of the race? There is no “set” course.

That last one is unique to the Dipsea. While runners have to stick to the trail while running through Muir Woods, there are parts of the race in which runners may freelance in picking a line up and over the mountain. Shortcuts are part of the race and only the most seasoned runners know about them.

“To win the race, you have to know all the shortcuts,” Lentz said. “I’ve been running [the Dipsea] for well over 20 years. It’s always been my favorite.”

Lentz has steadily moved up the standings over the years, finishing sixth in 2019 (the race was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic) and despite just coming off the London Marathon, will begin his training for the Dipsea by the end of the week. He anticipates he’ll be back running trails this weekend on San Bruno Mountain and will run the Dipsea course the following and subsequent weeks to refamiliarize himself with the course and the terrain.

“I’ve been doing all this flat-land training. Now, I have to get used to running uphill and throttling it back running downhill. It’s such a completely different type of running,” Lentz said. “When you’re doing the Dipsea and you know you’re on, everything just becomes slow motion, but you’re moving fast. You see every root, every rock. Because you’re passing people constantly, you find a sliver of space to get around somebody.

“You can do all the preparing you want on different mountains, but nothing prepares you quite like being on the Dipsea Trail. It’s got it’s own unique vibe that you just have to get out there and experience yourself.”