San Francisco

SF's Annual Bay to Breakers Run, Celebration Draws Thousands

Superheroes flew down the street, an early version of the Trump wall made an appearance and there were multiple Elvis sightings. It was merely par for the course at this annual mid-May event in San Francisco.

The Bay to Breakers foot race started without a hitch Sunday morning as thousands of runners - professional, novice and costumed - made their way through the streets of San Francisco, and thousands more cheered them on.

Some of the more outlandish costumes drew smiles and laughs from those on the race's sidelines. 

Luca Foschini, a Santa Barbara runner who came dressed in a hairy bee costume, said he chose his outfit to raise awareness about the importance of bees in our ecosystem. 

"Bees are important," he said. "They die every day to help humans."

Other runners, like Scott and Stephanie Scherr, opted not to make a political statement with their outfit. They dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. 

Isaac Mukundi of Grand Prairie, Texas, was the overall winner of the race, finishing in 35 minutes, 23 seconds, according to the race's official website. The women's winner was Caroline Chpkoech, of Boulder, Colorado, who finished in 40:36. San Francisco's own Daniel Mesfun came in sixth overall, just 10 seconds off Mukundi's pace.

The 12K race (about 7.5 miles), which has been a favorite city tradition since 1912, caused major traffic jams and road closures as usual, but the general consensus was that it's well worth it to see many of the participants in flamboyant costume. 

Bay to Breakers Revelry

This year's race started on time at 8 a.m. at Main Street and Howard Street, and runners huffed up infamous Hayes Hill at the 2-mile mark, before winding through Golden Gate Park and finally on to the Great Highway at Ocean Beach, which served as the home stretch and finish line. 

But the celebration didn't end there. Back in Golden Gate Park, the Bay to Breakers Finish Line Festival, almost as famous as the race itself, was the reward for many of the runners and spectators, with food, beverages and live entertainment filling the remainder of the day.

Contact Us