|
Event
Information:
The Bay to
Breakers is an annual footrace which takes
place in San Francisco, California on the
third Sunday of May. The name reflects the
fact that the race starts at the northeast
end of the downtown area a few blocks from
The Embarcadero (adjacent to San Francisco
Bay) and runs west through the city to finish
at the Great Highway (adjacent to the Pacific
coast, where breakers crash onto Ocean Beach).
The complete course is 7.46 miles (12 kilometers)
long. The event is well-known for many participants
wearing costumes, and a few engaging in
varying degrees of public nudity.
Robert J.
Vlught, a student at St. Mary's College
and newspaper copy-boy, won the first annual
Cross-City Race on January 1, 1912 in a
time of 44:10.[3][5][6] In 1965, the name
of the race was changed to Bay to Breakers.
Started as
a way to lift the city's spirits after the
disastrous 1906 San Francisco earthquake,
it is the longest consecutively run footrace
in the world. During World War II participation
sometimes slipped below 50 registrants,
but the tradition carried on. With 110,000
participants, the Bay to Breakers race held
on May 18, 1986 was recognized by the Guinness
Book of World Records as the world's largest
footrace. That record number was partly
the product of the running boom of the 1980s;
currently the average participation is between
70,000 and 80,000. Race organizers estimated
a field of 60,000 participants in 2008,
33,000 of whom were registered. The San
Francisco Examiner publishes a list of the
first 10,000 finishers the day after the
race each year.
Large numbers
of participants walk the route behind the
runners. Some participants dress in elaborate
costumes or wear nothing at all (except
footwear), thus lending a party atmosphere
to the event. One festive tradition is the
tortilla toss, during which crowds of runners
waiting to cross the start line throw tortillas
at one another to pass time (similar to
balloon-batting at rock concerts).
Other oddities are always on the scene,
including traditional characters such as
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Spider-Man,
as well as other unique characters spawned
for the race. At least 40 pairs of Blues
Brothers participated in the 1985 edition.
Every year, some runners dressed as salmon
run "upstream" from the breakers
to the Bay. The route is typically dotted
with various local bands performing. At
the end of the race is "Footstock,"
a gathering where participants and spectators
can enjoy musical performances by various
musical acts.
Local
Weather:
|
