IanSan Francisco Bay to Breakers
June 1st 2009 02:38
The Bay to Breakers is an annual footrace which takes place in San Francisco, California. 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 race is 7.46 miles (12 kilometres) long, and is run on the third Sunday in May.
Started in 1912 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 (other races' courses and lengths have changed over time). 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 fad of the 1980s; currently the average participation is between 70,000 and 80,000.
Large numbers of participants walk the route behind the runners. Some participants dress in elaborate costumes or, though not technically allowed, wear nothing at all (except footwear), thus lending a party atmosphere to the event. One festive tradition is the tortilla toss, during which runners throw tortillas at one another to pass time.
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. There is also a group of "salmon," runners who don fish-like hats and start at the finish line to run upstream through the participants.
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.
The images in today’s post were taken at the 2009 event and sourced from SFWeekly.com. See many more images here.
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article for Bay to Breakers.
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