Imaginative costumes are as much a part of Bay to Breakers as the great vistas of San Francisco’s landmarks.
Imaginative costumes are as much a part of Bay to Breakers as the great vistas of San Francisco’s landmarks.
San Francisco has always been the kind of open and accepting city where people can go to be who they want to be. While skyrocketing rents and an increasing gap between the wealthy and the poor have no doubt changed the complexion of the City by the Bay, there’s at least one time of year when people can come to San Francisco and let their freak flag fly—the running of the Bay to Breakers each May.
Chris Holmes fondly recalls his first experience with the Bay to Breakers. “I got my first taste of the race just after college. I was living in Los Angeles but had friends in San Francisco. One of them called and said, ‘You have to come up for this race.’ I asked him to tell me what it was about, and he said, ‘I can’t explain it. Just come . . . and dress as Super Mario.’ I did, and had an incredible time. I ran it a few more times over the next ten years and then had the chance to take over the race’s management. Knowing what a great event it was, I was eager to do so. It’s an event that works on several levels. For more traditional runners it’s a bucket list event, thanks to the visual pleasure of the course. It showcases San Francisco in so many ways, taking you past iconic landmarks like the Painted Ladies, Golden Gate Park, and Ocean Beach. Runners are also drawn to the Bay to Breakers for the distance. At twelve kilometers, it’s a bit odd, and it intrigues people who’ve done a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. For more casual runners or walkers, it’s an excuse to gather some friends together and put on a crazy costume.”
Given the race’s somewhat whimsical nature, many are surprised to learn that the Bay to Breakers dates back more than one hundred years—though in its initial incarnation, it was a bit more traditional. The first event—then known as the Cross City Race—was held in 1912 and had 186 participants. (The race was initiated in part by city fathers to elevate the morale of San Franciscans after the devastation of the 1906 earthquake.) Some seventy years later, the Bay to Breakers set a Guinness World Record as the planet’s biggest running event, with 110,000 participants. (In recent years, it’s attracted a more modest field of fifty-thousand-plus runners, and more than one hundred thousand spectators.) While the course has evolved over time, the basic premise has remained the same: Runners begin on the east side of the city near the shores of San Francisco Bay and conclude 7.5 miles later at San Francisco’s western boundary, where the Pacific laps at Ocean Beach.
The chance to run through one of America’s most beautiful cities is one distinguishing facet of the Bay to Breakers. But for many, the event is defined by its costumes. Most agree that the first costumed runner was dressed as a pirate named Captain Kidd and participated in 1940. The captain’s costume initiative didn’t take off immediately. More costumed runners began appearing in the 1970s and ’80s, but the tradition really became a cornerstone in 1992, when race organizers sponsored the first costume contest. “I’m amazed at the detail and the amount of time spent on costumes each year,” Chris continued. “There are some guys who spend six dollars at the thrift store the day before, but there are others who spend months. The tandem costumes are the most intriguing to me. My favorite is a full replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, carried by two people, each with a tower on their shoulder. It’s hard to fathom how they can keep it together.” A perennial favorite among spectators is a group of runners dressed as salmon, who run the racecourse in reverse, as though swimming upstream.
Another defining characteristic of the Bay to Breakers is the presence of linked runners, or centipede teams. Centipede teams are groups of at least thirteen runners who must run linked together by a bungee cord or other safe means throughout the race . . . and often in themed costume. The centipede tradition was pioneered by members of the UC Davis Track Club in 1978. “This past year, there was a women’s centipede team dressed as snow globes,” Chris recalled. “Each globe depicted a different city around the world—Paris, Las Vegas, New York. The first year I ran it, I was part of a centipede team; we were all Mario Brothers characters.” While many centipedes are in it for fun, there are serious runners too: The winning team in 2016 took places twenty-three to thirty-five. (If you find yourself near the six-mile mark on the course, be on the lookout for centipedes performing the infamous Lenichi Turn . . . a mythical maneuver you’ll have to see for yourself!)
There is certainly a good deal of frivolity associated with the Bay to Breakers. At one point, the festivities accompanying the race almost threatened its future. “Some years back, the partying had gotten out of hand, and city officials considered canceling the event,” Chris shared. “But people were able to rein things in and still keep it a fun event. We’ve been working to put the focus back on the run itself.” And the course is no pushover. “The section of the run that everyone talks about is the Hayes Street Hill,” Chris continued. “It’s a beast from the bottom to Alamo Square—two-thirds of a mile with a 14 percent grade. People often think that all is fine after Hayes, but there’s a subtle incline that extends for two miles as you head west on Fell Street into Golden Gate Park. You can’t really see it, but it zaps you. But when you’re halfway through the park, you hit a downslope that takes you all the way to the ocean.”
And this being San Francisco, a great party with a beer garden and live music awaits at the finish line.
CHRIS HOLMES is vice president of endurance at Wasserman, a full-service sports marketing and talent management agency that serves the best athletes, brands, and properties in the world.
If You Go
Getting There: San Francisco is served by most major carriers.
Best Time to Visit: The Bay to Breakers race is held the third Sunday in May.
Race Information: Everything you need to know about the Bay to Breakers (including registration information) can be found at baytobreakers.com, or by calling 415-231-3130.
Accommodations: The official hotel for the event is the Hyatt Regency (415-788-1234; sanfrancisco.regency.hyatt.com). The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau (415-974-6900; sfvisitor.org) highlights other options.