Bay to Breakers: San Francisco Race and Street Party
Yeah, sure, technically the ING Bay to Breakers event is a 12 mile race on foot … but this historically San Francisco event has been much more than that since its early days and the fun just keeps on growing.
The History of Bay to Breakers:
It started in 1912 as one of the events designed to rally the city in revitalization after the Great Earthquake. It was originally run entirely by men, with approximately two hundred participants competing in the first race. In true San Francisco style, the early 1940’s brought a female-in-drag to the competition. Today, over 65,000 people will compete in this citywide race. And many, many more than that will tag along to watch some of the festivities.
What to expect from Bay to Breakers:
The thing is that Bay to Breakers represents human endurance, something which has been an important part of the history of San Francisco in so, so many ways. And San Franciscans celebrate that with lots of costumes, partying and shenanigans. So what you’re going to see out on the streets today is lots of people engaging in lots of fun street craziness.
The location of Bay to Breakers:
The entrance is at Mission St. and Beale St. near the Embarcadero at “the bay”. The last stretch is through the heart of Golden Gate Park to the finish line at “the breakers” of Ocean Beach. Check out the map on the site for the full course.
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