San Francisco's greatest event is back after a 2 year hiatus! Run it, walk it, or drink it...I did the later two combined. Like every time, I crashed the event and enjoyed a nice carless and drunken stroll through San Francisco. The overcast weather was great. The costumes are great. I did Squid Game this year, and met some other fans too! Not too much nudity this time, but 90% of it is usually older men, so I'm okay...though I did see a fair share of male crotches. The SFPD officers were all friendly and cheerful all while keeping the peace. Can't wait for next year! read more

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Read all my other reviews first, because they accurately represent about what Bay to Breakers meant to me in my late twenties and through my mid-thirties. But a funny thing happened about fourteen years ago. My parents happened to be in town on the weekend of Bay to Breakers. They were babysitting my then very young nephew and niece, and I had to explain to them that we either had to go to church at six p.m. or go to a different church altogether--which we ended up doing--because Bay to Breakers would make parking at St. Agnes annoying, if not impossible. So that morning, for the first time since the noise of Bay to Breakers drew me downstairs at some godawful time on a Sunday morning in 2004, I actually pre-planned and parked my car on the opposite side of the course so that I could easily drive it to my brother's house to meet up with my parents. When I returned much later that night, there wasn't too much physical evidence that Bay to Breakers had even occurred, although there were people dressed in costume remnants milling around Divis. And that's when it came to me. I used to love Bay to Breakers. I still love the Bay to Breakers experiences I experienced, even in the rain, even as it got less and less fun and I knew fewer and fewer people. But I had either outgrown Bay to Breakers, as in I was now too old to enjoy it properly, or time had actually made Bay to Breakers worse, as in if I had been in my mid-twenties in 2012, I wouldn't like it, because it just wasn't as fun and weird and strange as it had been circa 2004 through 2009. So rather than rely on chance to miss Bay to Breakers, I would plan out-of-town things for that day each year. That was my solution to both ignoring Bay to Breakers, not being annoyed by Bay to Breakers, and having massive, total-system FOMO from missing out on the entirety of Bay to Breakers each year. And I did it. Mostly. Even when I didn't live here. I planned these things in SoCal or the Midwest or near Monterey Bay. And even though I sometimes arrived home in time to see the dregs of B2B all over my neighborhood's streets, bushes, Panhandles, and front stoops, I had somehow convinced myself that I had just missed it--there was nothing to be done. It has worked out pretty well, and I've discovered all kinds of places because of it. I needed those first eight years or so to understand my (then) new corner, neighborhood, and city. I've needed the years since then to be one of the locals who plans to be out of town on the third Sunday of May. One day, I might stick around. I'll sleep right through everything and not really notice (much easier now, because of how my Sunday evening routine has changed geographically) that it even was B2B. Or maybe I'll go downstairs and ponder the wonder of these poor drunk kids and formerly drunk adults and people too old to be walking around naked--because I can tell you that most of the people in SF these days who walk around naked are too old to be walking around naked--and it won't make me feel sad or left out or wistful or nostalgic or even annoyed by all the metal barricades piled up and having to remember to check whether where I parked my car has temporary no-parking signs. Who am I kidding? read more

I LOVED the race, and thought they did a good job even though the bananas were green. I signed up for the shuttle from Millbrae to get there and it worked great! However, the VIP add-on had zero communication once you'd signed up for it. Never got one email explaining where it would be, how to use it, etc. Did not find it before the race, and then for the VIP area at the end I was told I needed a wristband that I would have picked up if I had found the place at the beginning. Got zero value from it and WOULD NOT EVER GET VIP AGAIN. read more

Another year, another B2B race under our belts! Always such a fun time, and good, uplifting energy. It's impossible not to have fun at this event. Props to all the participants for being respectful and encouraging of others. And we got to meet our Yelp friend William B. at the finish, who was volunteering there! Great to finally meet you in person, William! We're already registered for next year's race. read more

Bay to Breakers - At the start line - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Another year of Bay 2 Breakers and another awesome time. This year we wanted to improve our time and actually trained a little to accomplish this. Then we got the wierd cold/virus bug going around that derailed training. Even with that my partner nailed her time and improved time by more than 20 minutes. Me not so much. My piriformis had been acting up and race day it was a mess after the first mile or so of running. I still improved my time by like 5 minutes. The day started out cool and remained nice for running all the way to the beach. Still impressed with a crowd this size staying manageable. As for the no backpack policy initiated after the Boston Marathon bombings, I did buy a hydration pack with added storage for pants, etc. I have always worn a pack but though I would go with a smaller one this year with the bladder, in case they started enforcing the pack ban. Not sure why they started this anyway. The Boston bombers were not running, and had their explosive backpaks on the sidewalk. Our tradition of walk/run back to the starting point was still a go this year, but with all our stops along the way it was getting late, so we Ubered it back. One of the great finds on the way back was the wine bar/restaurant InoVino (see separate review). We already signed up for 2026. Next year we'll have better times. read more

Bay to Breakers - Shoes 'shoed gooed' and almost ready to go. Need to cut in some groves. 3rd time this pair has been gooed up - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, literally. I wouldn't necessarily want to do this again. The idea of dressing up in costume was fun, but the amount of alcohol is seriously up there in the spectrum of public drinking events. The nudity was also super disturbing, including a man who offered me a lei in exchange for getting to see my breasts. Disgusting! Not a family-friendly activity at all, unless you're one of the super liberal San Franciscans who don't mind exposing their children to some nudity and/or debauchery. The race itself seemed to be legit and the humor was definitely there (my favorite was a group who dressed up as salmon and started the race at the finish line running toward the start line). Amazing. read more

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The group that runs this race is very dishonest. I entered as a virtual runner. More than two months later, I have yet to receive my packet, and when I have reached out via email to the organization, they don't reply. I can't speak to the in person event, but the virtual run is a SCAM and they will take your entry and SEND YOU NOTHING. Buyer beware! read more

Bay to Breakers, where to start...you have to see it to believe it! It's quirky and weird SF, what else can I say. Another one of those things you have to do in SF, at least once. You don't have to necessarily run the race, just be a spectator. I grew up watching this race at the finish line at Ocean Beach, and that's when the party really begins, woohoo ~ NOT! Actually, it's a drunkfest at Golden Gate Park the rest of the day, no bueno! Local residents and some businesses dread B2B due to road closures, barricades, etc. This year we brought our chairs and cheered on the runners. It was an unusual sunny morning and gorgeous day (it's always foggy & cold out here). Of course the nude runners were out joggin', and by the way, they're never sexy...'nuff said. Vendors were out in full force passing out free drinks to hydrate us, and Geico insurance passed out cowbells to spectators. The noise level was energetic. Overall, it was a well-organized B2B with a decent amount of law enforcement unlike Super Bowl City with officers surrounding the place with high-powered rifles. Good times!!! read more

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An absolute cluster fuck of a mess. Completely and totally disorganized. We wait 2 hours for a shuttle and no explanation, nothing. $18 to tell us to go fuck ourselves. Absolute perfect way to end a 7 mile run when you're tired and exhausted. Please, please get your stupid fucking shit together. read more

Bay to Breakers is one of the iconic runs in the Bay that blends the characters of a fun run with the challenge of a serious run. From the start to finish, Bay to Breakers highlights some of the things that makes SF great. There are the costumed characters ranging from a group of salmon "swimming" against the stream to those not wearing anything at all. There are the random city goers who walk on and off the trail to join people having mini-parties off to the side. Even with this wide array of characters, there is some sense of organized chaos to it all. The runner's expo prior to the event itself ran pretty smoothly considering the potential rain that was forecast the year I ran. Stretching 12k through the city, Bay to Breakers also hits several highlights of SF that make it an ideal run for those who are just visiting the bay as well. One of the most notorious parts of the course is the Hayes Hill Climb! It is a pretty consistent uphill elevation that will definitely challenge most runners. NOTE: There was a Groupon the year I ran. May be worth checking it out to see if there are discounts to sign up! Overall, I would highly recommend the Bay to Breakers not only to any local to partake but also to anyone who wants to experience the best parts of SF. read more

Let's just call Bay to Breakers what is really is shall we? That is a freaking huge moving street party through San Francisco. This is not a race, hell it's barely even a run. If you are a serious runner then register as Elite, otherwise this is one to do for fun. Sign Up: Easy and relatively cheap if you get in early. I paid the lowest price of $39 which includes finishers medal and Shirt. Packet Pick Up: If you're not willing to pay the extortionate amount of $20 to just have your bib (not your T Shirt) mailed to you then you'll pick up Fort Mason either the Friday or Saturday before the event at the Expo. The Expo had a lot going on with lot's of vendors and samples. Pick up was easy, all I needed to do was show my confirmation email with the bib number and D and I was on my way. The t shirt pick up just wanted the strip from the bottom of my bib and I got a choice of 2 colors for the shirt. *NOTE* The security are very serious about the closing time of the expo. I arrived at 6:40pm on the Friday and upon leaving at 7:03 (expo closed at 7pm) they were not letting anybody in to get their bib even if they didn't want to browse the expo so if you're not going to make it before the cut off don't even bother rushing there to try, you'll be sorely disappointed. Day of: #ClusterfuckCentral was my hashtag of choice morning of. With tens of thousands of people flooding to the start line is was understandable. The start line Corrals were nothing short of a mess. Checks were being made that you were in the right Corral which is one thing but honestly, I think only about 5% of people put their right pace in anyway so it really made no difference, especially when you consider the amount of non registered people that join the course later on. I was initially in Corral A for my averaging a 7 minute mile pace but moved back in order to do it with a friend. Sadly she left her bib at my house and didn't think she would get into the corral but managed to slip through anyway. The course was indeed fun, lot's of crazy costumes and a few things I really wish I could unsee (official nude count = 11. This was fairly low as I started early on. Later Corrals had numbers in the 30's). Lot's of random people joined in the festivities, there were water stations which was a plus and of course restrooms but were not for Runners only but the entire general public. Hayes Hill Challenge: The addition of this sounded promising. Basically the fastest Male and Female up that section of the course won $2,500 and I was prepared to take part as if there's one thing I excel at it's Running uphill at speed. Sadly the organization left a lot to be desired as you had to run among everybody else and zig zag your way through drunk people to the top of the hill. It's because of this I didn't even bother trying to get a good time. If this is going to be a regular thing they really need to fence a section off. Post Run: My second favorite hashtag of the day: #GetMeTheFuckOutOfHere! This wasn't even organized chaos but just plain chaos. The food section consisted of Chips, Clif Bars, Water, Sambazon, Nuts and Coconut Water. People were literally going crazy shoving, pushing and grabbing everything they possibly could and filling bags and boxes with it. No Banana's were available. Boo. The medal pick up was not being checked either which worked out in my friends advantage as she didn't have her bib but the volunteers were literally just giving medals out to anybody. I'm sure there were hundreds of people crossing the finish line that hadn't registered and ended up walking away with a free medal. Sure, this was a fun event but I get impression that Zappos really are just trying to make as much money as possible with the silly rules. If a bag was over a certain size it had to be the clear pre approved one they were selling at the expo. Bullsh*t. People had backpacks and all kinds of bags on the course and there's absolutely no way they can monitor the tens of thousands of people like the emails said they would. I had a fun time and may considering doing it in future years as it's a nice change from my serious running events but I don't even think i'll need to register if this year was anything to go by. read more

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#69/2016 Our Lieutenant Governator, Gavin Newsom, famously complained about B2B public drunkenness and participants who broke the rules yet bragged he was going to "run bandit." Yeah. Thanks, Gavin, that helped. Especially after the flagrant public urination, passed out folks on peoples' lawns and in public parks, the vomiting in homeowners' flower boxes, the City pulled back the reins big time and Bay to Breakers has become a much more...sane event. Alcohol is now prohibited (though folks still sneak it), more police are on patrol and parks like Alamo Square are fenced off for the full day to cut short the all-day drunk fest. Zaniness is still in full swing, the salmon still spawn downstream (though two took off south on Steiner this year, huh) and you can count on the naked people and costume du jour folks ("Black Swan", "Avatar", this year "Star Wars the Force Awakens" was big). Calmer, quieter, better organized and less insane, Bay to Breakers came back to an even keel. It's an all-day city party, whether you run, walk or just watch it. Stay in and make brunch with friends, enjoy a Mimosa at an absurdly early hour, challenge yourself to an uphill run the first 4 miles of the race or just soak up the wackiness that makes San Francisco the greatest show on earth! read more

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Maybe we approached this race wrong. Matt P, Robert H, and I ran Bay to Breakers to run it.. not walk it. Now that I think about it though, I think more of the crazy stuff happens at the walker's stall. Granted there were a lot of naked men and women I saw running this 12K.. most of the naked men I saw were fully shaved. O.O I guess the better to see all they could offer. There were tons of people running this race in costume, heck we even ran this in costume. The amount of people running the race in regular clothes vs. costume in our wave was maybe, 10 to 2 maybe? After we finished running the race, we lapped around to view a part of the course and saw a ton of people in costume just walking it. The after party if you want to know, would be at Alamo Square. The race itself was good. Decent, there was maybe only one hill you had to run up. The packet pick up was easy to get to, although two of us already had our race packets mailed to us. The expo was pretty small, with very few exhibitors. The after race support was very minimal as well, not too much food was handed out. I'd probably do this race again if my friends were interested. It was nice running through the streets of San Francisco. read more

Bay to Breakers - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The Bay to Breakers is one of those events that you just know that's going to get out of hand, there are going to be a lot of people, public intoxication and nudity. As much as you prepare yourself, there will always be a shocker or some distraction. This year I noticed a lot more people at the starting corrals downtown. It was packed with bodies, rolling carts, props and floats. Tortillas flying in the air. I saw my first drunken passed out body at 8:30 a.m. a block or two into the race. Although I did not dress up, the costumes are a fun part of the Bay to Breakers. I noticed quite a few Tiger Woods and Mistresses, unicorns, pirates, a few unique costumes and tried to avoid eye contact with the naked peen that always seemed to be in my line of sight. I love firsts and got the opportunity to bring my crush to his first Bay to Breakers. We walked the entire race, the first few miles were heavily populated - but most of the crowd left the walk to party in the panhandle. The end of the race was a mess - we detoured right into the food booths and away from the finishing line. We crossed and received our Bay to Breakers T-Shirt, a reward for walking the walk and doing it without drinking. :) read more

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99th B2B... I'll register and run the 12k at next year's 100th! But sad that ING is not going to sponsor anymore. :( This was my second year walking with Yelp and going to B2B! Yelp was awesome! Great crowd! Did I mention, great schwags too??? Yelp shirts, balloons, beer cozies, wrist bands, and more! Even Jessica T. bought donuts!!! This year we had our marching band! It was nice walking with other yelpers and meeting new people! B2B is wonderful way to see most of SF. I just wished we weren't so far in the back this year. We ended up not being able to get to the finish line because they closed off the end of course by 12noon. Thanks Vy N. and Jakob H. for walking/running with me!! :D We did get to the finish line! I'm running it next year... but not in my bday suit. hahahaha Tips - Layer: it gets very cold and windy in SOMA, and it gets really sunny by Ocean Beach. - Park somewhere close to the finish line. So you don't want to deal with muni and be sardined. - Walk/Run in the beginning of the group... the later walkers are for the happy drunks who like to pee everywhere. - After finishing, plan to eat a big lunch around Sunset area and enjoy the booths in Golden Gate Park with all the food samples :D read more

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Bay to Breakers was this weekend. Officially it's a 12k race. Unofficially it's a party that starts at 730am and ends at around 4pm when drunk people finish the 7 or so mile run. At first glance you will notice nudity, alcohol, drugs and all kinds of debauchery in the streets and think something like this should be regulated. Sure, San Francisco has laws against drinking in public, public nudity and drugs. For Bay to Breakers all those things go out the window. And therein lays the beauty of San Francisco - it's a city that lets people be. You could be gay, straight, normal or outright freakin weird but this city accepts you for who you are and allows you to flaunt that. As a disclaimer I will say that I was fully clothed, totally sober (not one alcoholic drink) and was drug-free for this event. With that disclaimer out of the way I felt great at the event. People were having a blast and it was a true reflection of what this community is like. Sure, I was disappointed in some groping here and there, excessive drunkenness, nudity in front of children etc. but for the most part I think this is a city that doesn't repress people and allows people to be themselves. I can definitely stand for that. My blog on bay to breakers: http://calmenda.livejournal.com/177469.html Some of my pictures: The men of bay to breakers: http://calmenda.livejournal.com/176967.html The women of bay to breakers: http://calmenda.livejournal.com/177191.html read more

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Bay to Breakers is the oldest consecutively run annual footrace in the world. The 12k fun run was something I wanted to do for awhile. I'm not a serious runner, so I was in one of the later corrals. The corral started a lot later than anticipated. While waiting for the start, participants tossed tortillas around in the air. There were a group of obnoxious teenagers in the corral too. I'm sure they didn't register for the race. There was a teenage girl who squatted in the corner and peed. SMH. Maybe I'm just being a fuddy-duddy. What I did like about the race was the energy. Everybody seemed to be having a great time. There were a lot of great costumes, and as expected nudes. It was estimated that 50,000 people participated in the race. The race started near the Embarcadero and finished at Ocean Beach. In between there was a steep incline at Hayes Street Hill. Many random people were partying in the streets. Some participants stopped at bars before continuing on in the race. There were also people throwing parties at their houses while cheering on participants. It got mellower upon reaching Golden Gate Park. I'm not sure if I'll do this race again, but I'm glad to have experienced it. read more

Bay to Breakers - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Francisco, California

B2B. Wackiest Run ever!!!!! Goodtimes. I have participated in the moving party through the city that happens annually the past several years. Run the race? LOL no. Drunk walk the race, yes. Great experience IF you actually start partying at 7:30am. Fair warning, you will see some crazy stuff along with hilarious costumes and themes. several themes that we were - where's Waldo - sperm - SF pillow fight - running with the bulls (recycled) I'm going to skip all the years and talk about the most recent one (2014). 1) it's been a few yrs since they band the human floats. Those were the best 2) public drinking is prohibited (unless you disguise your drink). 3) panhandle is a hotmess, fun the first hour played out afterwards 24+ of us decided to recycle one of my themes "running with the bulls". It's a great theme I had done in 2012 but a wasted memory indeed. So it was brought back in 2014 with people to enjoy it more and make better memories that will last a lifetime. 7:30am in the FiDi for the tortilla toss. We had a few bags and was throwing them like frisbees I. The crowd. Shortly after the race begun we randomly jumped out from the side and into the race when the real race was happening.... Lol hilarious. We made it to panhandle intoxicated and spent an hour there before departing. Drinking hard liquor from 7:30am to 1pm can only really happen once a year. read more

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OMG I had so much fun for my first Bay to Breakers experience this year! This is seriously so San Francisco and now I understand why it is such an event. Its def something you have to prepare yourself for. You see and experience so much and its just amazing. Like a lot of people my group of friends and I pre partied hard starting at 7am in SF and took a cab to the party area. We probably started at the mile 3 mark not at the beginning. I saw other referees, a vagina, lots of naked people- mostly men, clowns, etc. Their were so many creative outfits! Its just wild drunk ness. Their is not enough authority to prevent people from openly peeing, stumbling all over themselves, or drinking in public. I didn't see any fights or anyone getting rowdy but who knows. I ended up losing everyone at the end and was by myself in the Outer Richmond area by the beach and of course their were no taxi's running around there so I just hopped on the Muni and it took me back to my car! It was cool because everyone was super friendly and I was lucky I had CeCe C. with me! I am definitely going to do this next year for 100th year!! I'm not sure if I'll actually ever register and run this just because I really enjoyed drinking and wandering around with my friends so we'll see. If you have not done Bay to Breakers you MUST! its just so amazingly fun. If you have done it- continue to do it! haha read more

Bay to Breakers - Just madness- thousands of people in costumes having a good time - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Francisco, California

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A fun SF tradition always held on the 3rd Sunday in May. The 7.46 mile race starts at a civilized time of 8:00 a.m.(they also run early BART trains that day- YAY). They now have "corrals' based on expected paces. The race is usually won by Kenyans with insane times of 35 minutes or so. I've participated in around 5 races, running a couple "seriously" for time, sometimes walking in costume (and drinking) with a group of friends. Both ways can be fun, although walking it makes for a VERY long day!! The race begins 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. At the start line, many are throwing tortillas at one another to pass time (similar to balloon-batting at rock concerts). You will always see a handful of naked old guys at Bay to Breakers. Put some shorts on, dudes!! :-/ There is one big hill (the Hayes Street Hill) but other than that, it's a fairly flat run. Lots of great costumes- my favorite continues to be the group of people who dress as salmon and run toward the start line (salmon swimming upstream, get it?) :) Always women in tutus, body paint, etc. There actually weren't as many costumes this year as I've seen in the past. There is a finish line expo and this year, they gave out cool medals at the finish. The city (especially the Panhandle area) are a mob scene during the day so avoid driving if possible! Lots of street closures up until 2:00 p.m., some extending to 4:00 p.m. A must-do experience, even if you're not a runner!! read more

My first time at B2B and I could definitely foretell that I'll be here next year! If anything, I would actually DRESS UP, Take BART, and just join in when the party street starts to incline. There was a lot of pineal rings, breasts, make up, costumes, and drunken gibberish running all throughout the 7.4 mile race. Although I did enjoy the walk, I really was irritated that the medals were located another half mile away from the finish line and that the shirts was even further from that. The shirts, I totally expected better from an event that hosts more than 50K but the medals were worth the pretty penny. I really liked walking through the Golden Gate Park because you get the opportunity to see sites that you wouldn't of been able to see from your car. Face it, even if you aren't a hard core runner, this would be a great event to just have a good time with others that have the same idea in mind. read more

I have run Bay to Breakers more than once. I expect to run it again. I write, however, to ensure people have a sense of this massive event. My bona fides. I have been a runner the better part of a decade now, starting in mid 40s, and I have finished more than 200 half marathons and marathons and a smattering of other races. My times put me at the very end of the runners or the very front of the walkers, about the top of the bottom quartile. A work colleague of mine, not from San Francisco, scoffed at this event as not for her. She trains and watches her diet and participates in a few organized competitions with a crew in any given year. I understand what she means. The number of drunk people has decreased significantly, which is good. The number of naked people also has decreased significantly, which is sad. There is more open air marijuana use, which I object to in this context since it impairs performance and generates other bad behavior. The costumes are still elaborate, especially for the centipedes. They added a 3k bonus segment (at least I don't recall it from pre-pandemic). They still attract salmon. So this is festive and fun, but it isn't the wild extravaganza of back in the day. The course itself is a point to point (hence the name), from the Financial District out to Ocean Beach. They toss tortillas at the beginning. I am not sure why that is. The elevation gain is, by Bay Area standards, mild, and for anyone who has ever run in the area it is quite manageable. The crowds make it difficult if your intention is to be competitive. They changed race organizers. They messed up my registration. They refunded me though. read more

I'm 6 months pregnant and I completed Bay to Breakers! DAYUMMMM, if I do say so myself. I was skeptical about this race, but I have to give it up... what an amazing community day. The city streets are shut down and tens of thousands of people are alive and living and showing up to walk through our amazing City. Lots of water stops, a ton of police and first aid tents, and although people are effing nuts, everyone's pretty respectful. A few things: - The start of the race was a shit show. I'd skip it (although so much energy). - I didn't register, but still did the race. SHHHHHHH. - SO MANY PENISES. Dude, what's up with all the local SF predators standing around, cleanly shaven with their wangs out? So gross. I don't wanna see that. - There are a ton of drunkards everywhere. I definitely saw at least 10 skantily clad, underaged ladies puking on the side of the race... not a good look, but been there. 100% I'll do it again. What a great and uniquely SF experience. It's debauchery at its finest. read more

On 5/18/2014 - I ran the Bay to Breakers for the first time in San Francisco. It was so fun! 12km went by like a breeze, and I'm not sure how I completed the entire thing without doing any training beforehand. It was totally impromptu; I even picked up my packet the morning of the event (good thing they had packet-pick up located on the 2nd floor of the Hyatt Hotel by the Embarcadero). I tried taking Uber or Lyft to the starting line, but all drivers were busy. Fortunately, I saw an empty taxi immediately and hopped in for the quick ride down to the starting line. It took FOREVER to locate where to pick up bibs, etc. as NO ONE seemed to know (i asked the volunteers and even police). Very frustrating. I think the event website should indicate where people can go to pick up their packet / bib items on day-of, so that more people can locate it instead of trying to frantically looking for it on the morning of! Maybe they deliberately do not indicate how to pick up bibs on morning of event, so they can prevent people from doing that! Bay to Breakers actually started late this year for some reason; as people were suppose to start around 8am, but I don't think I even crossed the starting line till after 8:45 am (i think?). Also, the event was on the milder side this year, is what I've been told. There was definitely ruckus all around but not anything too crazy. I enjoyed seeing all the awesome costumes and the bands playing along the street. People from SF came out to cheer everyone on, so great! The Hayes Hill Challenge was the toughest part; I saw that coming but can't believe the hill was so looooong and sooo high, haha. :) Sometimes I felt like my jogging pace up that hill would have been the same as if I had just walked it up the hill. LOL. Running through Golden Gate Park was fun too, since I stopped a couple times to take photos of the bison grazing in the pasture, and the greenhouse(?) in the middle of the park. I didn't have any music with me this time (to listen to while I ran), but still managed feel entertained w/ all the costumed runners. I like that the event was timed even though it was suppose to be more "fun" oriented. :) Good thing there were bananas, plenty of water and other small snacks at the end of the run. I liked that they did a medal + free t-shirt to the finishers. That feels nice. :) So happy I was able to complete the Bay to Breakers, and would recommend it to anyone! read more

Bay to Breakers - Hayes Hill Challenge - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Francisco, California

I didn't run the race but I showed up to day drink and people watch, that's normal right? Honestly being very new to the city I had to check this race out and I loved it. Me and some friends all decided on a matching costume and meet up in the middle of the race. The city just explodes with life! I loved it and the costumes felt like Halloween in May. It was a wonderful experience, I can't wait for next year when I can actually run the race! read more

Bay to Breakers - The crew at B2B - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Francisco, California

My primary goal of any race is to finish it without passing out or throwing up. For B2B, my primary goal was to not accidentally take any dick pics. I'm happy to report back that I met all my goals! Ten years ago I did Bay to Breakers. And by "did" Bay to Breakers, I mean I drank it with friends. We dressed up as "Running of the Bulls," complete with a shopping cart "bull" to hold our keg. This was obviously before the crack down on the drinking and floats and such. From what I remember, it was a good time. Fast forward 10 years, I am now a runner and so I decided to give running B2B a go. This year's theme celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love so we donned the obligatory flowers in our hair (If you're going to San Francisco, am I right?) and hopped on BART. I was shocked that BART was nearly empty from the East Bay. Perhaps it was because we weren't heading in until 8ish, based on a later corral. Volunteers were plentiful and amazing. We were a little confused getting to our corral, and while we chose a corral appropriate for our run pace, the number of already wasted people made it clear that we should choose an earlier corral for next time. Lesson learned. Well after our corral time, we were guided down the street and towards the starting line. Patience was key. This event has such a positive, inclusive, anything goes energy that, literally, fills the streets. The race route is great, and takes you on a lovely journey through the city. Just as we were starting to get too warm, we were greeted by a wonderful cool breeze, and Karl the Fog, as we neared the ocean. While I would have liked to do more actual running, the crowds made that a challenge. Again, lesson learned to sign up for an earlier, "hopefully more serious runners" corral next time. Paying for a spot on the express shuttle back to Embarcadero BART was 110% worth it. I'm sure I will be running another B2B before another 10 years go by. read more

2022 Bay to Breakers is worst year ever. Has gotten worse over the years but this year has got to be the worst. No expo this year so EVERYONE had to pick up their shirt at the end. No alternative. Everything regarding the t-shirt was bad. The design was probably the worst design in the last 20 something years I've participated. Since came up with notion that palm trees represented san francisco or the bay area at all!! It looked like something meant for LA or Miami. Sooo....disappointed.....! Organization at finish line was nonexistent. No monitoring of lines for tshirts. Took over two hours to get your tshirt. Many people jumped the line. Near the front of the line, people formed their own line so there existed 4 lines merging into one. Also only 3 tables to accommodate thousands of ppl. SOOO....ridiculous. I gave up on the tshirt. Takes longer to pick up shirt than to finish the race. I emailed the organizer and they would not give me a tshirt cuz had to be picked up. Won't be registering for next few years. Not worth time, headache and disappointment. read more

Hate this event. They close all the freeway entrances every year. Super inconvenient for residents. They need to make a better route or make it in another city or area. read more

Bay to Breakers used to be well organized. This year, no bands, no festival at the end, missing starting corrals, and no way at all to get the tee shirt you paid for unless you stood in a mile long line after completing the race. Bring back the old zappos. I am so disappointed. read more

San Francisco has always had my heart. Sometimes I feel it lurch out of my ribcage as a cab driver speeds over a hill - and I catch a glimpse of the rustic red tones of Golden Gate Bridge, framed perfectly between white painted Victorians and looming statuesque trees. Once my eyes even become glassy, as the cab driver revved up an incline, Tiny Dancer belting out from the radio, as the cab driver tried to recount his first Bay to Breakers experience. Despite having walked the race myself in the past, I stopped listening. I didn't even hear him. I stared out the window instead. I just couldn't listen. Didn't really care. Because - Bay to Breakers shouldn't be experienced in stories. It's just not right. It doesn't translate over. You have to be in it. In the moment to really care about Bay to Breakers. To truly appreciate Bay to Breakers.... You have to spend a whole day trying to figure out the best way to obtain a shopping cart (Craigslist surprisingly works pretty well) You have to spend an afternoon scavenging American Apparel for the generic "slutty sporty" girl look. Spend a whole afternoon in Costco, stocking up on Teacate and PBR. Spend a whole afternoon making Two Buck Sangria. Spend a whole night ironing on patches onto too tight and too short shorts, inbetween slathering on self tanner onto freshly shaved (and cut) legs. Wake up way too early, stumbling over a trashed room strewn with possible "B2B ware" Flag down a 20 dollar cab, which has to take the long way round Meet up with your groggy (often hungover) group. Distribute drinks. Root on the runners, pulling out your wedgies secretly amidst the quickly growing crowd. Merge into a mobilized mob that embraces you with half drunken and tired smiles, but will knock you over in a second, the moment you stop to tie your shoe. You have to see the nakedness yourself. Get grabbed by the wasted. Flirt with the brawny half clothed. Laugh at the hilarious. Cringe at the twisted. And dance all day, as the music blares all the way to the Haight. You have to make crazy day-of friends. Make frantic "where are you!" phone calls. Stand in line at the porta-potties. Get lost, And then find yourself in the best mobilized party you will ever come across. In order to really understand Bay to Breakers you have to just do it. Save your stories for the day of. read more

This was my first EVER Bay to Breakers! I know it's hard to believe with me being a Bay Area native and all. Not sure why it took so long for me to finally do it, but better late than never, right?! My friend, Amy, and I got up super early to take a Muni Express bus that was speedy and felt like a roller coaster ride! If we weren't awake before, we definitely were now! After arriving near the start line, free water and pom drinks were handed out, and within minutes I saw my first naked Bay to Breaker runners/walkers. OMG, there was Mr. Cowboy alongside Elvis. Holy Crap! I stayed focused and didn't allow the nakedness, Austin Powers, and various Superheroes to be total distractions as Amy and I were determined to run the entire 12K. Speaking of superheroes, I missed out on seeing my fellow red-caped Yelpers, as our start time and corrals were different! Bummed that I didn't get a chance to walk and party with you guys! Anywho, the live music and the fans cheering us on were awesome motivators. The water stands were a welcomed oasis from the burning sun (and wish there were more water tables throughout after mile 4). Throughout the race, I loved seeing more B2B antics like the salmon swimming upstream, Winnie the Poo and Tigger, runners from head to toe spray painted in gold and silver, and kids running alongside their parents. As we passed Vanness, the daunting Hayes Street Hill was quickly approaching. At that point, Amy and I were mum, and looked down to focus on each stride. We had to conquer that Hill no matter what! Finally, after what seemed like eons, we closed in on Divisadero, and a fellow runner said, "Ladies, it's all downhill from here!" Awyah - We were so money, baby! Throughout the Panhandle and towards Golden Gate Park, we sought shade whenever possible. Most of our convos throughout the race consisted of: "How are you feeling?; Are you doing alright?; Do you need water?; Dude, did you see this, that...?; You're doing awesome; We're almost there!" As soon as we passed the Mile 7 marker, I took my camera out (of my non fanny pak), and knew the finish line was so close I could taste it. Passed the windmill and saw the ocean, and made the left turn for the home stretch. Saw another naked runner, (a decent looking one, I might add), but alas he was not going to distract me! Amy and I sprinted home! Hellyah!! We finished and most definitely conquered by running the ENTIRE 12K or 7.46 miles without stopping! That's right, baby! I'm so happy, proud, relieved, and exhausted! Turns out we were in the top 10,000 (of the 65,000+ registered at B2B), and respectively finished overall at 9123 and 9124! http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/tmx-wa2pzzXDPdPoB2gPIg/l BTW, who knew that Pres. Obama was gonna be at B2B - http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/zamtV6PPezy3SiO7TUp4Jg/l What a great first B2B experience! Warm weather, great costumes, jovial runners, inebriated walkers, floats, nakedness, and running through the lovely and picturesque SF neighborhoods is what this race is all about. Only 364 days (give or take a few days) until the next one!! read more

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What you've ever heard about Bay to Breakers 12K...it's all true! The flying corn tortillas, the outrageously creative costumes, the spectator-heavy crowds, the party-going atmosphere, the drunkenness, the nudity, the fun: it's all there...and more! I swear, there were over 50 thousand participants at this event. I've never before been to a race with so many runners! Of course, I'm using the term "runners" here rather loosely, as many of the runners--beers in hand--walked, meandered, and stumbled through the 7.3 miles. It was a giant party! You had to laugh at there being "Sobriety Tents" along the course, just in case. Having been run now for the last 104 years now, this party parade, as big and as fun as it was, will most assuredly be continuing onward. What was also important to me by running Bay to Breakers was that I was chasing the San Francisco Original Run Series medal. A collaboration between San Francisco's most iconic running events: Zappos.com Bay to Breakers, the San Francisco Marathon, and the San Francisco Giant Race. By enduring all three--and also by registering early, as participation caps at 2,500--you'll be awarded a big, fat SFO Series medal at the finish line of the Giant Race. This course is a point-to-point, a course beginning at the Bay, heading west through the city, and finishing at the Great Highway along the Pacific Coast's Ocean Beach. Participants run up the iconic Hayes Street Hill, along the Panhandle, and through Golden Gate Park, the entire city of San Francisco cheering you on. You may catch shuttles to get back to the start. And if you've also decided to park along the starting line, you may consider the Embarcadero Center Parking Garage off Drumm & Clay. Normally, you'd be charged $34 to park for the day, but since I had my bib on, my medal still draped around my neck, I was given a discount. And easy $10! It was a very cool surprise! Bay to Breakers, I had a great time! See you next year! read more

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Aaaaahh....Bay to Breakers...this review is long overdue. This is one of the fun events where you can say.......only in SF. Where else can you see elite runners, casual walkers, floats, kegs, costumes and naked people all at the same time?? This year, I came down with the swine flu....well, not really...just a cold....so I opted out of the drinking. It was pretty damn hot, so I didn't want to pass out half way into the course. The corrals were already jam packed with party people at 6:30! Watch out for the flying tortillas! There was one little girl chucking them at people's heads!! As I was walking along, I found Yelpman!( http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/H84qdBS-RjEVOfFKp_IeoA/l ). They were still getting ready, so I just picked up my Yelp stickers and kept on walking. I can't believe how many naked people there were. I've seen them before, but I think the warm weather brought out even more. I swear I was always walking next to someone's schlong bouncing around. It seemed like there were less floats and kegs this year. Damn the city for cracking down and ruining people's fun! I provided my friends with some Hangar One to go with their cranberry juice, so I had to party vicariously through them. Next year, I will make sure I am healthy so I can partake in the drunken festivities! **Note....wear sunblock or you'll turn into a lobster like me! =/ read more

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LET THE MAYHEM BEGIN! What Happened? I seriously don't remember, did I finish? Yay me, I was incorrigible! (some of the text responses, I told Yelpers) The Good, and Bad, and the Ugly. The Good: Drunk DYL'ers and Yelpers aka "117 + a dozen or more Yelp Staff, The Incorrigibles" roaming San Francisco. Drinking begins at the crack of dawn. AND, of course, all those Alcohol goddess / gods for refilling and making my day incorrigible. Making raspberries (thanks J.R.) I'm home in one piece. The Bad: $7 dollar Muni ride. ( what a #$#^ rip-off!) Getting up early on a Sunday after a long night of playing poker. Not enough Porto-Potties. (sorry kids, Todd and I went all naturale) The Ugly: Naked old people. I was OUT by 4pm. I wanted to drink MORE. Just added the Ugliest: Green dick guy. read more

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This year marks the first time i actually make it all the way to the end, sober and covered with all my normal clothes. Since i had to work today, I scooter-ed to the finish line before the mass of drunken superheroes, 80s dancers and rainbow brights could make their way out of the panhandle and i must admit that it was not that bad. I had a line of 50 porta-potties to myself and actually use one that was still virgin, won a rocket boat ticket, got free energy saving light bulbs, enough sample of cheeses and crackers to actually turn into a Babybel, 18 free bottles of POM cafe au lait and a tote bag that reads "Say No To Plumping" with a smiling chicken on it. So, all of this instead of running into countless overly tanned naked guys proudly showing off their cock-rings, looking like a drunk hot mess halfway thought the 'race', making out with girls, losing my shoes, having beer spilled all over my head, tripping over my own feet, breaking my cellphone, making out with guys, dancing like a hippie, peeing in the bush, loosing my dignity somewhere in the park, and not making it to the Finish Line? I'm definitely asking to be OFF next year! read more

The only reason why I came back to Bay to Breakers was for the 100th Anniversary medal! Finish Time: 1:34:39 Special Thanks to (The Pros): - Jonathan A for driving me up there and meeting me at the finish line. There was no way I'm going to wait for the shuttle buses again (save the $10 bucks and 2 hour bus ride back to the starting line). - SFPD for regulating and kicking out the drunks this year. This was the first year ever where we could actually enjoy the run without drunks and floats getting in our way. - Volunteers for the Crystal Geyser water stops. - Event Holders for making sure there was a lot of port a potties along the way. Also, thank you for mailing my bib and packet to my house. I paid $12.00 more because it beats spending gas money to the city and parking fees. - Mother Nature for holding back the storm. I know you rained on us at mile 5 and brought the sun back at mile 7. Suggestions (The Cons): - They need to award the medals at the finish line. It was pointless to walk another half a mile to get your medal from a box! Yes, a box! Minus one star! See my pictures. - It would be great to have power drinks and bananas at the finish line. There might have been a budget cut for the finish line goodies, but I say it was good trade off to have more cops and barricades along the course. Congrats to: Lineth Chepkuri of Kenya - Finish Time: 00:39.12 Ridouane Harroufi of Morocco - Finish Time: 00:34:26 read more

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Do locals really run this race without wearing a costume? I guess the ones who are actually racing do . . . but forget about them for a moment and let's revel and enjoy the pageantry of colorful characters who enter this event for fun. This year we cruised over to the finish line near Ocean Beach to see who could endure the whole race dressed up. I was skeptical at first but there are plenty of folks who do finish in full regalia - super mad props to you. As far as the rest of you garishly garbed participants, where do you decide enough is enough, throw in the towel, and call it a day? I'm betting somewhere near the park close enough to Park Chow to grab some breakfast - I speak from experience here. Next year, I'm thinking of dressing up the baby jogger to look like a R2D2 and I'll rock a C3PO outfit. We'll see what the wife thinks. oh, by the way, being naked is NOT a costume . . . "seriously dude, put on some pants." read more

The essence of San Francisco... the beautiful, the bad, the old, and the fugly all come out the party it down the streets and drink like there is no tomorrow. 18 sets of male nuggets (old ones never the less...) later, I realized that I have nothing to look forward to in 30 years... 9 boobies later... I realized that I would never be caught dead running down the streets naked... These puppies are going to be strapped in tightly! read more

Not so much a race as it is an experience. I PR'ed in that I achieved the slowest pace I have EVER had in an official race (and uh, that includes the time I ran a half marathon after not running or training at all for 6 months). I mean, if you go early and hustle for a spot in the front of Corral A, you can probably start running consistently after mile 1, but this is still not a race for anyone who is not elite or seeded. For the 2014 race, the official gun didn't even go off until 8:23AM, and I don't think I crossed the starting line until close to 8:45AM. But that does mean for those of you living in the city or who are taking public transportation into the city, you get to sleep in a bit ;) Hayes Hill Challenge was the highlight because you are simply surrounded by house after house, spilling people in costumes (the Super Mario theme house was hands down my fav this year), cheering, smoking, drinking, and just having a good time. The hill is difficult to run already but even more so when there's thousands of people crawling at a snail's pace and stopping to look at other people (we totally rubbernecked too, my apologies to anyone who was behind me and ended up stepping on me!). I would say after the Panhandle (~4.5 mi into the race) things begin to clear up, as a lot of the racers seem to stop and check out the parties going on. Once you enter Golden Gate Park, there's even less people--I think I only saw one aid station and one live band. Other things to note is that there's few water/aid stations in general and no bag check-in. You know, normally all these things would really bug me if this were a real race, but I could really care less in this case because the pride I feel for getting to live in the most beautiful city in the world was made concrete by the energy and the vibe of the entire city. I'm glad that this year it seems like people partied responsibly and a good time was had by all. I did see some things I have never seen before and wish never to see again, but it's a small price to pay ;) read more

Yay to me for making another B2B and this time I was with Team YELP. Talk about a fun, let your hair down, be yourself, live and let live event! We had so much fun, can't wait for next year! I was so worried that we would be late. They blocked our usual exit off the Bay Bridge, but no matter, Honey Bunnie found parking for $8 and we only had to walk 5 blocks to find the YELP crew. It was so cool, we're walking up Mission and there is YELP MAN in all of his glory. We donned our cool YELP capes and chilled with other members and crew until it was time to head out. While waiting to make our dive into the crowd, I had a chance to filing some tortilla's out into the crowd and share our tortillas and the experience with our new YELP friends. It is addictive! I was worried about the changes that were being implemented this year, but you know what? It was just as fun, just as boisterous and even longer than last year! And as they marched up hill, you could see YELP MAN and the Y - E - L - P balloons making their way. I only made it about 2 miles, but it was a great two miles. Thanks .... Connie with the E, Ligaya with the P, everyone who helped with the Y and darned if I forgot who had the L. And Jessica who was pushing the cart and of course Nicole who made sure I showed up at the right place and got my goodies! Here are the pictures, just remember..... not for the kiddies http://www.flickr.com/photos/12568072@N05/sets/72157618384402766/ read more

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