Run, fun and sun — perfect S.F. day at Bay to Breakers
Tens of thousands of gleeful runners — some plugging along with purpose, others stumbling — streamed along the streets of San Francisco and past Kamila Holmes’ kissing booth Sunday during the 106th Bay to Breakers. But even the most determined runners had to stop for a smooch when they spotted Pharrell and Paris, two feather-boa-wearing French bulldogs sitting patiently at the makeshift kiosk along Hayes Street.
“People love it,” said Holmes, 34, who was dressed in a shiny white swimsuit. “I heard some people say it’s the best kissing booth
ever.”
Holmes and her pooches made up just one of the wild and outrageous scenes along the 7.46-mile race route that’s better described as a rolling party of tens of thousands than as a footrace.
Unlike years past, Sunday’s race came with little trouble. San Francisco police were stationed throughout the course, snatching any undisguised alcohol as they reminded folks to behave themselves.
The throngs of costumed racers first gathered in the hot morning sun at Howard and Main streets, tossing tortillas in the customary prerace ritual, hours before the 8 a.m. start time.
Among them were 29-yearold Carson Rickey, who wore a taco outfit, and Justin Zarozhy, 28, dressed as a banana. “That thing is basically a diaper singlet,” Rickey said as he pointed at his roommate’s outfit.
Zarozhy conceded his getup wasn’t the most practical for running. “There’s gonna be some logistical problems,” he said. “But it’s got good ventilation.”
As the final waves of runners streamed though the starting gates, the most elite racers had already crossed the finish line at Ocean Beach. Philemon Cheboi, 23, of Kenya got first place for the men in a breezy 34 minutes, 48 seconds. Exactly five minutes later, 23-year-old Buze Diriba of Ethiopia was the first female finisher.
As the onslaught of exhausted runners followed, race emcee Tommy Kansas let them know, “It’s time to start the party.”
And party they did — in buses and bars, on rooftops, balconies, stoops and on the race route.
One such reveler was 49year-old Eric Anderson. He sported a skimpy thong and had this year’s theme, “Summer of Love,” scrawled on his chest in swirly rainbow body paint. He said that he’s done the race for 14 of the 16 years he’s lived in the city.
“It feels like San Francisco,” he said. “Everyone is so happy. They’re having fun. They’re in a good mood. You can forget about everything else that’s going on in the world for a few hours.”
Some, though, weren’t looking for a distraction, and instead wore costumes with a political aim.
The 28 female runners of Impala Racing Team donned matching Rosie the Riveter costumes as they ran attached together with a bungee cord. “Because of the political atmosphere, we wanted to show that women are strong and powerful,” said Camille Matonis, 24, of San Francisco.
Her teammate Liz Louie, 31, said sending a feminist message is especially important this year. “As women, it’s really relevant with what’s happening now with Planned Parenthood,” Louis said of the Trump administration’s effort to cut off funding to the organization. “We want to be symbols of strength and grace and female empowerment.”
Alcohol was banned as always, but that didn’t stop many participants from guzzling booze as they charged through South of Market en route to the notorious slog up Hayes Street.
Joel Chen nursed his hangover with a cleverly disguised water bottle full of vodka alongside his three friends. The pack of 23-year-olds drove up from Los Angeles on Saturday and walked the race in matching black overalls.
“We almost didn’t make it this morning,” Chen said, describing a night of hard drinking that almost put the kibosh on the whole reason they came to San Francisco.
Once over the Hayes Street hill, many pronounced themselves good and plopped down in the shade in the Panhandle while the more serious runners powered through Golden Gate Park to the finish line.
Among the elite racers struggling in the heat was David Urista, 26, of Daly City. He finished the race dressed in a yellow Pikachu onesie in 44 minutes, 21 seconds.
“It was fun,” said Urista, an assistant cross country coach at San Francisco State University. “It was really hot out there.”
Jon Brick recycled his “Game of Thrones” costume from Halloween. Why? “People say I look like (character) Jon Snow,” said Brick, 31, of San Francisco. He ran with heavy black gloves on for the first half of the race but took them off after they got soaked. “It was very hot,” he said.
Residents along the route had braced for the onslaught, and many took measures to protect their yards from folks in search of a place to relieve themselves. The 1,000 portable toilets provided by the city also helped.
Marlen Kirby, 46, and Jessica Dobson, 47, live above Central Coffee at Central Avenue and Hayes Street and watched the messy aftermath of the race. “There it is,” said Kirby, as a man in a Hawaiian shirt vomited in a trash can. Down the block, a glass bottle shattered.
“By 11 o’clock, when people are peeing outside my door, it’s not as fun,” Dobson noted.
By early afternoon, city cleanup crews followed the few stragglers at the tail end of the race, mopping up any evidence of the massive party. Streets and Muni lines soon reopened, and San Francisco got back to business.