San Francisco - Bay to Breakers, anyone can be a winner (almost)

Missed this years Bay to Breakers race? The event included 50,000 participants, plus officials and safety administration and viewing crowd.  Compare the event size to Pacifica, a city with a population of about 37,234.

In for the fun, cute aren't we?

Haight-Ashbury panhandle park, half way

"Professional runners and jovial amateurs alike started out on the 7.46-mile course from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach just before 7 a.m. ... The elite runners who were among the first to start the race had finished the competition by 8 a.m. 

Manitu Daska, 28, — last year’s second fastest woman—was the first to finish the course with a time of 39 minutes and three seconds, race spokeswoman Stephanie Reichin said." CBS San Francisco, 5/20/12. "Ethiopian woman wins San Francisco Bay to Breakers Race." Read Article, brief embedded video. 

Reaching Ocean Beach at Last

Bite anyone?

Mamitu Daska and Sammy Kitwara were the top female and male runners to finish the 101st Zazzle Bay to Breakers on Sunday morning.  Daska completed the course in 39.3 minutes, Kitwara in 34.41 minutes but there is a time "equalizer" off-set "that allows the women’s field to start the race about 4 minutes and 30 seconds before the men." (CBS). But the definition of a "winner" is a little bit broader with this only-in-San Francisco institution. Equally triumphant was Mark Denari, 25, who ran the 12-kilometer footrace in less than an hour -- carrying a nearly 10 pound banana suit."Was I the first banana?" the Saratoga schoolteacher said between deep breaths, after crossing the finish line along Ocean Beach.  San Francisco Chronicle/Peter Hartlaub, 5/20/12  "101 Bay to Breakers has sun, fun and a few fast runners."  Read Article and view  64 pictures.

Posted by Kathy Meeh