The famous day of running and revelry once again returned to the streets of San Francisco Sunday morning.
Racers of all levels, from the fine-tuned athletes to the costume-wearing average Joes, hit the pavement in the city by the bay to take part in the 107th running of the annual Bay to Breakers footrace.
As runners broke through the finish line after dashing across the rolling San Francisco landscape, it seemed at though few were actually worried about their times. It was more about who wore what.
One competitor ditched a traditional T-shirt and running shorts for a full body giraffe costume. Another broke out a banana suit and captured the finish line with a post-race selfie. People dressed as fruits — watermelon, kiwi and grapes to name a few — breathed a sweet sigh of relief after conquering the streets of San Francisco.
"It wasn't a 'grape' idea, but I 'pressed' through," Henry Patricio joked after completing the course in a grape costume. "No 'wine-ing' at all until here."
Racers Sport Ingenious Costumes for 2017 Bay to Breakers
Superheroes also came out in full force. While keeping a watchful eye on the safety of the city, The Flash and Batman duked it out for bragging rights on the course. The Flash, tapping into his lightning-quick speed, came out on top, but it wasn't all bad news for Batman. He trounced Superman.
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"Man of steel ran out of gas," runner Rafael Amezcua said. "But it was a fun race. It's one of the funnest ones that's offered around here."
While much of the race remained the same — 12km course spanning from the edge of the Bay Bridge to Ocean Beach — this year's event featured an added 3km stretch along the Great Highway for those runners interested in pushing the envelope.
Runners started to hit the pavement at 8 a.m. from the intersection of Main and Howard streets. From there, they ran west along Howard Street, attempted to defeat Hayes Hill and its steepest grade of 11 percent, snaked through Golden Gate Park and finished with a sprint to the Ocean Beach parking lot.
Bay to Breakers Revelry
Aside from receiving cheers at the finish line, Beth Goya and her group representing Lady Liberty said they were showered with praise as they ran embracing the #MeToo movement.
"It was super fun," Goya said. "We got a lot of cheers along the course that we were inspiring their daughters."
For the second year in a row, Philemon Cheboi broke the tape first for the men, finishing this year's race with a time of 35:41, according to event organizers. Jane Kibii crossed the finish line first on the female side, ending her race at the 40:27 mark.
Bay to Breakers 2015
Racers were not allowed to run with any bags, backpacks or containers. The only exception was if the bag, backpack or container was clear and smaller than 8.5 x 11 x 4 inches.
Participants were able to wear running belts and fanny packs, but they were not allowed to bring CamelBak hydration backpacks or hydration vests that could be worn over the shoulder.
Alcohol and any illegal substances were also forbidden on the race course.
For a complete breakdown of Sunday's event, visit the Bay to Breakers website.
