Week of May 9th 2011: Bay to Breakers

Bay to Breakers was an event that constantly came up on my list of things to do each year, but the infamous race always fell a few weeks before the CFA exam and I just couldn't justify missing out on the valuable study time. However, I usually ended up spending the day moping that I was the only person in the city not taking part and decided that this year I would participate.

I actually only found out what Bay to Breakers was a few years ago when I was a senior in college, the first time I had ever heard its name was many years before that. Like many high schoolers, I spent my summers as a camp counselor. Our camp was known for having themed weeks - the best being Color Wars. Color Wars was something like the houses in Harry Potter - the whole came was divided into colors. They were encouraged to wear them around camp all week and certain activities would win points for your color. One year, the captain of the blue team had a shirt (he wore it most of the week so I think it was his only blue shirt) that said "I did not run in Bay to Breakers." All week kids would ask him what that was and he would respond with "I don't know - I've never ran in it." So, it was pretty interested when I found out it was a real event and kind of a big deal.

For those not in the Bay Area - Bay to Breakers is a race in San Francisco that goes from the Bay to the Ocean (Breakers) which is approximately 7.5 miles (12 km). It's well known for being a shorter but rather challenging course due to the hilly nature of the city. It is also well known for the number of people who dress up in silly costumes or themes during the race. It's estimated that about half of the participants are not registered runners, but simply participating in the festivities.

The 2011 enforced many new rules - no public drinking and no floats. As my first year participating, I didn't really know what this meant for me. My friends and I pulled together some random costume items and decided to head out anyways. I definitely think the best part of Bay to Breakers is just seeing all of the costumes that everyone dons. I love costume parties and Bay to Breakers feels like a city-wide one.

Also - here is Ryan. Ryan told me he wouldn't read my blog until I wrote about him. I always want to increase my readership so here you are:

I had a blast at Bay to Breakers and I'm glad my friends dragged me out to it. Even though many participants said it wasn't as fun with the new rules - I still had a great time since there was nothing to compare it to.