Running did not become popular for the general masses until the 1980s and the reason is simple: shoes. Athletic shoes did not come into existence until the late 1970s and even those were limited. I wear a size 11, and I remember my first pair of running shoes being a men’s pair of Pumas. My mother Anne did not take up running until her fifties because when she was growing up Keds were the only thing close to a athletic shoe, offering little to no support. At the time there was also a common belief that wearing Keds all day was bad for your eyes (that is not a typo). Runners like my grandfather Brand trained on tracks with cleats: running on the streets was unheard of.
On January 1, 1912 the first Bay to Breakers took place. After the 1906 Earthquake and Fires[1] the City was in ruins, and as San Francisco began to rebuild, events were organized to lift citizen morale. This race, called the Cross City Race, was meant to be a precursor for the athletic events scheduled to take place at the 1915 Pan Pacific Exhibition[2]. The route started at the Ferry Building[2A], went down Market to Golden Gate and then over to Divisadero. There were 218 participants and only 121 of them finished. The event attracted so many spectators that it became an annual event. During World War II[3] participation went down to below 50, but the tradition continued. In 1968 the route was changed to a 12K (7.5 mile) course. Runners now travel up Howard to Divisadero and over to the Hayes Street Hill near Alamo Square[4]. Once over the hill, runners continue along the Panhandle and through Golden Gate Park[5] to the Great Highway at Ocean Beach[6].
With the introduction of good footwear, the number of Bay to Breakers participants exploded. It set the Guinness Book world record in 1986 for having the most participants in a footrace (this record was eventually broken in Sydney in 2010).
Today, Bay to Breakers takes place on the second Sunday in May[7]. It remains one of the largest footraces in the world. The fastest male winner was Sammy Kitwara in 2009 with a time of 33:31. The fastest female winner was Lineth Chepkurui the following year with a time of 38:07. But it is not just runners who participate. There are a large number of people walking in costume, and it was at this event that centipedes were introduced: teams of runners of 13 or more tethered together with bungee cords. It is an event not to be missed.
[1] 1906 Earthquake and Fires: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=2849
[2] 1915 Panama Pacific Exhibition: story coming February 20th
[2A] Ferry Building: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=5219[3] World War II: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=4222
[4] Alamo Square: story coming October 27th
[5] Golden Gate Park: story coming April 4th
[6] Ocean Beach: https://thesanfranciscophoenix.com/?p=5243
[7] Visit them at https://capstoneraces.com
