San Francisco's Bay To Breakers Race Postponed To September Because Of Coronavirus Spread
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco's renowned Bay to Breakers footrace, normally held on the third Sunday in May, will be pushed to the fall because of the escalating coronavirus outbreak, organizers announced Friday.
The race, famous for its costumed runners, "centipede" group runners, and random naked participants, will now be held on September 20.
The phrase "Bay to Breakers" refers to the race beginning at the eastern end of the city a few blocks from San Francisco Bay, across 7.46 miles to the Great Highway next to Ocean Beach.
John Kane, CEO of race organizer Capstone Event Group, said he was grateful the city of San Francisco had flexibility in moving the date to allow for the 109th consecutive year of the race.
"Bay to Breakers is more than just a race. This event was started in 1912 to unify a recovering San Francisco community following a devastating earthquake. For more than a century, it has represented the strength and resilience of the Bay area, while serving as a celebration of diversity and community for participants and spectators alike," said Kane in a prepared statement. "We look forward to continuing this legacy and celebrating the next chapter of Bay to Breakers with everyone on September 20."
Kane said all existing 2020 Bay to Breakers registrations will be honored for the new date. For more information regarding the new date, visit www.BayToBreakers.com.
From 1986 to 2010, the Bay to Breakers was officially the world's largest footrace with more than 100,000 participants. In recent years, the race has had fewer participants and officials have cracked down on the copious consumption of alcohol during the race which led to a number of complaints by residents and arrests of drunken participants.