San Francisco’s Bay to Breakers returns on Sunday with throngs of costumed runners and plenty of spectators on the 7.456-mile course.
“The whole city kind of shows up for a12K. It’s not Boston, right? But it is a running holiday in San Francisco,” says Kyle Meyers, race director and CEO of Silverback, a production company.
The Bay to Breakers course steers runners into Golden Gate Park, where they ride rolling hills along John F. Kennedy Drive. (JL Odom/Bay City News) 
Spectators cheering on Bay to Breakers runners add to the festive atmosphere. (JL Odom/Bay City News) 
West Valley Track Club runners compete in the centipede division of Bay to Breakers every year. (JL Odom/Bay City News) 
Bay to Breakers runners famously wear costumes in the iconic San Francisco race, which dates to 1912. (JL Odom / Bay City News) 
There’s no shortage of fun costumes in Bay to Breakers, San Francisco’s race and party held every May. (JL Odom/Bay City News)
More than 30,000 registered participants are expected this year, the largest field since before the pandemic.
“This will be the biggest Bay to Breakers in over a decade,” Meyers confirms.
Once again, the race from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach will have the tortilla tossing at the start, centipede teams of runners linked by bungee cords and the climb up Hayes Street for the Hayes Hill Challenge. While traditions endure, there are changes near the end of the course and at the finish this year.
Runners will head down John F. Kennedy Jr. Drive past the Dutch Windmill and Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, then turn left onto the Great Highway to the finish line on the road. Previously, runners veered north, ending in the Ocean Beach parking lot.
Elite field, familiar appeal
Julia Vasquez Giguere, who won the race’s women’s division in 2022, 2024 and 2025, is returning.
Her grandparents, parents and friends love that she’s been a standout performer at the race, which dates to 1912.
“They act like it’s the biggest deal, even though I’ve done the Olympic Trials and just did the Boston Marathon,” she says, with a laugh. “I’ve done some big races, but Bay to Breakers always seems to be the one that catches family and friends’ eyes, just because they’ve grown up with it.”
Vasquez Giguere, a Clayton resident who moved from San Francisco last June, says the race requires patience on a course that rewards strategy as much as speed.
“Hayes Hill becomes very steep, so you’re really grinding up it, and it’s long, too—it’s not just a short, punchy hill. You’re really gassed by the top, which is why it’s so important to take advantage of the downhills to recover and let your legs run on their own,” she says.
She nabbed her course personal best (42:04) in 2022 due to some friendly competition, with fellow female elite runner Maya Weigel coming in only 8 seconds behind her.
“We were kind of battling it out, so that’s why it was a faster time,” she says, adding, “It’d be great to have some women up there with me this year, to have that competitive atmosphere, because it’s a really fun course.”
From the rolling hills (i.e. rollers) to the mostly downhill final quarter and the uncommon race distance, much about Bay to Breakers appeals to Vasquez Giguere, and it’s why she keeps coming back.
Meyers says Bay to Breakers is on the bucket list for many West Coast runners: “Given the topography of San Francisco, it’s not known for its fastest times, but I think that for the elite runners that do choose this race, there’s a certain level of camaraderie and bragging rights on what is not only a pretty special day and unique route but also just San Francisco at its finest.”
Local track clubs often race competitively in the centipede division, with teammates wearing uniforms or costumes.
“They’re running insanely fast for having 13 to 15 people tied to each other,” Meyers says.
Extra mileage and a new challenge
Runners also may challenge themselves by signing up for the 15K (9.32-mile) “Breakers Bonus” instead of the traditional 12K. This year, the latter portion of the 15K course will take runners up Point Lobos Avenue for a stretch before they head to the Great Highway finish line.
Meyers says it’s going to be epic: “The views after you make that turn and you get to come back down — the sweeping vistas, the beach and everything to the south, [including] the windmills in the park — it’s just a good reminder of what makes San Francisco so special.”
Plus, as it’s technically a new course, there’s an opportunity to make 15K Breakers Bonus history. Meyers says, “Whoever wins this year will have the new course record for what is probably the hardest Breakers Bonus since we introduced it eight years ago.”
One giant San Francisco party
The post-race festival is moving from the Ocean Beach parking lot to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive between Lincoln Avenue and Bernice Rogers Way.
“It’s wind protected, sunny and just a great place to hang out and meet up with your loved ones,” says Meyers. “We’ve found a balance that allows all the participants and those that want to watch and just enjoy Bay to Breakers to come together inside Golden Gate Park and have a great Sunday.”
After the race, Vasquez Giguere typically rests, grabs a beer or walks back to where she and her husband parked their car. She also enjoys the sights, including the celebratory crowd.
“It’s just an awesome race,” she says. “You get all sorts of people, whether they’re just there to party or actually compete.”
Bay to Breakers, a parade of that mix, is fun for everyone.
“There’s no one that I’ve met—whether you’re an elite or back-of-the-packer just there to walk—that isn’t having the best time of their lives,” says Meyers.
Bay to Breakers starts at 8 a.m. May 17 at Howard and Fremont streets, San Francisco. Registration is $115.95 for the 12K, $126.85 for the 15K Breakers Bonus, and $1,037 for centipede teams. Register here.