Runners: 70-80k
Distance: 12km (7.46mi)
Time: 1:08:54
Time to top of Hayes Hill: 29:46
Naked people: Lots
Drunk people: even more
Girls who look at you disgusted when they are crouched peeing behind a porta-potty: all
Guys peeing on trees: enough to reach down and touch each other

So I ran Bay to Breakers today for the second time. I ran it with my younger brother, Kathy, and some friends four years ago. It felt a lot more crowded this time. It took a good five minutes for me to even get to the starting line after the race had officially begun even though I was in “Zone 1″ which is in the front. I ran most of the race alone until my coworker caught up to me in Golden Gate Park. His pace was faster so I ran with him the rest of the way.

Initially I was pretty excited with my time. Then I asked my brother what our time was from four years ago and he said it was 55 min. I had been telling people it was 1:30:00, so that’s a bummer. But it was good fun anyway. It’s nice to run in a sea of people. You kind of get lost in the herd and don’t really think about the running. But next year I will have a loftier goal for myself. To beat my youthful time.

On the way to the finish line it’s all business for the most part. Everyone is running or jogging or at least walking with some kind of pace. On the way back it’s a completely different story. The course basically turns into a giant street party. There are bands on every corner and people blasting music out of their garages or apartment windows. Carts of beer and music are pushed up the streets. Lines for the porta-potties go on and on. And of course a lot of people just skip the line and pee on a tree or in a corner somewhere. I think that’s the most public peeing I’ve ever seen.

The best costume I saw was a guy in Spartan-type armor. Sure there were a lot of others dressed up like the guys from 300, but this guy had metal chest armor and helmet. And to top it off he was running, well jogging. I passed him up in Golden Gate Park where he was chugging along with a clank clank clank. Impressive.