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The royal wedding procession makes an appearance at the 107th annual Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. From right to left: Heidi LaBudde, Mollie Beeman, Emily Daley, Bonny Starr. Peter Arcuni/KQED
The royal wedding procession makes an appearance at the 107th annual Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. From right to left: Heidi LaBudde, Mollie Beeman, Emily Daley, Bonny Starr. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
The California Report

PHOTOS: From Bananas to the Royal Wedding, Bay to Breakers Has It All

The California Report

PHOTOS: From Bananas to the Royal Wedding, Bay to Breakers Has It All

Peter Arcuni
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Unicorns, vegetables and Wonder Woman took to the streets Sunday, along with tens of thousands of other runners as part of the 107th annual Bay to Breakers race. Organizers say 40,000 people registered for this year's race and approximately 150,000 showed up to cheer them on.

Sunday's event kicked off in downtown San Francisco, near the Bay Bridge, with a route that took participants from the bay to the ocean. It's like a track meet on Halloween, with racers wearing running shoes and extravagant costumes.

But vivid attire wasn't always part of the race.

The first Bay to Breakers was held in 1912, in response to the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. The city was still recovering and needed a morale boost. Some say the very first costume was a comic book pirate named Captain Kidd sometime in the 1940s, progressing from there to superheroes, centipedes and salmon that run upstream from the breakers to the bay.

Today's winners were Philemon Cheboi and Jane Kibii, with the Aggies Running Club coming in first in the centipede division.

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Here are some more photos from Sunday's race:

Thousands gather at the official Bay to Breakers starting line at Main Street and Howard Street minutes before the 12K race kicks off.
Thousands gather at the official Bay to Breakers starting line at Main and Howard streets minutes before the 12K race kicks off. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
In-N-Out Burger enthusiasts, complete with fries, get ready to jump into the race.
In-N-Out Burger enthusiasts, complete with fries, get ready to jump into the race. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
A crew of construction workers cheered on race participants from a Bay Bridge on-ramp in downtown San Francisco.
A crew of construction workers cheered on race participants from a Bay Bridge on-ramp in downtown San Francisco. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
San Francisco residents Seth and Sarah Hernandez (right) bring along visiting relatives Lori and Mike Solomon to witness the festivities. Race organizers say approximately 150,000 spectators lined the route on Sunday.
San Francisco residents Seth and Sarah Hernandez (right) bring along visiting relatives Lori and Mike Solomon to witness the festivities. Race organizers say approximately 150,000 spectators lined the route on Sunday. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
Spanning San Francisco, from the bay to the beach, the annual race requires road closures and transit reroutes.
Spanning San Francisco, from the bay to the beach, the annual race requires road closures and transit reroutes. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
A pair of Tyrannosaurus rex costumes, worn by Josh Swickard and James Sun, are seen keeping pace and giving chase runners.
A pair of Tyrannosaurus rex costumes, worn by Josh Swickard and James Sun, are seen keeping pace and giving chase to runners. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
A lone racer, dressed as a banana, is seen at the Bay to Breakers starting line.
A lone racer, dressed as a banana, is seen at the Bay to Breakers starting line. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
A team of runners wear coordinated Statue of Liberty costumes, complete with fake torches and matching running outfits.
A team of runners wear coordinated Statue of Liberty costumes, complete with fake torches and matching running outfits. (Peter Arcuni/KQED)
The iconic pink gorilla is seen again at this year's Bay to Breakers, surrounded by people dressed as an Arrested Development character.
The iconic pink gorilla is seen again at this year's Bay to Breakers, surrounded by people dressed as a character from the TV show 'Arrested Development.' (Peter Arcuni/KQED)

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