Attendance up as Bay to Breakers returns
SAN FRANCISCO - From the zany costumes to the gorgeous views, San Francisco’s most iconic foot race, the Bay to Breakers, is back this Sunday. The 12K winds its way from the Embarcadero all the way to Ocean Beach.
"It’s a party that travels through the City of San Francisco," said Phyllis Nabhan, who arrived early for her bib on Friday. "It’s my 39th Bay to Breakers. I started in 1984."
Organizers of the race, which turns 112 this year, say attendance figures are on the rise this year.
"We’re just creeping up over 17,000 participants. Last year we were at about 12,000. So it feels good to be trending in the right direction," said race organizer Kyle Meyers.
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The race, which also offers a boost to the city’s hotel business, continues to rebound from the pandemic. Occupancy rates surged from around 28% 14 months ago to around 60% now, according to the Hotel Council of San Francisco.
"We’ve seen a bump. We’ve seen people coming in for this," said Alex Bastian, CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. "We are tracking in the right direction and are headed where we want to go, but we still have a lot of work to do."
The Bay to Breakers kicks off on Sunday at 8 a.m. at Howard and Main Street in San Francisco.