Finally, a supporter of the B2B gets a chance to dispel the myths with facts. I was starting to believe that San Francisco went from “the city that knows how”, to “the city that knows how to say No”.

Another example of the tyranny of the minority trying to ruin an event that the overwhelming majority of San Franciscans enjoy and support. Events like Bay to Breakers are what make SF a fun, unique place to live, people. You have my support, Conor, in stopping the spread of the fun-nazis.

Guy

I love Bay to Breakers. It's my favorite day of the year, seriously, more so than my birthday. To me B2B is the perfect embodiment of San Francisco: a roving street party where the vibe is peaceful, the costumes are brilliant, and the clothing is optional. It's a testament to this city's tolerance and open-mindedness.

Of course some things have gone too far, but Conor's suggestions seem to be spot on ways to address them. I agree that the organizers should spend more of their time and money addressing the issues instead of pointing their fingers. Long live Bay to Breakers.

Broke-Ass Stuart

Guy, a combined 100,000 runners and gawkers is not an overwhelming majority of the city. San Fran is at least 800,000 population. 10% does not a majority make. The rest of us avoid the madness and are glad it's gone for another year.

Thank you Conor for representing the actual participants of Bay to Breakers. I don't think any of the sponsors have even been to the race. It is the most fun day of the year and is safer than going to the Marina with a popped collar.
It seems like this race is unfairly judged by the media/losers for what are minor infractions. I'm glad that these issues were not avoided by CPB2B, but were addressed head on. I hope there are more forums for people to support the race like this in the future.
Thanks!

It is the nay-sayers inability to appreciate the importance of this event to the spirit of the City that contributes to the annual barrage of negative comments to the press. The party lasts from 7am-noon one day a year. We are not talking about some daily impediment to your life, we are talking about the annual celebration of ingenuity, humor and, yes, peaceful drunkeness. If your preference is to gut the city of its personality, I respect that, but I do not think it is the majority rule. Simply because 100,000 show up in a city of 800,000 does not mean the event is outvoted 7-1, such an assertion is ludicrous. None of my many family members attend, but I assure you they support the event.

The fact is, it is not the event that is the problem, it's the peeing in public from Bill Graham to the Park. I recently went to the US Open where 40,000 people pee'd in humane and respectful ways. Point is, it can be done. So, follow Conor's lead and work to find solutions to that problem.

How about this solution? People, stop being so cheap. Register for the race and pay even through you are only walking and partying. If 100,000 pays $40, that would $4 million dollars that the city can hire more help and put in more toilets.

Great article...Very well said. All valid points, I'd like to hear the detractors respond to this.

Bay to Breakers has been a tradition in San Francisco since 1912, and as the race and cultural event is about to approach it's 100th birthday - I think the city should be celebrating something that makes San Francisco one of the most unique cities in the world, not finding reasons to shut it down.

I will be the first to say that it is not perfect, there is trash and people pee where they should not; but I cannot for one second believe that those negatives out weigh the value B2B brings to San Francisco.

Even if you don't enjoy the event, appreciate the culture or understand where it fits into the history of San Francisco - there is no way to ignore the financial benefits B2B bring to the city.

In 2009, visitors to San Francisco spent spent $7.8 billion in local businesses. In comparison, the same year visitors to Seattle, spent $471 million. Tourism indirectly bolsters practically every segment of the city's economy and has a broad positive influence on government finances - some $426 million in tax and fee revenue flowed into the City and County of San Francisco in 2009.

Shutting down B2B would be the beginning to eliminating all the unique events in San Francisco that make our city what it is - and what bring us worldwide recognition. It is a slippery slope when events like this get shut down. First it is B2B, then it is the Gay Pride Parade, then it is the St. Patrick's day parade. Large events in cities are not 100% seamless and have to be cleaned up after. That is just a fact and will never change. They are part of living in a large metropolitan city. I don't like the fact that I have to pay $6 to cross the Golden Gate bridge, my 2 bedroom apartment costs more than a 5 bedroom home in the Midwest, or that I hear a crazy homeless person screaming occasionally in the middle of the night outside my bedroom window... but these things are part of living in a large city like San Francisco, and I deal with it. I think the people who are so vehemently apposed to B2B should recognize that while it might not be their ideal way to spend a Sunday morning, B2B brings incredible value to the city and they should just deal with it.

I think that the city as well as the residents of San Francisco should spend more time trying to fix these problems before killing off an event that not only is a huge part to the culture of San Francisco, but bring significant revenue to the city.

Yes! Thank you Connor for your thoughts here, especially this one: "I see in Bay to Breakers a celebration of what it means to be San Francisco, to be capable, to be unafraid of free expression and unapologetic of diversity."

Thank you for speaking up about this. It seems all the press lately goes to the negative Nancy's and the naysayers. Great to hear a voice of optimism and collaboration as the race moves to it's hundredth year. I am tired of hearing participants being ridiculed in the press! Solve these problems or maybe get a new race organizer that has true San Francisco values behind it. I'd love to see the race become more green too. This is ONE day a year and what a special day it is! Keep it up Conor!

Thanks Connor for writing the piece, and thanks to The Guardian for running it. And thanks to the 50,000 fine folks that participate every year. The participants are what make the run great. ESPN listed Bay to Breakers as one of the 101 things sports fans need to do before they die. Just look at the event photographs and anyone can see why; it’s just plain fun.

In terms of community event support, I see a few negative comments to this article (all written by one reader) and the rest positive. That’s a pretty good barometer of support in this world where it is far more popular and far easier to complain about something than it is to do something about it.

Is public urination a problem? Sure – so let’s work toward a solution. Does the event disrupt travel in the city? Sure – so enjoy the regular traffic the other 364.5 days of the year. But on the third Sunday in May, get out your Elvis costume and try to have some fun.

I'm so glad to see someone write something positive about Breakers and dispel the absurd myths that seem to have been going around! Breakers is a celebration of our city, of diversity, of living. That celebration is the "good reason" that Breakers exists, contrary to redbeardedguy's rather rude implication that it has no reason. If you want to be picky, the race's original purpose, six years after the 1906 earthquake, was to celebrate the fact that the city had survived and rebuilt after experiencing the nation's worst natural disaster. A century has passed, but the race created to commemorate a city's rise from ashes remains a race to celebrate a great modern city that is a beacon of progressiveness and diversity.

Redbeardguy also says Breakers is inferior to races like Boston because fewer people are vying to win Breakers. Actually, there aren't very many people in the whole world who can take a shot at winning either race; the elite fields of those two races overlap; winners of Breakers have won Boston, and vice versa. Elite is elite, and Breakers' elite field is on a par with any race's. Also, there are thousands of races you can run if all you want to do is run your best--they happen every weekend all across America. Look them up on active.com. But Breakers is special--that's the whole point! The fastest runners *in the world* run Breakers, and they are followed by thousands of runners (yes, many serious) and then thousands of walkers, many in fantastic costumes, some nude, and all having a great time and celebrating. Breakers is the *only* race like this in the world, and it is rightfully famous. Why on earth would we want it to be an ordinary race instead of a national treasure?

As far as changing the course to disrupt traffic less, well, you don't really celebrate a city by skirting its edges, do you? Plenty of races do that. Bridge to Bridge runs along the Embarcadero; not to slam that "other" B to B, but compared to Breakers? *YAWN*

Finally, comparing Breakers to a Halloween event where people were stabbed is utterly preposterous. Breakers has the friendliest, most open, accepting and joyful vibe of any event I've ever seen. I agree with those who have said it needs better organization--the race has had its ups and downs organization-wise over the decades, and it's due for some improvement now. Nurturing this race is a matter of civic pride. And for these grumpy anti-Breakers people like redbeardedguy, honestly, just try running or walking the race next year. I think you'll be surprised at how fun it really is.

Capt Red Beard, you have to be kidding. You suggest we should not get rid of chinese new year or gay pride day but we should get rid of B2B because it's a traffic nuisance? How on earth do you justify such a moronic double standard?

What everyone fails to mention here is that all the naysayers want to end it because they don't like the people who enjoy the event. If this event is too white, too mainstream, too normal for you then leave!

I have no interest in your gay pride day, your chinese new year, or your S&M day at Folsom St. And all those events are paid with my tax dollars, create garbage, and interrupt traffic. Redbeard, get this: rich white people pay taxes and live in this city. We have rights and we have events we enjoy. We are going to enjoy them and you are just going to have to deal with it.

Finally, some good press about the greatest race ever! Thanks Guardian, I was worried you'd gone over to the dark side! I suppose the world wouldn't end if B to B ended, but it would be an incredibly, stupid, sad, senseless loss! For me and the people I know who do it, it's so much fun planning our costumes then mingling with the pre-race crowd and trying to get a glimpse of the elites (which is really thrilling and inspiring). Then the gun goes off and running the race is a blast every step of the way. People lining the course cheer and I wave back and feel like I'm making about 20,000 new friends. Then after we finish running we just kick back and enjoy the costumes and festivities. I'm shocked by the negative press I've seen lately; just who do people think they are to suggest taking away an event so many others cherish?

Thanks again to Steven and Tim at the Guardian for running this article and presenting the other side of the story when no one else would.

Thanks to Jarie Bolander and all the neighborhood groups for leading the effort to improve B2B.

And thank you guys for all of the great comments in support of B2B. I am continually impressed by the commitment, reason, and humor of B2B's supporters. (Marc, your comment caused a minor stink in my office when I began laughing uncontrollably. Apparently that's frowned upon at work.)

We are scheduling our first stakeholders meeting now. I am confident that with your support we will resolve the problems and preserve Bay to Breakers.

You can follow the progress via our website (http://www.savebay2breakers.org/) or Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/citizensf).

Thank you again, and see you at the 100th!

Conor Johnston
CPBB