Plus: An unplanned PG&E power outage left thousands of account holders without power.
Bay to Breakers, often cited in cheeky Reddit threads and Instagram comment sections as SF’s version of “straight pride,” began in 1912 — six years after the city was leveled and nearly lost to widespread fires. The race, which remains one of only a handful of certified 12Ks in North America, was incepted as a moral boost post the said 1906 city-topping earthquake; over a century later, the race has remained a constant spectacle, evolving into a bipedal parade of costumed regalia … that later descends into backyard and stoop-held parties where blacking out before 2 p.m. is a justifiable norm.
For 2026, the vibes were largely the same as in years prior: big, brash, and braggadocio-ish; eye-catching, ethereal, enmeshed in both the political zeitgeist and pop-culture references.
Over 30,000 participants took to the race’s familiar route from downtown to Ocean Beach this past Sunday. The race saw a major spike in participation — an estimated 20,000 participants ran last year’s Bay to Breakers race — and thus an increase in creative race attire.
We saw nodes to Spirit Airlines’ abrupt cessation (though, unfortunately, not any glances to Jame’s Charle’s nauseating, girl no one asked for this rant against a laid-off Spirit Airlines flight attendant canvassing for financial support amid money woes). Waymo got its representation (in the form of hard hats). San Francisco’s unoqpolic, viral, wide-as-hell pinniped, Chonkers, served as inspiration for more than a handful of runners (who, admittedly, were not concerned about breaking any PRs).
Our unironic favorite look? San Jose Mayor and State Governor Hopeful Matt Mahan dressed as a house — a clear Bat Signal for his pro-housing policies and stances. The problem? His choice of costume to spotlight single-family housing only feeds into the contention around his housing policies that would uphold single-family zoning in areas fit for multi-family upzoning that’d better address housing shortages.
What else transpired this weekend? Let’s take a look.
Another day, another PG&E power outage. 13,500 account holders of the aforementioned utility faced temporary outages amid high winds, with North Bay and South Bay zipcodes most affected; the controlled power shut-off is a common wildfire prevention tactic performed by PG&E, as the vast majority of its powerlines remain above ground … capable of sparking deadly wildfires when stressed under elemental pressures. More info.
Federal agents are again peaking into London Breed’s less savory moves as SF Mayor. A recent report obtained by the SF Standard shows the FBI has been making inquiries into an alleged exchange between Breed and billionaire Michael Bloomberg that led to District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill’s appointment. More info.
