AP
20 May 2001 – San Francisco - Kenyans won the men's and women's divisions of the Bay to Breakers, a 7.5-mile (12.07km) race that featured 60,000 runners - many in costume and some naked.
James Koskei won the men's race in 34.19 on Sunday in his first time running the race. He said the steep Hayes Street hill presented some difficulty.
"When we reached the hill, we had to struggle,'' he said. "We started pushing then.''
Jane Ngotho was the top woman in 40.35, beating second-place finisher Jane Omoro, also of Kenya, by one second.
"The race today was good,'' Ngotho said. "The weather was good.''
The cool, foggy weather at the 8 a.m. start didn't deter some from running without clothes. The race draws serious runners and those out for a good time, many in costumes, such as the game Twister and Batman and Robin.
The runners made their way down streets littered with tortillas.
As the winners crossed the finish line, some in the field were just reaching the 1-mile (1.6km) mark - an hour after the race began.
Defending champion Reuben Cheruiyot finished second in the men's race, three seconds behind Koskei. Third was Moroccan El Arbi Khattabi, who finished in 34.40. The women's third-place finisher was Kenyan Gladys Asiba, who finished in 40.51.
The road race is sanctioned by USA Track and Field and is sponsored by the San Francisco Examiner. The course follows city streets into Golden Gate Park and on to the Pacific Ocean.