Outdoor Sports

For more than a century, Bay to Breakers has been a fun, exciting event for the city of San Francisco, with many participants donning costumes for the 12-kilometer race. It's a great way to experience the Bay Area along with family and friends. 

Like many events around the world, Bay to Breakers was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic the past two years, with both the 2020 and 2021 editions canceled.

But now, Bay to Breakers is coming back to San Francisco. The 2022 running of the race is set to be held Sunday morning, and it marks a return to normalcy for the annual event.

Here's everything you need to know about this year's Bay to Breakers.

2022 Bay to Breakers Information

When: Sunday, May 15

Start Time: 8 a.m. PT

Course Map: Available on CapstoneRaces.com

Road Closures: A list of road closures has been compiled by Capstone Races

Preview

The first Bay to Breakers race was held in 1912, with the event created while the people of San Francisco rebuilt the city following the 1906 earthquake. According to the race's website, there were only 121 people who finished that inaugural run.

Over the years, the event has grown. On Sunday, there should be a large number of participants for the run—everybody must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to be part of the race.

The start line for Bay to Breakers is at Main Street and Howard Street, where the runners will begin their trek through San Francisco. They'll end up at the finish line at Ocean Beach, having seen plenty of sights of the city along the way.

Many runners at this event wear costumes, but not everybody is running solo. Some people choose to participate in the centipede format, meaning they'll be in groups of 13-15 and linked to their teammates by a bungee cord or a similar device. That adds to the fun and uniqueness of this event.

There will still be plenty of runners focused on finishing in the best possible time. The men's race record belongs to Kenya's Sammy Kitwara (33 minutes and 31 seconds in 2009), while the women's mark was set by Kenya's Lineth Chepkurui (38:07 in 2010).

When participants finish the race, there will be a festival waiting for them at Ocean Beach. It will feature food, drinks, live music and more. 

This race has typically been held on the third Sunday in May, and the return of costumed runners in the streets of San Francisco will be a welcome sight—the event was held in a virtual format the previous two years.

"There's always a sense of excitement," said Casey Bailey, a spokesperson for the Capstone Event Group, per James Salazar of the San Francisco Examiner. "People just want to come and run and have fun and be part of the Bay to Breakers spirit."

This weekend, people in the Bay Area are finally getting that opportunity again.

Delvine Meringor won the women's division and John Korir emerged victorious in the men's division at the 2022 Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, which featured a course from Dodger Stadium to the Avenue of the Stars.

Here's a look at the top finishers on the men's side:

1. John Korir — 2:09:07
2. Edwin Kimutai — 2:10:42
3. Berhanu Bekele Berga — 2:15:10
4. Tyler McCandless — 2:15:18
5. Elisha Barno — 2:16:38

And on the women's side:

1. Delvine Meringor — 2:25:03
2. Antonina Kwambai — 2:30:12
3. Biruktayit Eshetu Degefa — 2:31:28
4. Martha Akeno — 2:34:02
5. Amanda Phillips — 2:35:06

Korir also won the 2021 men's race, though he improved his time by over three minutes on Sunday and needed that faster pace to hold off Kimutai.

It's the second Los Angeles Marathon in four months because last year's edition of the event was delayed until November because of COVID-19 concerns. Race organizers decided to move forward with the race's traditional March time slot this year.

The L.A. marathon was one of the final major sporting events in March 2020 before much of the sporting world was halted because of the coronavirus. Now, with COVID restrictions beginning to ease, an estimated 15,000 runners took to the streets Sunday.

Competitors experience a unique trip around the Los Angeles area with the course winding through several iconic areas, highlighted by runs on Sunset Boulevard and Rodeo Drive during a journey that includes downtown L.A., Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.

The McCourt Foundation handles the race planning, and Laurie Gestal, its senior director of marketing, said it's not an easy task in a city with as many attractions as Los Angeles, per William D'Urso of Spectrum News.

"Finding 26.2 [miles] that is full of everything that everybody wants and what we as event organizers want is really tough," Gestal said. "It takes a lot of work to get 26.2 miles."

Next up for long-distance runners is the Boston Marathon on April 18, which is the first stop for this year's World Marathon Majors series.

For the first time since 2019, runners from across the world flocked to the Sin City to run the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon. The race was canceled in each of the previous two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the end, it was a hometown star who earned the win on the women's side as British runner and Las Vegas representative Ellie Stevens was victorious in the half marathon. The men's race was won by Canada's Justin Kent.

Women's Las Vegas Half Marathon Top Finishers

1. Ellie Stevens (USA), 1:17:53

2. Danae Dracht (USA), 1:18:24

3. Kirsten Lee (CAN), 1:18:40

Source: track.rtrt.me

Men's Las Vegas Half Marathon Top Finishers

1. Justin Kent (CAN), 1:04:38

2. John Borjesson (SWE), 1:06:24

3. Andy Wacker (USA), 1:06:45

Source: track.rtrt.me

Stevens is a longtime middle distance athlete who dealt with some misfortune throughout the early part of her career. She had multiple competitions derailed by battles with the mumps in 2006 and 2007. She also suffered a stress fracture in her foot as well as the skin disease impetigo before being diagnosed with chronic fatigue.

The 37-year-old has been living in Las Vegas for the past four years. Stevens reportedly overcame a blister on her foot to come away with her first win in the event. The women's race was hotly contested, as second- and third-place finishers Danae Dracht and Kirsten Lee were within a minute of Stevens' final time.

"I’ve run this race for so many years," Stevens said afterward, per Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Finally, I managed to win. I’m happy. I love this race."

Kent had a much easier time in the men's race as he blew away the field by nearly two minutes. He was coming off a personal-best time of 1:03:31 set two weeks ago in Vancouver, so he wasn't fully satisfied with his performance despite the easy win.

"I think I fell asleep a little bit," Kent said. "You are so distracted in this straight of a race. I think I maybe slowed down without noticing."

There were also 10-kilometer and five-kilometer races ran on Sunday. The women's winners were Canada's Carolyn Coffin (42:05) in the 10K and Mexico's Itzel Bautista Frias (18:25) in the 5K. Frias' countryman, Alejandro Belmares, (36:44) won the men's 10K, while USA's Brady Grayson (16:38) was victorious in the 5K.

The Las Vegas Marathon is part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series, with 22 events planned for this year. There are two events scheduled for next month, the first in Medellin, Colombia, on March 6 and the latter on March 26 in Washington, D.C.

Previous installments of the Las Vegas Marathon included a full marathon, half marathon, 10-kilometer and five-kilometer races. But the full marathon was scrapped this year and isn't on any schedule until the April 23-24 event in Nashville.

For the first time since 2019, the Rock 'n' Roll Running Series has returned to Las Vegas. However, things are going to be a bit different when runners hit the streets of Sin City this weekend.

In past years, a marathon was the primary event held during the series of races in Vegas. But this time, that race has been eliminated, as there will only be a half marathon, a 10K and a 5K taking place this weekend. The 5K is set for Saturday, followed by both the half marathon and 10K on Sunday.

This is also the first time the Rock 'n' Roll Running Series is happening in February, rather than its traditional dates in November. With the Raiders now in town, it was easier to schedule the event for after the NFL season concluded.

Here's everything else you need to know about the 2022 Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Running Series. 

2022 Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Info

When: Saturday, Feb. 26 and Sunday, Feb. 27

5K Start Time: Saturday at 5 p.m. PT

10K and Half Marathon Start Time: Sunday at 4:30 p.m. PT

Course Maps: Available on RunRockNRoll.com

Road Closures: A list of road closures can be found at RTCSNV.com

The Las Vegas Marathon had a history that dated back to 1967. And while the course changed over the years, it was held on an annual basis until the 2020 and 2021 editions of the race were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the other races (the half marathon, 10K and 5K) and the weekend festivities have returned, the marathon did not. That decision was made because the 26.2-mile course took runners off the Las Vegas Strip, which made it challenging to navigate in the dark. But that isn't an issue for the 13.1-mile half marathon course.

"We have worked hard in past years to find the best possible 26.2 miles surrounding the Las Vegas Strip, however, despite our best efforts, the marathon courses we have been able to provide have not lived up to the high expectations we set for ourselves or what our participants deserve," said Elizabeth O'Brien, managing director of North America for Rock 'n' Roll, per Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Many marathons, half marathons and other races take place in the morning. But the Las Vegas event has traditionally occurred at night, which allows the runners to enjoy the great nighttime views that the Las Vegas Strip offers to tourists.

Other parts of Las Vegas will also be utilized. Saturday's 5K is taking place in Downtown Las Vegas, as runners will begin at Las Vegas Boulevard and Carson Ave., then finish at the end of the Fremont Street Experience.

Participants in Sunday's half marathon and 10K will head to the Start Village, which will be located behind Planet Hollywood at East Harmon Ave. and Audrie St. Both races will conclude on Las Vegas Boulevard at The Mirage, although the half marathon runners will have covered more ground before getting there.

Along the way, the participants in the races will get to experience all the sights and sounds of Las Vegas, which isn't something they've been able to do in this type of format since 2019.

So even though the marathon has been eliminated, the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Running Series will still be a unique event that should provide plenty of fun and enjoyment, although only the shorter races remain.

The New York City Marathon is returning to full capacity for the first time since 2019. 

New York Road Runners, the non-profit organization that operates the marathon, announced on Thursday this year's event will feature 50,000 runners. All participants are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

New York City mayor Eric Adams issued a statement in the official announcement (via the Associated Press): 

"Every year, runners from all over the world come to New York City because there's no better race than the New York City Marathon. This race is the strongest proof of New York's unrelenting spirit and determination, and we are proud to announce that, this year, we'll be back at full capacity."

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the New York City Marathon. Participants were required to follow a series of rules, including wearing face coverings on their way to the starting area, at the starting area and in the post-finish area. 

All runners were also required to show proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or a negative test within 48 hours of the date of the race. 

The field only consisted of 25,010 runners. The 2020 marathon was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The AP noted runners who were supposed to take part in the 2020 race were given the option of competing in 2021, 2022 or 2023. The field will also be determined by an entry drawing from the New York Road Runners that will open in March. 

Runners who enroll via charities and fundraising associated with NYRR will also have the opportunity to take part in this year's event. 

Kenya's Albert Korir won the 2021 NYC men's marathon with a time of two hours, eight minutes and 22 seconds. Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya) posted the fastest time among women (2:22.39). Zackary Harris from New York had the fastest time among non-binary runners in the field (3:09.09). 

The 2022 New York City Marathon will take place on Nov. 6. The 26.2-mile race traditionally begins in Staten Island, goes through all five boroughs and finishes in Central Park.     

Mike Chesire and Leslie Sexton raced their way to victories at the 2021 Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday.

Chesire finished with a time of 2:13:28 to defeat Dylan Gearinger, who had led the race at the 30-kilometer mark. Donald Cowart, Ashenafi Ketema Birhana and Lyle O'Brien rounded out the top five for the men's side.

Sexton turned in a dominant performance to finish the marathon in 2:28:34, more than two minutes ahead of Lexie Thompson. She led the race at the 10K, halfway and 30K marks on her way to victory.

Hirut Guangul, Kerry Allen and Pamela Cherotich rounded out the top five on the women's side.

The Philadelphia Marathon was being held for the first time since 2019 after the 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chesire is the first American man to win the event since 2014. His time of 2:13:28 broke an all-time record that was previously held by Tadesse Dabi (2018). 

Sexton is the first Canadian to capture the Philly Marathon since 2005. 

Two years after finishing second, John Korir bounced back to win the 2021 Los Angeles Marathon with a time of two hours, 12 minutes and 48 seconds.

Natasha Cockram was the top women's finisher in Los Angeles on Sunday, crossing the finish line in two hours, 33 minutes and 17 seconds.

It was both competitors' first time winning this event, although John's brother, Wesley Korir, is a two-time winner of the Los Angeles Marathon.

John Korir led the field in 2019 before Elisha Barno passed him in the final 150 meters for the win, per Scott Reid of the Los Angeles Daily News.

On Sunday, Korir again made his move to the front and built an 88-second lead by Mile 23. This time, the 24-year-old Kenyan was able to stay in front and pull out the victory.

In the women's race, it looked like a two-person battle between Cockram and Antonina Kwambai. The two were in front of the pack for much of the race until Kwambai started to show fatigue:

Cockram took advantage and pulled away from the field for one of the biggest victories of her career.

The Welsh competitor finished just three minutes shy of a personal best that she set at the London Marathon.    

Albert Korir and Peres Jepchirchir, both of Kenya, won the men's and women's races respectively at the New York Marathon on Sunday.

Korir won in an unofficial time of two hours, eight minutes and 22 seconds, comfortably besting Morocco's Mohamed El Aaraby and Italy's Eyob Faniel after passing them in the 18th mile.

The women's race had more drama, however, as Jepchirchir won with an unofficial time of two hours, 22 minutes and 39 seconds after surpassing Kenya's Viola Cheptoo and Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh in the final mile of the race. 

It was Korir's first win since the 2019 Ottawa Race Weekend Marathon, and the 27-year-old's first World Marathon Majors triumph. 

"It was not an easy race, but I enjoyed it," Korir told reporters.

Jepchirchir, 28, won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

"After I won the Olympic marathon, I was not expecting to win [in New York], but I prepared well and I'm so pleased, so happy," she said on the ESPN2 broadcast after the event.

Molly Seidel, who placed fourth in the women's race, was the top finisher from the United States. 

Switzerland's Marcel Hug (1:31:24) and Australia's Madison de Rozario won the men's and women's wheelchair divisions, respectively.

Nearly 30,000 runners—a 40 percent reduction from the 2019 event—participated in Sunday's marathon after it took a one-year hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After being canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 50th running of the New York City marathon made a triumphant return Sunday as more than 30,000 athletes wove their way 26.2 miles through the city's five boroughs.

Sunday's competition kicked off with the wheelchair races at 8 a.m. ET, followed soon after by the open women's professional race (8:40 a.m.) and the open men's (9:05 a.m.). Then, the first wave of the rest of the field started at 9:10 a.m.

Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's wheelchair race in 1:31:24, which was good for the fifth-fastest time in event history. He finished more than six minutes ahead of the next competitor, a historic blowout.

Madison de Rozario of Australia won the women's wheelchair race in 1:51:01, approximately two minutes faster than Tatyana McFadden.

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya was the women's race winner, finishing in 2:22:39, the third-fastest time in race history.

Albert Korir of Kenya won the men's race in 2:08:22, which puts him among the 20 fastest finishers in race history.

Full results can be viewed on the New York Road Runners website.

New York City Marathon Winners

Men's wheelchair race: Marcel Hug, 1:31:24

Women's wheelchair race: Madison de Rozario, 1:51:01

Women's race: Peres Jepchirchir, 2:22:39

Men's race: Albert Korir, 2:08:22

After five kilometers, Danish runner Thijs Nijhuis had gone 15:26, a 2:10 pace. Nijhuis was relatively unknown, having finished 70th at the Olympic marathon.

Through 23 miles, Viola Cheptoo and Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia were in a tight race for first place, while Molly Seidel of the United States was tracking about 43 seconds behind them in fourth. By mile 25, American Kellyn Taylor was in fifth.

Seidel did indeed finish as the top American in 2:24:42, more than a minute faster than the fastest American women's time in the New York City marathon.

Elkanah Kibet was the top finisher for the men, in 02:11:15.

The course records are 2:05:06 for men, set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011, and 2:22:31 for women (Margaret Okayo, 2003).

The winners of the men's and women's races earn $100,000 and the top American finishers (Seidel and Kibet) get a cool $25,000.

In a nod to the 50th anniversary of the race, if any runner had broken Mutai or Okayo's records, they would have earned a $50,000 bonus. Jepchirchir's winning time of 2:22:39 was just eight seconds shy of the 18-year-old record.

One of the angles of interest heading into the race was Zac Clark, who was a contestant on the 16th season of The Bachelorette and got engaged to Tayshia Adams. A seven-time marathon runner, Clark ran the marathon with Adams; the two trained together in Central Park.

Clark was outfitted by Reebok for the race and wore the Reebok Floatride Energy 3. Reebok donated pairs of Floatride to the 50-plus runners running on behalf of Clark's foundation, Release Recovery Foundation, which he co-founded to offer resources to people recovering from addiction.

The largest marathon in the world is back. For the first time in two years, runners will traverse the streets of New York City and take in all the Big Apple has to offer. And this year's event will be even more special.

After the NYC Marathon was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, it returns Sunday for its 50th running. The field has been limited to 33,000, but it should still be an entertaining race that lives up to the hype.

"When I think about this year, I will be excited, I'll be energized," NYC Marathon race director Ted Metellus said, per Jake Seiner of the Associated Press. "But I also realize how much it means to everybody else in the city."

Here's everything you need to know heading into the return of the New York City Marathon.

2021 New York City Marathon Information

When: Sunday, Nov. 7

Start Time: 8 a.m. ET

TV Coverage: 8:30-11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2

Starting location: Staten Island

Course map: Available on NYRR.org

Runners who participate in the NYC Marathon get to see a ton of the city's landmarks, with the 26.2-mile course taking them through a handful of boroughs. After starting in Staten Island, they will trek through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, where they will reach the finish line at Central Park.

While the event gets underway at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, that's not when every runner takes off. First, the professional wheelchair division racers will get started, followed by the handcycle category and select athletes with disabilities (8:22 a.m. ET), the professional women's open division (8:40 a.m. ET) and the professional men's open division (9:05 a.m. ET).

At that point, the rest of the field will begin in five waves at the following times (all ET): 9:10 a.m., 9:55 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 11:20 a.m. and noon.

With the NYC Marathon being such a big event, there will be street, road and bridge closures throughout the day. A full list of those can be found at CentralPark.com.

The smaller field of runners isn't the only change made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All participants have to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from within 48 hours of the race.

It's been a while since a record time was set at the NYC Marathon. The men's mark is held by Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai, who finished in two hours, five minutes and five seconds in 2011. The women's record of 2:22:31 was set by Kenya's Margaret Okayo in 2003.

Among the notable runners in this year's field is 27-year-old American Molly Seidel, who won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year.

"I'm looking forward to the crowds, getting to have that energy again," Seidel said, per Seiner. "And I don't know, I mean, this is my dream job, every time I get to go out and do a marathon."

Seidel won't be the only Olympic medalist in the field, though, as several others will be competing. That includes Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, who won gold in the women's marathon in Tokyo. On the men's side, one of the top competitors will be Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, a four-time Olympic medalist.

And it wouldn't be the NYC Marathon without celebrities in the field. Among the famous participants are former NFL running back Tiki Barber, a group of U.S. women's national soccer alumnae (Abby Wambach, Lauren Holiday, Kate Markgraf and Leslie Osborne), Marcus Mumford and Ben Lovett of the band Mumford & Sons and Nev Schulman.