Dracker, Vargas Lead San Rafael Finishers in Bay to Breakers

Matthew Dracker of San Rafael covered the 12-kilometer Zazzle Bay to Breakers course in 46 minutes, 57 seconds on Sunday to take 22nd in the men's 20-29 age group and 147th overall in the famed footrace across San Francisco.

San Rafael resident Fausto Vargas finished in 48 minutes and 37 seconds to take 37th place in the men's masters division and 201st overall.

Also earning a top-100 finish within his age group was San Rafael's Omar Benavides, taking 75th among the 30-39 group at 49 minutes and 37 seconds, good for 267th overall.

Close on Benavides heels was San Rafel resident Armando Rodriguez, who earned 76th in the 30-39 age group and 270th place over at 49 minutes and 40 seconds.

Hector Tejeda of San Rafael made it to the top 500 overall, taking 430th with his time of 52 minutes and 23 seconds, earning him 81st among men aged 40-49.

More than 50,000 runners and walkers blanketed the streets of San Francisco for the 101st Bay to Breakers race. Professional runners and jovial amateurs alike started out on the 7.46-mile course from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach just before 7 a.m.

Teams of contestants in gold disco shorts, bumble bee outfits, tutus and more revealing costumes made their way west past Alamo Square and through the Panhandle.

Despite a ban on drinking that went into effect at last year's Bay to Breakers, alcohol appeared to be openly and widely consumed along the race route. As of 11 a.m., police had arrested one contestant for public intoxication and resisting arrest, according to the San Francisco Police Department. Officers had also given out eight citations for carrying open containers and possession of marijuana, police said.

According to preliminary results, an Ethiopian woman was the first runner to cross the finish line Manitu Daska, 28 — last year's second fastest woman — was the first to finish the course with a time of 39:03, race spokeswoman Stephanie Reichin said. Daska will take home a $37,000 cash prize for first place, Reichin said.

The second runner to cross the finish line was Sammy Kitwara, 25, of Kenya. Kitwara's course time was 34 minutes and 41 seconds, but a time "equalizer" that allows the women's field to start the race about 4 minutes and 30 seconds before the men put him across the finish line just seconds behind Daska, Reichin said.

The equalizer is the difference between the course record for the best men's time and the record for the best women's time, Reichin said.

The second fastest runner in the men's field was Allan Kiprono, 22, of Kenya, who finished the race in 34:49.

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– Bay City News Service contributed to this report.