99th Bay To Breakers: A Battle Of “Diaper Dandies”

The top contenders are all 24 years old or younger.

The 99th Bay to Breakers 12K road race will take place Sunday in San Francisco. More than 60,000 runners are expected to participate. Ninety-nine years. Sixty thousand runners. Those are some big numbers!

If you want small numbers, check out the ages of the African runners who are expected to dominate the podium. Sammy Kitwara of Kenya is the returning champion and is only 23 years old. Last year he recorded the smallest number ever in a 12K road race, setting a new world record of 33:31. Ethopian Tilahun Regassa, now 20, finished second last year and is also back.

Among the top contenders in the women’s race, Lineth Chepkurui of Kenya, is 22 years old and just set a pending 12K world record of 38:10 at the Bloomsday road race. She should get a strong fight from her relatively ancient countrywoman Emily Chebet, 24, who won the World Cross Country Championship in March.

The top Americans in the field are Scott Bauhs and Magdalena Lewy-Boulet.