A-B
Back of the Pack, noun, a special section for walkers, striders and families who want to participate, but want to walk the course leisurely. This group has a special meeting area near the Ferry Building. Established in 1990.

Breakers KGO 810 Team, noun, a special fun run team of 810 runners sponsored by KGO Newstalk AM 810. A KGO on air personality runs with the pack. Began in 1991.

C-D
Centipede, noun, 13 human runners, with a total of 26 feet run linked together. Costumed or competitive, the World Centipede Championships started at the Examiner Bay to Breakers in 1978.

City on the Loose, adjective, see also Mardi Gras in May. AKA Moveable Block Party.

Conservatory of Flowers, noun, a beautiful greenhouse of flowers at home in Golden Gate Park along the race course. Site of the Southwest Airlines Costume Contest.

Corporate Challenge, noun, a division of 3,000 participants from various Bay Area corporations running as teams behind the sub-seeded section. Began in 1991.

Costume Contest, noun, a contest for all costumed runners near the Conservatory of Flowers just past the 4 mile mark in Golden Gate Park. Sponsored by Southwest Airlines and broadcast on KPIX 5. The Examiner Bay to Breakers is the only athletic event in the country where intense training is eclipsed by deciding what to wear.

Costumed Runner, noun, for some reason runners run in costume in the Examiner Bay to Breakers. Some runners are known to come unattired. Political statements often made.

Cross City Race, noun, original name of the Examiner Bay to Breakers. See also Examiner Bay to Breakers.

Drawbridge, noun, To ensure the safety and integrity of the starting line, volunteers dressed in the same color race windbreakers link arms and block entrance to the race from the side streets. The Drawbridge lines the course at key intersections.

E-F
Elite Athletes, noun, world class athletes from around the globe who are invited by race organizers to participate.

Examiner Bay to Breakers, noun, annual rite of Spring in San Francisco where as many as 100,000 participants run through the streets of San Francisco starting at San Francisco Bay and running to the Breakers of the Pacific Ocean. Held every third Sunday in May. Sponsored by the San Francisco Examiner newspaper, publisher Tim White. Presented by The Examiner since 1966, however, the race has been a Bay Area tradition since 1912. Costumed participants and human centipedes are the hallmarks of this event.

Expo, noun, a two day exposition of health and fitness exhibitors held the Friday and Saturday before the race.

Footstock, noun, a party, a celebration with awards ceremony, massive T-shirt distribution and live concert. Located at the Polo Field in Golden Gate Park. A cool down, party down event for 100,000 runners and their friends.

Fun Runner, noun, a participant running or strolling the course just for fun of it.

G-H
Golden Gate Park, noun, is where the race ends and the party begins.

Hayes Street Hill, noun, the notorious one hill on the course occurring at the 2.5 mile mark. The hill makes or breaks the lead runners.

Human Wall, noun, conceived by Len Wallach, an Army major and former Breakers course coordinator with a knack for maintaining order without spoiling the party atmosphere. The Human Wall consists of two hundred swift, burly volunteers who link arms roller derby style to separate the elite athletes from the masses protecting the athletes from a rough start. The Human Wall volunteers must qualify as seeded runners.

I-J
"I Survived" T-shirt, noun, The official Examiner Bay to Breakers t-shirt wiht an imprint that only finishers of the 12K trek receive. Available to registered runners only.

K-L
Largest Footrace in the World, noun, the Guinness Book of World Records documents the May 18, 1986 Examiner Bay to Breakers as the world's largest footrace when more than 110,000 runners participated.

M-N
Mardi Gras in May, noun, see Examiner Bay to Breakers. AKA Madness in May.

Marketplace, noun, a pavilion of food, beverages and picnic fixings for runners attending the post-race festival.

Masters, noun, runners 40 years and older.

Mile Markers, noun, horizontal and vertical banners strung across city streets designating mile points along the course.

O-P
Pace Car, noun, a car, bearing a large digital clock leads the pack down the course.

Painted Ladies, noun, the string of pastel Victorian homes lining Alamo Square Park on Hayes Street Hill. The painted ladies have come to signify San Francisco to the nation as has the Golden Gate Bridge.

Palace Guard, noun, a cadre of swift male runners that run with the fastest women to prevent them from being jostled by the pack.

Pasta Party, noun, an event where more than 3,000 participants carbo load the night before the race on pasta. Sponsored by Hyatt Regency San Francisco.

Q-R
Race Central, noun, The Breakers timing operation inconspicuously located in a trailer at the Finish Line.

S-T
Seeded Division, noun, a section devoted to competitive runners and world class athletes who qualify to run the race at specifically stated fast times. The seeded section lines up at the very front of the race and is limited to 350 athletes. Twenty of the very best athletes are considered elite and run in front of the seeded runners.

Sub-seeded Division, noun, a section of entrants who are serious runners who qualify at times just under those of the seeded division. This division begins the race just behind the seeded section.

Top Ten-Thousand, noun, the list of the top 10,000 finishers listed in the souvenir edition of the San Francisco Examiner the day after the race.

Tortoise and Hare, noun(s), the official logo of the Examiner Bay to Breakers signifying the spirit of the race as an event for the plodding, steadfast tortoise and the athletic, swift hare.

Twelve Kilometers or 12K, noun, a distance used as a name of a type of race. A 7.46 mile race. The length of the Breakers run.

U-V
USAT&F, noun, acronym for the United States of America Track and Field association formerly known as The Athletics Congress (TAC), the formal sanctioning body of track and field events in America.

W-X
Water Stations, noun, water stops to serve the thirsty runners at various points along the race. Alpine Spring water served by Crystal Geyser Water Company.

Windmill, noun, Queen Wilhelmina's tulip garden and windmill greets runners in Golden Gate Park as they make their way to the Finish Line.

Y-Z
Zebra, noun, kind of wild horse patterned in stripes of black or dark brown and white. They are prohibited to participate in Breakers, unless it has written permission from parent. Contact us at badjokes@examiner.com for more information.