Swim: Bay to Breakers
Bay to Breakers is a very popular running event, usually held in mid-May in San Francisco. It’s a seven mile run across town from the Ferry building to Ocean Beach. Some people take it seriously, but for most it’s a colorful fun-run in costume.
There’s a much less popular swimming version of this. Bay to Breakers by water. Jumping in at the Bay Bridge and swimming out past Alcatraz, under the Golden Gate Bridge, past Mile Rock, and then making the precarious entry through the surf at Ocean Beach.
The swim is over 10 miles, and the water temperature in May is still usually only in the mid 50s. But there’s usually one big factor working in your favor…. current… lots of it, running at 4kts out of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Swim: Extra Alcatraz
Sometimes people are looking for a little extra. So we jump at the north end of the island and swim along the picturesque shoreline to the south tip before making the crossing.