For the third time in ten years, San Francisco's naked-est, drunkenest footrace has lost its sponsor. Redwood City-based Zazzle, which specializes in printed t-shirts and accessories, has pulled out of sponsoring Bay to Breakers after failing to reach agreeable terms with race organizers, as Matier & Ross are reporting.
The race requires about $1 million to be put on each year, and Zazzle's marquee sponsorship was estimated to be around half that. They signed on for a two-year deal in 2011 after former sponsor of five years, ING, bowed out. Prior to that, Albertson's had sponsored the race from 2003-2005. Former SF Examiner owner, billionaire Philip Anschutz, still takes responsibility for Bay to Breakers under his Anschutz Entertainment Group.
Thus, whether organizers find a sponsor or not in the next couple months, the 102nd running of the race will go on on May 19.
[Chron]
