Spring is in full swing, and Bay to Breakers 2026 is happening this Sunday. Here’s how to partake in the weekend’s festivities while navigating street closures and bus detours.
San Francisco’s signature Bay to Breakers race, which is over 100 years old, plays host to more than 30,000 participants each year, as SFGate reports. The race attracts even more spectators — an estimated 100,000, who line the 7.5-mile route cheering on serious runners and costumed (or nude) participants alike, amid a backdrop of pop-up dance parties.
FunCheapSF has info on all the events and logistics surrounding the race, including officially signing up, with the caveat that there's nothing stopping participants from simply joining in somewhere along the route for free.
The race begins Sunday at 8 am downtown at Howard and Main streets and ends at the finish line at Great Highway with a festival featuring live music and a beer garden.
For those needing to make pit stops along the way, be sure to bookmark the late Joe Kukura’s Bay to Breakers Liquor Store 2025 map, as well as his guide from last year. Joe’s memorial is also Sunday, as Bay to Breakers was his favorite day of the year.
According to SFGate, street closures for the event begin Saturday evening and continue through Sunday, with staggered shutdowns across downtown and the waterfront. Early closures start around the starting line area near Howard Street and surrounding intersections, expanding overnight into nearby streets including Main, Spear, and portions of Mission and Market.
On race day Sunday, additional rolling closures affect streets along the course, including sections of Beale, Fremont, First, Second, New Montgomery, and larger stretches of Howard and Mission as the race progresses through the city. By late morning, closures extend further west and north into Hayes Valley, the Western Addition, and surrounding neighborhoods, per SFGate.
Near the finish area by Ocean Beach, major streets including Balboa, Cabrillo, Fulton, Lincoln Way, and Point Lobos are closed for most of Sunday, from early morning through mid-afternoon.
Transit will also be significantly affected, with Muni service disrupted across much of the course area, according to SFMTA, which advises those not participating to avoid impacted zones entirely.
SFGate reports that SFMTA is adding extra service on the 5R, 18, 28, and N Judah lines to help manage demand, but riders should expect crowding and delays on parallel routes, including the N Judah, 5, 28, 29, and 31.
Several bus lines that cross the race will see partial or full disruptions, and riders will be required to walk between segments, including the 14, 14R, 19, 22, 24, 27, 33, and 43.
Additional changes include the 30 and 45 skipping SoMa, and the 49 detouring near the race route, and the 6, 7, 9, 14, 49, and KLM Owl lines will only operate as far as Market, 10th, or 11th streets.
BART is running early service Sunday, encouraging participants to use special trains that will reach Embarcadero Station by 7 am, while Caltrain is running two early-morning special trains from Palo Alto and San Jose Diridon with limited stops, per SFGate.
SFMTA notes that a full list of reroutes is available on its website and encourages riders to use 311 for trip planning support or sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email.
Previously: A 2025 Bay to Breakers Preview for People Who Plan to Be Partying
Image: Joe Kukura/SFist
