11 arrested at annual Bay to Breakers run in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco police arrested 11 people during this year's Bay to Breakers run, a major footrace more known for colorful costumes and overconsumption than finish times.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1A9uYeE ) that police operated five alcohol checkpoints along the 7.46-mile course. About 50,000 people participated in the footrace starting downtown and finishing at Ocean Beach.

The race is a fun affair, with elite runners finishing in less than an hour but most participants taking a leisurely stroll. Police issued citations for public drunkenness, failure to disperse, resisting arrest and fighting to some participants and spectators, but posed for photos with others.

Race organizers said they were trying to accommodate the raucous crowd by adding more portable toilets, trash collectors and beds in sobering centers, for revelers to nap off the event.

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Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com