Local Merchant Runs Bay to Breakers for the 10th Time

Running Bay 2 Breakers is an annual tradition for one Mountain View couple.

Lee Hester and his wife, Connie, will run the famed raced for the 10th year this Sunday and take part in the race's 100th anniversary. The duo, who started running in 2001 when both were 40, also use the race as a way to mark their anniversary and Connie's birthday.

Hester fears this might be the race's last year, because of the expense to execute it, and he's sad he may not beat his previous record.

"In previous years, I have tried to get a personal best, time wise," he said. "This year, I don't think it's in the cards, as I just don't have the time to devote to the training like I should."

Hester has, in the past, finished Bay to Breakers in under an hour. But this year, running has taken up a lot of his time, and he's been unable to run every day.

"If you want to get fast, you need to run every day," Hester said. "You've got to do hills, distance and speed. I run three times a week, casually, and I'm nowhere near my peak. Also, as you get closer to your peak, you get closer to injury, so I am a little wary of that."

This year, however, Hester turns 50, and that means, "a finish under an hour would give me a high placement in my age group."

For Hester, the race holds a lot of meaning, despite the fact that there's no prize money at the end. For him, it's about pushing himself and testing his limits.

"If I work hard in the store, I can make some money and hopefully make a living. The store should win out," he said. "But part of me still wishes that I were making a push for a personal best at Bay to Breakers."