Bay to Breakers 2012 Results: Mamitu Daska, Sammy Kitwara Win Cross-City Race

Kenya's Sammy Kitwara finished with the best time at the 101st running of the Zazzle Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco on Sunday, posting a time of 34:40.5 in the 12k contest.

On a beautiful San Francisco morning, Kitwara finished 17 seconds before his nearest competitor, Allan Kiprono of Kenya.

Direba Merga, Lani Kiplagat and Tesfaye Sendeku rounded out the men's top five. 

However, Kitwara wasn't exactly thrilled with his victory, as he wasn't the first competitor to cross the finish line, thus failing to grab the $25,000 prize that accompanies the feat. Ethiopian Mamitu Daska crossed the finish line first, with a time of 39:02.4, as the women start before the men at the race due to a gender equalizer system.

Kitwara shouldn't hang his head, though, as he still holds the course-record time of 33:31, which he set in 2009. The 25-year-old Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in road running, has won the event three times in the last four years. The only time he hasn't won the race was when he didn't compete in 2010 because he couldn't fit it into his schedule.

The Kenyan did win the $7,000 prize that comes along with winning the men's field. He collected another $5,000 because he was the first male runner to cross Hayes Street Hill.

After the race, Kitwara jokingly said this: "If I could, I’d tell you what I’d do with $25,000."

The race starts at Howard and Beale streets then makes its way to the final stretch on the Great Highway at Ocean Beach. Some 40,000 competitors signed on the participate this year and had to endure high temperatures and brutal hills all throughout the winding course.

Just under 7.5 miles in 34:40 is quite a feat, as some people find it hard to walk from the couch to the fridge. 

Americans Meb Keflezighi, Brian Harvey, Steve Murdock and Daniel Filipcik finished in sixth, seventh, eighth and 10th, respectively.

Many competitors who ran in the race participated in the costume contest. Prizes are awarded in five categories: The Be-Zazzled Costume (most innovative use of the letter "Z"), the best overall individual costume, the iCostume (best play on technology), the most creative individual and the most creative group.