Cooper River Bridge Run

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The Cooper River Bridge Run is a 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) one-way road race that crosses the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from Mount Pleasant to Charleston, South Carolina. It typically takes place on the first Saturday in April and is the only USA Track & Field elite event in South Carolina. By finishers, it is one of the largest 10K races in the United States.

The race began in 1978, conceived by medical professional Dr. Marcus Newberry to encourage fitness in the Charleston area. Local groups joined the effort, and legislation allowed the event to use a lane on the Silas Pearman Bridge for the course. The first race started at Patriots Point and finished at White Point Gardens in Charleston. It was shortened slightly to about 9.85 kilometers, with 766 finishers, more than expected on a hot day when there were no water stops.

Kenyan runners soon dominated the event, beginning in the early 1980s. Because of concerns over heat and church services on Easter weekend, the date was shifted in 1979 to the last Saturday in March, and a water stop was added. Over the years the finish line and course moved as the area’s bridges and roads changed. The race has grown from a few hundred entrants to tens of thousands, and it has introduced multiple timing systems, including transponder timing in 1997 and later bib timing.

The event has seen a number of notable moments. There have been start delays caused by bus collisions, incidents with “bandit” runners, and even a few controversies over early starts in elite races. The course has undergone many changes to accommodate new bridges and city construction. In 2000 the course was overhauled, and after the opening of the Ravenel Bridge, significant adjustments were made in 2006, including a finish at Marion Square in Charleston and a finish festival there. Since then the race has used a wave start system to ease crowding and has continued to refine the route and logistics.

participation has varied over the years. The event has drawn elite international runners and well-known personalities, including Oprah Winfrey (racing under a pseudonym) in 1994, Bill Murray firing the cannon in 1997, and public figures like Governor Mark Sanford and family taking part in 2011. The 2000s and 2010s brought larger fields and more sophisticated timing and pacing systems. In 2012 the race drew about 36,652 finishers, with women making up a majority of finishers that year.

There was no race in 2020 due to the pandemic. The 43rd running occurred on September 25, 2021, and the 44th took place on April 2, 2022. The current participant cap is 44,000, making the Cooper River Bridge Run a major spring event for runners, walkers, and spectators alike.