Cooper River Bridge Run
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The Cooper River Bridge Run is a 10-kilometer (6.2 mi) one-way
The 42nd annual Bridge Run held in April 2019 was the last annual race. Two Bridge Runs were held within six months of each other, the 43rd on September 25, 2021, and the 44th on April 2, 2022. There was no race in 2020 as scheduling logistics precluded an attempt at a summer race even though road races had resumed in the state by June.
History
In the mid-1970s,
South Carolina state senator Dewey Wise introduced legislation to permit the event to be held over the reversible lane on the three-lane Silas Pearman Bridge.
On April 2, 1978, the initial race began from Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant to the White Point Gardens in Charleston's
Following complaints from heat exhaustion and also from area churches (While Charleston County has some Blue Laws exceptions in Charleston County in deference to the Jewish community, churches on the course complained about the Bridge Run taking place while church services took place), the 1979 event was moved to the last Saturday in March, where it would be held until 1985. One water stop at the terminus of the bridge was added. (Four water stops were on the 2005 course.) The finish line moved to the campus of the College of Charleston. Over 1,350 were entered, with over 1,000 finishing. The 1979 event, the first at 10,000 meters, was the first South Carolina running event with over 1,000 participants. The 1980 finish ended in a tie.
Two consecutive Bridge Runs (1986 and 1987) were marred by illegal runners. In 1986, between 300 and 500 runners did not make the start, which had been delayed 30 minutes because of a vehicular collision on the Pearman Bridge (the only access to the start line) between two shuttle buses carrying runners to the start and an automobile 70 minutes before the scheduled start. They ran down the Pearman, through the cut between the two bridges, and started their run midway through the course, on the Grace.
In 1987, with unusually cold temperatures (start temperature was 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4c) with wind gusts from 20-35 MPH (32–55 km/h), runners kept their warmups instead of displaying their bibs. Officials estimated about 10% of the nearly 7,000 runners who crossed the finish lines were illegal, or "bandit", runners. The bandits were allowed to cross the finish line because officials could not distinguish who was legitimate and who was not.
In 1989, elite runners were warming up ahead of the start line on SC 703 when the cannon fired. Grete Waitz's record time was disallowed, but she was allowed to keep the win, when she was caught ahead of the start line at the cannon.
The 1995 event was the first time over 10,000 runners participated, and women made up over 3,000 of the runners, the first time in North or South Carolina where over 3,000 women finished in a running event.
Transponder timing was instituted in 1997. The 2005-2008 races featured a permanent transponder which the runner could keep was implemented. A D-Tag timing system was used from 2009–10, and from 2011, transponder tags were affixed to competitors' bibs.
The total Bridge Run and Walk participants in 2004 was 29,930. Females accounted for 45.1% of finishers.
In 2012, logistical problems (only one shuttle bus entry point) led to over 10,000 runners being stuck on the shuttle buses on the Ravenel's northbound lanes (which the course uses) where officials could not close the bridge until 7:45 AM, 15 minutes before the scheduled start. The race was delayed to an 8:19 start time for the wheelchair division and an 8:59 start for the elite runners as result.
The last run on the Pearman in 2005 had a 42,000 runner and walker cap (25,000 runners, 17,000 walkers) for 2005, but many did not appear because of inclement weather which marred the start. The current limit is 44,000. The 2012 race featured 36,652 finishers, women dominated with 59.45% (21,789 F vs 14,917 M) of runners.
Course and event changes
The scheduled start time was 10 AM in 1978, 9 AM from 1979 until 1982, 8:30 AM in 1983 until 1986, and 8 AM until 2019. Two unusual start delays caused by the unfamiliar course moved the 1984 start to 9 AM.
The
In 1983, the Grace Bridge run added a second uphill climb on the Crosstown Overpass connecting the Grace Bridge to US Highway 17 and
Road construction near Market Street in Charleston forced a slight rerouting in 1986, when the Bridge Run was moved to its present date in April unless Easter fell on that weekend.
With entrants exceeding 8,500 and a new 7,000 meter walk added, totaling over 10,000 participants, and tighter restrictions on weight on the Grace Bridge, in 1995 officials returned the Bridge Run to the Pearman bridge, with all three lanes being used, as traffic to Charleston could now be diverted to the Don N. Holt Bridge near Daniel Island on Interstate 526, which had opened in 1992. A new start line on SC 703 near Live Oak Street was positioned with runners passing Coming, Line, King, Market, and Meeting at Marion Square. With congestion becoming a concern, a year later officials moved back the finish to the corner of Meeting and Calhoun in Marion Square, resulting in a corresponding move back of the start on SC 703.
In 2000, the Bridge Run course went through a complete overhaul with the start further back on SC 703 near the shopping center, giving runners a 3,000 meter run on SC 703 before joining the walkers at the foot of the first span of the Pearman, then crossing the Crosstown Overpass, King Street, Calhoun Street, and finishing at Alexander. The course eliminated the use of Meeting Street, which had been used as the primary street in the past. This course would be used until 2005, when the Pearman and Grace bridges closed.
In 2003, a youth event was held on the Friday at Hampton Park to expand the festivities.
Major alterations to the course were necessary for 2006 as
The start line was slightly moved but remains near the shopping center, and proceeds on SC 703 for 3,000 meters before approaching the northbound exit ramp to SC 703 (run southbound, towards Charleston, the opposite direction of normal vehicular traffic), with the runners proceeding on the
Two potential forms of cheating near the finish were dealt with using fencing at Marion Square at King Street (the finish festival site), and a sponsor parking a tractor-trailer at the intersection of Meeting and John to force runners to make the turn back to King. Furthermore, the live bands which play at the finish festival will be heard twice, as runners pass through Marion Square the first time on King Street, and after crossing the finish line and cooling down.
Concerns over bottlenecking by walkers on course who entered the bridge walk at the 3,000 meter mark on Coleman Boulevard at Patriots Point (the original start line) and the
Another rule change in 2006 required runners to be seeded by time; elite and invited runners were ahead, then runners in the under 40 minute category, then 40-50, 50-60, past one hour, and walkers. The main goal was to prevent certain bottlenecking, although some bottlenecking did take place at the start line because of the transponder timing system.
The 2006 event also debuted the wheelchair category as a competitive event; twelve wheelchair and crankchair athletes competed in the event, which started at 7:30 AM.
For 2010 the turn from Meeting to King was changed from John Street to Wolfe Street, and to allow the bars to have bands perform.
Starting with the 2011 event, a wave start system is utilized to better handle crowding in the Mount Pleasant.
Competitors
Initially, the race attracted national-level runners. Benji Durden, whose opportunity to make the Olympic team was denied by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, won the first run. Frank Shorter and Ruth Wysocki ran in the early 1980s and Olympians Mark Conover and Janis Klecker were participants in the early 1990s. The race has featured top level international competitors, including Olympic medalists Grete Waitz, Catherine Ndereba, and Elana Meyer.
Outside of elite runners, the run has also featured people prominent in other cultural spheres. Television personality
Past winners
Key: Course record Short course
Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (m:s) | Women's winner | Time (m:s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 1978 | Benji Durden (USA) | 30:22 | Lisa Lorrain (USA) | 39:39 |
2nd | 1979 | Avery Goode (USA) | 32:55 | Marty Long (USA) | 40:10 |
3rd | 1980 | Kim Burke (USA) Steve Littleton (USA) |
31:26 | Michele Moore (USA) | 41:29 |
4th | 1981 | Marc Embler (USA) | 30:54 | Kiki Sweigart (USA) | 35:10 |
5th | 1982 | Mark Donahue (USA) | 30:28 | Sallie Driggers (USA) | 37:21 |
6th | 1983 | David Branch (USA) | 29:28 | Mary Copeland (USA) | 38:09 |
7th | 1984 | David Branch (USA) | 29:25 | Brenda Webb (USA) | 34:09 |
8th | 1985 | Mike O'Reilly (IRL) | 29:28 | Christina Cahill (GBR)
|
34:08 |
9th | 1986 | Hans Koeleman (NED) | 29:29 | Lesley Lehane (USA) | 33:37 |
10th | 1987 | Paul Cummings (USA) | 30:19 | Mary Ellen McGowan (USA) | 34:31 |
11th | 1988 | Ashley Johnson (USA) | 29:56 | Carla Borovicka (USA) | 34:38 |
12th | 1989 | Ashley Johnson (USA) | 29:48 | Grete Waitz (NOR) | 33:29 |
13th | 1990 | Samson Obwocha (KEN) | 29:20 | Shelly Steely (USA) | 32:57 |
14th | 1991 | Jeff Cannada (USA) | 29:38 | Kim Bird (CAN) | 34:49 |
15th | 1992 | Dominic Kirui (KEN) | 28:24 | Jill Boltz (GBR)
|
32:34 |
16th | 1993 | Paul Bitok (KEN) | 28:31 | Sabrina Dornhoefer (USA) | 33:53 |
17th | 1994 | Simon Karori (KEN) | 28:35 | Elaine Van Blunk (USA) | 34:01 |
18th | 1995 | Joseph Kimani (KEN) | 27:49 | Laura LaMena (USA) | 33:58 |
19th | 1996 | Joseph Kamau (KEN) | 28:32 | Liz McColgan (GBR) | 31:41 |
20th | 1997 | Paul Koech (KEN) | 27:57 | Elana Meyer (RSA) | 31:19 |
21st | 1998 | Thomas Nyariki (KEN)
|
29:58 | Elana Meyer (RSA) | 32:46 |
22nd | 1999 | Lazarus Nyakeraka (KEN) | 28:40 | Eunice Sagero (KEN) | 33:18 |
23rd | 2000 | James Kimutai Kosgei (KEN) | 27:40 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 31:42 |
24th | 2001 | James Kimutai Kosgei (KEN) | 28:45 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 32:33 |
25th | 2002 | John Thuo Itati (KEN) | 28:06 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 31:53 |
26th | 2003 | Thomas Nyariki (KEN)
|
28:57 | Edna Kiplagat (KEN) | 33:41 |
27th | 2004 | Luke Kipkosgei (KEN) | 28:13 | Sally Barsosio (KEN) | 32:28 |
28th | 2005 | Linus Maiyo (KEN) | 29:30 | Olga Romanova (RUS) | 34:04 |
29th | 2006 | Abraham Chebii (KEN) | 28:16 | Sally Barsosio (KEN) | 33:35 |
30th | 2007 | Richard Kiplagat (KEN) | 28:35 | Rehima Kedir (ETH) | 32:05 |
31st | 2008 | Robert Kiprotich Letting (KEN) | 28:46.8 | Leah Malot (KEN) | 33:22.6 |
32nd | 2009 | Tilahun Regassa (ETH) | 28:24 | Amane Gobena Gemeda (ETH)
|
32:25 |
33rd | 2010 | Simon Ndirangu (KEN) | 27:49 | Meskerem Assefa (ETH) | 32:31 |
34th | 2011 | Lelisa Desisa (ETH) | 28:59 | Alene Shewarge Amare (ETH) | 33:06 |
35th | 2012 | Solomon Deksisa (ETH) | 29:37 | Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (USA) | 33:01 |
36th | 2013 | Simon Ndirangu (KEN) | 28:06 | Hiwott Ayalew (ETH)
|
32:18 |
37th | 2014 | Birhan Nebebew (ETH) | 28:38 | Azmera Gebru (ETH) | 32:13 |
38th | 2015 | Dominic Ondoro (KEN) | 29:22 | Cynthia Limo (KEN)
|
32:18 |
39th | 2016 | Dominic Ondoro (KEN) | 29:00 | Monicah Wanjuhi Ngige (KEN) | 32:56 |
40th | 2017 | Shadrack Kipchirchir (USA) | 28:12 | Monicah Wanjuhi Ngige (KEN) | 32:40 |
41st | 2018 | Shadrack Kipchirchir (USA) | 28:25 | Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) | 32:19 |
42nd | 2019 | Silas Kipruto (KEN) | 27:58 | Monicah Wanjuhi Ngige (KEN) | 31:37 |
43rd [2] | 2021 | Edward Cheserek (KEN) | 28:26 | Nell Rojas (USA) | 31:52 |
44th | 2022 | David Bett (KEN) | 28:17 | Biruktayit Degefa (ETH) | 31:23 |
No race in 2020. 43rd Bridge Run run in September 2021 because of pandemic.
References
- ^ "Cooper River Bridge Run Results".
- ^ Cooper River Bridge Run | Results & Awards. (2021). Bridgerun.Com. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://bridgerun.com/results-awards/
- Jaggers, Cedric. The History of the Cooper Bridge River Run. Cooper Bridge River Run. Retrieved on 2011-10-14.
- Winners list
- Jaggers, Cedric (2011-04-04). Cooper River Bridge Run 10 km. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2011-10-14.