MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – The 49th annual Cooper River Bridge Run is taking place this Saturday, attracting thousands of participants who will “get over it” during one of the Lowcountry’s largest races.
Excitement Builds Ahead of the Big Day
With just a few days left, many participants are in training mode to ensure they’re ready for one of the area’s most popular events. The Cooper River Bridge Run is a world-class competition that brings together elite athletes and casual runners for a 10K race, starting in Mount Pleasant and finishing in Downtown Charleston.
Local Participants Share Their Excitement
Deja Thompson, a returning participant, shared her enthusiasm: “I’m very excited. We used to come all the time when I was younger. My mom used to bring me and my sister. I’m excited to do it again.”
For Evelyn Sanchez, this is a big milestone. She said, “This is the first time I’m doing it. It’s been 22 years coming now. I think it’s one thing left being a Charleston local that I needed to do.”
Training on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
Some runners have been preparing for months, including morning sessions on the iconic Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Each is determined to put their best foot forward on race day.
“I’ve been coming to the bridge. I haven’t been here in a while, but just in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been spending weekends just walking using my weighted vest, taking supplements to get my body ready,” Thompson said.
New Techniques to Boost Performance
Participants like Elaina Rhodes are implementing new strategies to help improve their performance. “Honestly, I think there’s probably going to be portions that I will definitely struggle in.
We’ve been preparing for a while, we’ve just kind of stopped in the last two weeks,” Rhodes said. “It’s been a little slow, but this run was really easy today. I think it kind of uplifted our spirits.”
Rhodes is also trying a new technique: “Actually, I heard this thing about pickle juice. So I might have a little flask of pickle juice or something like that – see how that goes.”
A Bigger and Better Race
Whether a first-time participant or a seasoned runner, this year’s race promises to be bigger and better than ever. Race director Irv Batten shared his excitement, saying, “We’re ahead of last year, we had 36,500 last year. So, we’re expecting more than that. Hopefully, we’ll get closer to 38,000.”
Registration Information
There’s still time to register for the event. The current registration fee is $69.50, but the price will increase to $74.50 on Thursday. News 2 will provide full coverage of the event on Saturday morning.
