Race Report: Cooper River Bridge Run (2016)

Get Over It!
#CRBR

Can you believe there have been 39 of these races?  It's pretty awesome if you think about it, that one of the largest 10K races in the world and the third largest in the United States happens in Charleston, SC.  It's quite a heritage for the coastal town with quaint charm that attracts visitors and tourists alike year round.

This is my third time running over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge that links Mount Pleasant and Charleston.  I had a great time in 2014, ran well in 2015, and this year thought I would just enjoy the experience.  We've gone with the same group for a couple of years, and the core of this group well predates our joining the festivities.  A person would be hard-pressed to find a nicer group of individuals - and this year my Sunday running partner Chris was able to join in the fun.

The weekend had a rainy start.  That Friday, the day before the race, the fun run was moved up from the original 5:00 PM start time to 2;00 PM.  Storm showers were scheduled to start around 5:00 Friday and run through around 10:00 Saturday - just in time for the bridge run to have ended for most folks.  Boo. :(

That Saturday morning, we parked and prepared to walk to the start line, a good half mile away.  Drizzle was coming down, and I didn't want to bring a jacket. Sure, I would have been dry, but I would also be layered up like it was 30°F, when in reality it was around twice that.  Roasting is never fun.

As if on cue, a gentleman holding a large bag asked us if we would like a poncho.  It's Providence!  I couldn't say no, but I was the only one in our group that decided to sport the Sea Tow poncho.  I was dry, I was visible, and it was disposable.  Win, win, win. On a separate note, if you're a boater, it's nice to know you have someone that can come help you out in a pinch.  Just like happened to me on race day. :)

Sea Tow.
#WINNING

I saw a few others wearing the Sea Tow gear, a lot of clear ponchos, and more than one or two people wearing trash bags to keep dry while waiting on the race to start.

Everything is organized into corrals because of the size of the race.  It's not practical to have everyone start the race at the same time.  Of the 30,000 runners, only a handful are really competing for first.  Those elite runners go first, and the rest of us follow behind.  As the starting time came closer, trash bags and Sea Tow ponchos were shed, and people moved into the fenced corrals that each held a few thousand runners.

Gathering in the corral.

One of the really nice things about the corrals is that there is no hindrance once you're in the corral. There's plenty of room to jump, stretch, do a little plyometrics, or curl up in a ball along the curb and wonder why in the world you let Jane or Billy from accounting or wherever talk you into running six miles over a bridge because hey, it will be fun!  Please know that Jane and Billy (or whatever their names are  - fill in the blank with your own experiences) have been gunning for you since that last promotion you earned, and they want you to fail more than they want sweet tea for breakfast, and gosh, they couldn't make it out this year but really hope you do well.  They don't want you to come home from the Cooper River Bridge Run. :)

Getting ready to run.
No Jane.
No Billy.
But I was a counting until the starting gun.
#punny

Then the walk started!  Our corral started moving towards the start line, and there was no pause like we had last year.  We just kept walking and getting ready to cross the start line.

Walking towards the starting line.

And then we just sort of eased into a jog, crossed the starting line, and were off!  As with most large races, just because you cross the start line doesn't mean that you're actually running yet.  The jog/walk continued for a minute or two, then runners started finding their paces.

Have you ever been in a mall, behind that group of people that is able to space themselves so perfectly as to take up the entire aisle so no one can get through?  Sometimes the beginning of a race can be like that.  It happened a few times, so for one of them I figured I would just stop and take a picture. :)

Hangin' at the mall.

I actually didn't mind too much.  This year I figured I would stop and take pics along the way and worry less about my time.  Training hasn't exactly been stellar this year anyway, and after a while the crowd spread out nicely.

Nicely spread out crowd.

The run is roughly 2 miles before the bridge, 2 miles on the bridge, and 2 miles after the bridge.  Apparently a lot of people have a running coach run this race with them.  One conversation was about not tiring out before the bridge, because there is still a big hill to climb.

Bridge in the distance.  Starting the on ramp.

To get to the Ravenel bridge, runners powered up the on-ramp - just like cars do almost every other day of the year.  Around me I could hear people taking heavier and more labored breaths, and some pulled up quickly on the on-ramp, even before getting to the bridge proper.  The grade on the on-ramp is around 6% I think, before you hit the 4%-5% incline of the bridge.  If you aren't ready to run a mile on a hill, it can really be daunting.

Making the grade.

This is also the point at which the wind begins.  This is only my third running, but I hear that every year the wind is different, but it's always there.  Others that ran in different corrals this year told me they faced a headwind for most of the bridge.  My experience was with a crosswind blowing left to right, which had a nice cooling effect.  After a rainy, drizzly start to the day, the combination of the breeze and the clearing skies made for a lovely run.

Crosswinds and light clouds.
Still uphill.

The uphill portion of the run lasts just over a mile I think.  As I approached the bridge, I stopped to take a few pictures.  While these are far from professional grade, I enjoyed stopping to snap a few along the route - always checking behind me before stopping in the middle of a run.

The run only uses one side of the divided highway on the bridge.  There is plenty of room, and the exit ramps at either end are on one side of the bridge.  The opposite side was still devoid of traffic, save police cars and musical talent.

Speaking of musical talent, it was really on display.  Here's the full list, but think it changes from year to year so I'll write them out in case you'd like to support them.

• Joey Morant
• The Pea Pickin' Hearts
• Trick Knee
• Skylar Laine
• Squid Blood
• Blue Dogs
• Hadley
• See Water
• The Jaystorm Project
• Little Bird
• Michael Freund
• PlaneJane
• Swim in the Wild
• Stono
• Michael Daughtry
• Greye
• Stefanie Potter
• Bentley Caldwell
• Lightworks
• All the Little Pieces
• Youth Model
• Bizness Suit

Yes, there were 22 different musical acts, either on the race or as a part of the festivities.  Wow!

But I digress.  We were running up a bridge, weren't we?

Bridge up which we ran.

The photo ops kept coming, so I stopped several times to take a few more pictures.  I really like the one above.  It was a little easier to pull over for a picture during this part of the race, as several runners had either slowed their pace or changed to a walk at this point.

In the high-res version of the above picture, you can see a helicopter in near the top of the far support.  In this version, it's a lovely dot - can you see it?

One down, one to go!

As I passed under the first support, some runners were picking up the pace, and some that had powered through the first part of the hill pulled up before getting to the top - which is right around the second support.  I was running, but I did keep stopping to take pictures.

Ships.

Charleston has an active harbor, and it's not unusual to see a few big boats out and about.  The Ravenel bridge is certainly large enough to accommodate them, and if you're ever in the area you may want to check out Patriot's Point near the Mount Pleasant side of the bridge.  We didn't make it there this year, but have been in years past and enjoyed the experience.

After the second support structure, you're over it!  It's downhill for a bit, and then relatively flat coming in to Charleston.  Runners really picked up the pace here.  One exception was a coach explaining that because the runner had pushed so hard going up the hill, there wasn't much left to take advantage of the downhill.  Even so speed is relative, and they were still moving at a pretty good pace.

All downhill.

When I had a chance to check in with some other runners, we found that many of us had similar experiences on the downhill - it was hard to stay motivated.  Thinking back, that was the only portion of the race where there wasn't a band or any live music.  To the musical talent out there:  you really make a difference in the run!

With the bridge behind me, I took the exit ramp down and made the sharp left to come into downtown Charleston.  Almost there!  Every year (yes, all three of them) the same thing happens.  I get spoiled by the downhill and the nice breeze, and then the run on relatively flat streets to the finish seems challenging.  Elvis was there, dancing us off the exit ramp, but I didn't get a picture.

Running in Charleston proper.

Spectators aren't allowed on the bridge, and there are always more as you get closer to the finish line.  Runners are also picking up speed, and there are more smiles to go around.  More than once I was passed by folks a little more competitive than me, running at least a 5K pace to finish out the race.  I preferred to spend my time standing on the median taking pictures, then cruising along a little further.

I turned around to take a picture of runners going by, and one runner took the opportunity to wave to the camera!  There were a lot of runners working hard and not looking like they were enjoying the event, so it was nice to see someone having a great time.  So to Bailey Moneyhun of bib 10371 fame:  congratulations on a great run!

Runners passing me by.
Minimal smiles.
Bailey waving.

I crossed the finish line, having enjoyed a great run, taken quite a few pictures, and wondering how the rest of the runners in our group were doing.  The weather was excellent, and the post-race festivities included the famous Johnsonville Big Taste Grill.  How awesome is that?

Johnsonville Big Taste Grill.

And of course, there were lots of facilities available.  One of the benefits of Corral A is that you are still able to get in and out without having to wait too long. :)

Facilities.

So that was the adventure.  Everyone in our group finished with a good time.  Some were running for the first time, others were running for time, and still others were just running for the experience.  As always, we enjoyed it very much.  Then it was time for us to go.

Cheering squad member.

With the cheering squad all packed, we made our way back to the vehicles to leave.  It was another great run, the weather became beautiful, and lots of great moments to remember.


===  RACE DAY  ===
Race:  Cooper River Bridge Run
Location:  Charleston, SC
Shoe:  Saucony Guide 8
Date:  4/2/2016
Distance: 10K
Time: 54:59
Pace:  8:51/mile
Overall:  3705/26780 (13.8%)
Gender:  2650/10988 (24.1%)
Group: 301/1115 (27.0%)

=== STRAVA SAYS  ===
Distance:  6.6 miles
Moving Time:  54:50
Avg Pace:  8:18/mile

===  LINKS  ===
Website:  Cooper River Bridge Run
Registration:  IMAthlete
Results:  Xacte
Pics:  Live 5 News