Cooper River Bridge Run

The Cooper River Bridge Run is a point-to-point 10K held every spring, starting in Mount Pleasant and crossing the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge before finishing in downtown Charleston's Marion Square. First run in 1978, it has grown into one of the largest 10Ks in the United States, drawing tens of thousands of runners and walkers each year with the tagline 'Prepare to Get Over It' — a nod to the bridge's climb, which reaches a 4.1% grade for most of its 2.5-mile span and a steeper 5.6% pitch on the Mount Pleasant approach. The race field starts in timed waves and includes a competitive wheelchair division, a Corporate Challenge, and a Kids Run. There is no race-day packet pickup: participants collect bibs at a two-day Expo in North Charleston before race weekend. Free bus and passenger ferry shuttles run between Mount Pleasant and Charleston for participants without their own transportation, and the finish area hosts a post-race festival with live entertainment in Marion Square.