Your guide to the 42nd annual Cooper River Bridge Run

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Whether you’re running or watching the 42nd annual Cooper River Bridge Run, this guide is for you.

The race is third largest 10k in the country and has a cap of 40,000 runners.

The route starts on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant near the Moultrie Shopping Center. It then runs across the Ravenel Bridge, which is two-and-a-half miles long. The route then curves into downtown Charleston, going from Meeting Street to King Street and then ending again on Meeting.

Runners should expect to divide up at the start line by how fast they expect to run the more than six-mile race. They also need to wear their race bib number.

Charleston police are also requiring that all other items must be carried in clear bags only. That means purses, backpacks, and fanny packs will not be allowed. Strollers are also discouraged.

As to getting to the race, buses will be running from the designated parking lots to the start line from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Those pick-up areas are at the North Charleston Convention Center, Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, Mount Pleasant Seacoast Church, and on the corner of Calhoun and Anson Street in downtown Charleston.

Some of the lots are already full. All folks going on those buses are required to wear their bib number.

Some runners may also be wearing mustaches. These are in honor of Julian Smith. He is the former race director who lost his battle with cancer just two weeks before the 2019 race.

By 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, almost all of of the race route will be closed. So in downtown Charleston that means parts of Calhoun, Meeting, and George Street will not be open to traffic.

As the race start time gets closer, parts of Coleman Boulevard and the Ravenel Bridge will close. That’ll happen around 7 a.m.

The Ravenel is expected to open back up around noon, but some parts of the race route will remain closed. Most of the streets near Marion Square are expected to open around 2 p.m.

Copyright 2019 WCSC. All rights reserved.