Race Result

Racer:	Matt Taylor
Race:	Cooper River Bridge Run
Date:	Saturday, April 2, 2005
Location:	Charleston, SC
Race Type:	Run - 10 km
Age Group:	Male 25 - 29
Time:	0:47:12
Overall Place:	808 / 18600
Age Group Place:	108 / 1156

Race Report:

The start of this day was meant for anything BUT running. My alarm went off at 5:20 am, quickly followed by a loud BOOM of thunder, and a bright flash of lightning. Rain was pouring down. So I did what all of us do, got up, got dressed and added a few more things to my gear bag, ate, and headed out the door. The weather man said the storm would pass by 9, so I figured the race would occur at some point.

The 10K over the Silas Pearman bridge into downtown Charleston has been running since 1978. It is the third largest 10K in the US, with 25,000 runners registered this year, and 18,600 who weathered the storm. This is the last year the race will be run on this bridge because a new cable stay bridge has been built to replace it. The race attracts runners from around the world, with serious prize money for the top finishers.

Like all good races it poured right until the gun went off, then the clouds broke, the sun came out, and the 25 mph winds started. I was lucky to slide into the crowd near the start line. It took just over a minute to cross the timing mat. The crowd was heavy, but not impenetrable. When I see the pictures of the race, and the 17,000 behind me, its a little overwhelming. This was a tough run due to the weather conditions. Running a bridge is difficult enough, let alone a constant headwind. I focused on cadence this race, and my perceived level of effort. I have developed a good feel for my pace, and my plan was to start at about 8 minute miles, and increase pace through out the race. For the most part this planned worked except when the wind had other ideas. The views from the bridge are amazing, you can see all of charleston and the surrounding areas. Overall, I am very happy with the results of this race, and it was good gauge for the 10K in columbia. I believe that if the weather had been milder my time would have been faster by a minute or two.

I would highly recommend that everyone try this race once. Its worth the trip. Congratulations to Micahel Aish from Reston, he took the top spot in our AG 26 -29. I don't know him but if you are a RAT also, CONGRATS!!