Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2020

34 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com feature BY THERESA STRATFORD I f you are new to the Charleston area, the Cooper River Bridge Run is kind of a big deal. It sells out at 40,000 participants. It’s the third largest 10K in the United States. The two-day expo is one of the largest health and wellness expos in the country as well, featuring over 200 booths. There’s a direct economic impact in the Charleston area of $35 million. Some 250 busses transport participants to and from both the starting line and finish line. And, we can’t forget the water bottles. Around 82,000 are utilized during this race alone. However, the actual race, this year held on April 4, is not an isolated event. It is accompanied by the massive two-day expo at the Charleston Area Convention Center; the Taste of the Bridge Run, also at the Charleston Area Convention Center, on the Friday night before it; the Kids Run, which will be held the Sunday before the race on March 29 at The Joe; and the Finish Festival. All this is successfully achieved with just five full-time employees and two part-time staffers working out of an office on South Shelmore Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. Behind Every Great Event There ’s a Team Meet the team behind the 2020 Cooper River Bridge Run