Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2020

35 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com feature As a team, they work with a board of 14 people, representing different entities, such as the city of Charleston, the town of Mount Pleasant, Charleston County Park and Recreation, College of Charleston, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Charleston Medical Society. They meet monthly year-round. In addition, the team works with their sponsors, over 100 of them, and their 12 charities. Assisting the staff year after year is an enormous volunteer effort. The Cooper River Bridge Run will utilize 4,000 volunteers from the Kids Run to the expo, and then, of course, during the race and at the Finish Festival. The seven employees organize this epic race under the leadership of Irv Batten, deputy director of the Cooper River Bridge Run. This year will be its 42nd year, and Batten has been the deputy director for the last six of those. “There are so many moving parts. Different aspects of the race are planned at different times during the year,” Batten said. “However, things are always changing. You have to be able to monitor and adjust and be quick on your feet.” That happens to be something that Batten is quite good at since he is an avid runner himself. He’s coached local cross-country teams, he owned a Mount Pleasant running store and he has been involved with many local races over the years. “Anything running related has been a passion of mine my whole life,” he said. “I have worn many hats over the years and this one seems to be a culmination of all the ones before.” From left to right: Cooper River Bridge Run team members Mark Cellers, Marcy Krawcheck, Irv Batten, Rachel Haynie and Lorrie Warren. Photo by Thomas Runion.