Mount Pleasant, South Carolina – 25,000 runners are expected to take place at the Cooper River Bridge Run on Saturday, the 44th annual event.
Although the event was pushed several times and it will much smaller this year, it still remains one of the largest events to take place amid the Covid-19 pandemic in the area.
The bridge run expo kicks off Thursday at the Charleston Area Convention Center. Officials say there are a lot of Covid protocols in place to ensure it’s not a super-spreader event.
“The protocol for Covid is excellent with the Bridge Run. We’ve followed what the Boston Marathon and other major races are doing around the country,” said Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg.
“Any big gathering has that possibility so that’s why we were concerned and so pleased that the race committee put in this protocol that keeps everyone safe,” the mayor added.
According to the organizers, all participants are required to show negative PCR test or proof of vaccination within 72 hours before the start of the event. Additionally, face masks will be given to all participants before the event and everyone is obligated to wear it while on the race, in the busses or while waiting in the corrals and at the post-race festival in Marion Square.
“We’re relying on the good faith of the participants. We believe they will be, that everyone will be compliant and in good faith,” Tecklenburg said.
According to the Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie, many other similar events already took place before and they are well aware of the safety protocols that have proven to work and keep everyone safe at the previous events.
“Runners have a lot of rules that they have to abide by with your number and which corral you’re in and everything. I really think the runners are going to do what they have to do to make it safe,” Haynie said.
“It’s a huge undertaking by our public safety and our public services in Mount Pleasant and there will be folks saying, ‘Put your mask on in the start area and then take it off when you run,’” he added.
Haynie himself won’t run at the event, but he remains confident that all the precaution measures will actually work and will keep all the attendees safe from the virus.
“With the vaccine requirement, the negative test and with the mask, they’re doing all they can do,” said Haynie. “We talked about this before, it would be hard to say no to the bridge run of 25,000 when our state says yes to 85,000 people at football games with no masks and no test so I think they’re being very prudent, yes.”
Packet and bib number pickup is Thursday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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