www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 23 It has been “a wild ride” since Irv Batten became director of The Cooper River Bridge Run three years ago. He joked that he can’t wait until “a normal year,” knowing that pulling together a race that is known for being among the best organized in the world can’t possibly include the normalcy that most people know. The COVID-19 pandemic hit soon after Batten took the reins. Runners were invited to participate in a virtual run as solace when the 2020 race had to be postponed. In 2021, Batten, Deputy Race Director Mark Cellars and their small but enthusiastic team organized two Bridge Runs – the one in September 2021 that had been postponed from April of that year and the 2022 version in its traditional April time slot. Dicey weather has sometimes detoured races. For example, in 1986, intense fog delayed the Bridge Run for an hour. Another year, runners paused and found shelter until a lightning-packed storm quickly rolled through the area. “It has been a crazy, crazy time,” Batten said. And he loves every minute of it. Batten’s passion for running started in middle school, and that’s what his life has been all about ever since. He was a high school running star in Florida, and, in 1983, he earned a full scholarship to Charleston Southern University. He has coached runners, been president of the Charleston Running Club and even owned a running store. When he was asked to take the helm of the Bridge Run, the position seemed right up his alley, he said, though he was told that this race was a “different beast” compared to others he had organized. “It can’t be that different,” Batten remembered thinking – until he went to his first CRBR security meeting. “Every law enforcement branch and office you can think of was there,” Batten said. “I also learned about the two-day expo for the race and that is bigger than the Peachtree Road Race expo. It didn’t take long for me to realize that CRBR was much, much more than other races I had organized.” In years prior to the pandemic, the Cooper River Bridge Run lured close to 40,000 participants from all over the world. By December 2022, 9,000 people had signed up for the 2023 race in April – projecting 30,000 for the April event. An incremental climb in the number of participants has Batten and Cellars hopeful that participation will be at the pre-pandemic high again, if not beyond. “The run is so much more than a race. It’s an event,” said North Charleston resident Dan Clapper, who has participated in CRBR 37 consecutive years since 1985, with the exception of 2020, the pandemic year. CRBR remains Clapper’s “favorite run of all runs,” he confirmed. “The camaraderie of the people, all the fun, the buildup of events before the race – it’s above and beyond all races.” Clapper, 69, also loves volunteering for CRBR by passing out race numbers and packets to participants. “You get to see a lot of people you know, including returnees from out of town,” he said. Clapper watches for a visiting participant named Daniel who often wears his 1985 race shirt. “I wore mine one year and we enjoyed taking a photo together,” Clapper said. The Cooper River Bridge Run has a tremendous impact on the local community, the hospitality and tourism industries and other business entities by generating more than $33 million in one weekend. CRBR also supports the Lowcountry through its Charity Connection and grants programs. Ninety-two cents of every dollar spent goes toward the CRBR mission: promoting health and wellness, which improves the quality of life. To learn more: Email [email protected] or call 843-856-1949. A WILD RIDE AND A WORLD-RENOWNED RACE By Lisa Moody Breslin COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN OBJECTIVES • Increase interest in cardiovascular exercise in the community. • Raise funds for public education on the importance of exercise. • Generate a spirit of community involvement and volunteerism. • Promote and publicize the Cooper River Bridge Run.
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