A tradition: Tell me about your Bridge Run
For those who have run the Cooper River Bridge Run, past and present, the years come and go.
Factors such as wind, rain, heat, personal fitness and age change with each race. We may remember last year's race, or maybe our first or best race, but as to how the 1999 race compares to this year's, you'd have to have a great memory or be a self-obsessed diary keeper.
One avid bridge runner, though, has kept slices of Bridge Runs past alive in a low-key way.
Since the 1980s, Cedric Jaggers randomly asks 40 or 50 members of the Charleston Running Club one question — "Tell me about your Bridge Run" — immediately after the race. He scribbles down two or three sentences, verbatim, publishes the short answers and finish times in the following club newsletter, and archives the information for posterity.
It's a minor tradition, but one that is unique for club members.
"It started one year when the awards ceremony was taking too long," said Jaggers. "So to pass the time, I took out a pad and started asking people to tell me about your bridge run."
That's just of bit of what Jaggers, 60, now of Rock Hill, does as the volunteer Bridge Run historian.
He keeps track of each race and nearly any statistic you can think of. He's kept application forms, T-shirts and posters from every Bridge Run. His knowledge of the event is unparalleled. His latest gift to the Bridge Run was presenting DVDs of every televised race to the event's executive committee on Friday.
Asking people about their Bridge Run, however, gives him dozens of personal perspectives each year, such as this one by Gary Ricker on Saturday: "It's my 25th one and my worst time. I'm just happy to be here and do it. It was too hot."
This year, the weather — as we all know by now — was warm and windy, but Jaggers also found out something that surprised him. Many mentioned using the strategy of drafting behind other runners to avoid being slowed down too much.
Sometimes the answer unveils a new twist or a kink in the race. One minor gaffe involved volunteers in one corral failing to drop the rope holding them back until after the gun went off.
Some answers offer up important information in their life, such as on Saturday when Donna Lea Brown responded: "I did wonderful considering I got hit by a truck on Easter Sunday." Jaggers added, "She really did get hit by a truck on Easter Sunday."
Jaggers, who has run 30 of the 31 Bridge Runs, lamented getting only 28 responses this year. He blamed himself, admitting even he is running slower these days.
"A lot of people were gone before I could ask them about their Bridge Run," he said, adding, "I enjoy doing this. I get to meet new people and old friends."
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patriotforus (anonymous) says...
I have only run the Bridge Run the last three years. However we have made the run a family event that we look forward to each year. From Christmas to the run we focus on getting in shape for the run. We make our plans and reservation well in advance since we are from out of town. We start our spring break on Friday as we travel to Charleston. This year we checked in and then headed to pickup our race packets. What a surprise awaited us at the convention center. A long line that grew longer by the second as I sped up to catch the end of the line before it fully looped the building. One hour and twenty minutes later we had the prize in hand. Then we were off to the restaurant for supper. Once at the Jestine's we met up with our other half of the family and started to relax.
Race day started out well as all were ready for the race. Three of us were in the "Red" time zone slot. As we walked past the Green time zone from the start line walking toward the back all we could see were red numbers. At the next break in the fence we joined the red numbers. So at the start of the race we start to move and then stop. Next we walk until the start line with all picking up the run at this point. The next mile was an obstacle course participants walking in the middle of the street. Something pulled in my leg as I ran up on two ladies in their 50's brazeningly walking elbow to elbow blocking about 6 feet of forward progress as runner to my left and right made it difficult to shift to the side and lunge forward so I did not get trampled. This was not the only blockage encountered but was just one of a half dozen that cause me to be separated from my group. Finally at the bridge ramp the bridge run actually began to hit a rhythm and those just starting to walk shifted to the right side. It was a steady pace from there until the Meeting street turn to the right as overflow went over the side walks. I found myself at the left curb at the next turn and then understood why folks jump the curb. Pressure from the right sent me leaping again to the left and my leg pulled again, reminding me of the first two lady road block. I pressed on weaving through the slow jog folks only trying to maintain a steady slow run of 6.2 miles an hour. A short burst of speed at the finish to edge out a few senior runners, I cross the finish line at almost one hour to the split second. Similar results to the previous year and happy that I had finished the race althought it was not a personal best. Hoping for a better control start for next year and maybe a qualifying start for the next time slot as well. See you next year.
April 6, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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