FKT: E. Shane Morris - Arthur Ravenel Bridge (Charleston, SC) - 2017-05-28

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

Charleston, SC

E. Shane Morris

The Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the Cooper river and connect the city of Charleston to the Town of Mount Pleasant in South Carolina. The bridge is 10 years old this year and is the 3 longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere according to Wikipedia. From the base of the bridge on the Mount The bridge was constructed with an additional running and biking path so people could access and walk, run or ride their bikes along the bridge. It rises over 300 ft in the air giving extraordinary views of the Charleston Harbor, the Atlantic Ocean, the city of Charleston and its surrounding islands.

The ARB is also a part of the the East Coast Greenway Trail system that will eventually connect Maine to Key West Florida.

The ARB is a focal running place for the residents of the low country. The bridge offered a 2.5 mile one way or 5 mile out and back demanding lap. An almost 6% grade for .8 miles greets you on the Mount Pleasant side which then turns into a .2 false flat followed by a 1.5 mile gradual grade down into Charleston. There you turn around and follow the same path back up and over.

The bridge is solid concrete and steel with no shade areas so runners are completely exposed to sun, rain or wind.

I have run this bridge for 10 years and live the challenge it provides. I wanted to to be the first person to attempt a 100 mile endurance event on this bridge to see if it could be done and what toll it would take. Below are the details of my event.

I called the event the ARB 10 and was held on. May 27th, 2017 at 5:00 am in the morning. This was a supported effort.

My attempt was to run 100 “bridge mile” which is 20 out and back laps starting in the Mount Pleasant side. The 2.5 mark starts below the bridge around the exercise station and sidewalk that leads to the parking lot and ends at the bed of the white bridge railing just beyond the drinking fountains on the Charleston side. My base camp was set about .10 miles out from that.

My base camp was supported and consisted of a 10x10 tent, coolers with water, food and ice, a zero gravity chair and a poster board lap counter to mark off laps as they were completed. I would return to base camp after every lap for refueling as the temps crept into the 90’s this day.

I posted my attempt on Facebook and spread through the runner community by word of mouth. I ran in honor of my fallen brother in law who died of cancer in January. I asked that anyone who was willing to come join the attempt or come run some laps or just come hang out. We received a huge turn out.

I started at 5:05 am on May 27th. I will list below and who ran laps with me. I accidentally hit the lap button on my Garmin so it shows 108 laps (should be 1=1 mile) but there are 2x.2’s in there. Also, never turned Garmin off but would recharge throughout the event. I set my base camp .10 mikes out too far and made several restroom trips as you will see from gps tracking data. I ended up with 106 total miles but 100 bridge miles. 20 laps.

Lap 1 (1-5 miles) Brian Johnson joined for last 2 miles

Lap 2 (6-10 miles) Eric Krawcheck

Lap 3 (11-15 miles) Eric Krawcheck/ Mark Pinowski

Lap 4 (16-20 miles) Bill Rowell, Tom Pollehn

Lap 5 (21-25 miles) Bill Rowell, Tom Pollehn

Lap 6 (26-30 miles) just Comen, Lauren Comen, Chuck Baker

Lap 7 (31-35 miles) Janie Morris

Lap 8 (36-40 miles) solo

Lap 9 (41-45 miles) solo

Lap 10 (46-50 miles) solo

Lap 11 (51-55 miles) Gary Flynn

Lap 12 (56-60 miles) Lorcan Lucey, Jay Thompson

Lap 13 ( 61-65 miles) Megan Morris

Lap 14 ( 66-70 miles) solo

Lap 15 (71-75 miles) solo

Lap 16 (76-80 miles) solo

Lap 17 (81-85 miles) Catherine Hollister

Lap 18 (86-90 miles) Eric Krawcheck

Lap 19 (91-95 miles) Janie Morris, Janice Wiley, Jenny Renken, Judy Comen

Lap 20 (96-100 miles) Janice Wiley, Judy Comen, Shiloh Moore

SPOT data: