If you’ve ever been to Charleston, SC, you have probably seen the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (also known as the Cooper River Bridge). It’s a cable bridge connecting Charleston to Mount Pleasant, SC.
It’s seriously beautiful and it’s been my goal to run it since I saw it.
Well….today was the day that I ran it for the first time (or at least tried my best haha)
I wasn’t sure about the details of running the Ravenel bridge, so I wanted to do a fun post about it to help answer some popular questions like – what to expect when running the Ravenel bridge? Are dogs allowed? Where to park? How long is the Ravenel bridge? How many calories can you burn when running the Ravenel bridge? All of these were questions I wondered before today.
First off…a little bit about the bridge itself. The bridge has a main span of 1,546 feet (471 m), the third longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere. The total length of the structure was about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) each way. (Source – Wikipedia)
To park, I’d suggest parking on the Mount Pleasant side. If you’re coming from Charleston, head over the bridge and go right when you get off the bridge towards Patriots Point / Fort Moultrie.
At the bottom of the bridge, you’ll see a Shell gas station on the right. You can park at the Shell gas station for free!
It’s right by the entrance so it works perfectly!
There are a couple rules to running the bridge.
If you’re walking or jogging, stay on the side closest to the water. If you’re riding a bike, stay on the side of the road closest to the road.
There are NO PETS on the bridge. I was pretty bummed to find out I can’t take the Dobermans on a run with me. Oh well. I understand why they do this!
I attached my key to my shoe and hit the ground running!
I was pretty worried about how I would handle the bridge because I’m not in great cardio shape these days after my surgery.
I planned on walk/jog/running it and just doing the best I could for as long as I could.
OK…now here it is!
HOW PRETTY!??! Right????
It was a hot hot hot day outside and pretty dang humid but I loved every second of it.
(Workout Top and Sports Bra: Fabletics)
I ended going from the Patriots point gas station to the second bridge peak and then back.
It was a tough run there and pretty windy coming back down hill.
As a blogger, I of course stopped several times to take pictures and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Charleston. I love my new city!!
At the end of the run, I checked my heart rate monitor and found my stats:
Average Heart Rate: 172
Maximum Heart Rate: 185
Distance was 2.6 miles and I did it in just under 30 minutes.
How many calories do you burn when running the Ravenel?
I burned 363 calories when running from Mt. Pleasant to the second bridge peak. I can’t wait to get in shape enough to run the entire thing back and forth. That’s a goal of mine for SURE.
Overall I love this route. It’s challenging because half of it is uphill, it’s close to my house and it’s ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS to run. The views are to die for!
Here are a couple more pictures of the views from my run…
I can get used to this. Oh yes, I can!!!
Also, for those who want to take a break at the top of the bridge, there are some spots to sit so you can take it all in and relax.
Have you ever run the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge? If so, leave a comment below. If not, let me know where your favorite place to run is!!!
So this place might not be as long, but the views are equally spectacular perhaps because it’s SO high up. Hanggliders can go right under the bridge and still seem so far down it’s insane. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deception_Pass_Bridge There’s some more info about it and a few pictures. I’ll never forget my trip across the bridge, and now I’ll have to plan a visit to your hometown to run this one! Hope you’re up for a running partner when I get there!!! I love scenic runs, it just drives you further, and gives that sensation of being fully PRESENT when you’re running. Part of the entire scenery. I can feel as you felt just by reading your words, you’ve moved to a gorgeous place for sure. AND, you did great post surgery!!!!
Hi, Erin. Enjoyed reading your experience about running the Bridge. I did the Cooper River Bridge 10K for the first time at age 60, and ran it for 5 years. Now, I am 68 and want to start training again to run it at age 70. Tell me, do you need to wear a chest Polar strap with the Polar wrist monitor you were wearing in order to monitor your HR? The old ones need a chest strap with the watch, but I found them sweaty and uncomfortable.
Thanks.
Congrats on staying so active and running 10Ks!!! Yes, you need to wear a chest strap but I think they have improved throughout the years because I don’t find them uncomfortable at all.