This is your chance to run on the runway and taxiway of one of the country's busiest airports. That is the reason to run this race.

The swag and expo .... so so, shirt is meh, expo at race day is just a few tents, but the saving grace here is they park a few airplanes right from the hanger into the expo for you to walk around. There are a few fun things for kids too, with the airport firemen present with trucks to check out too, but it's the race course that matters here.

Getting there ... meh, plan ahead. Parking is okay (mostly grassy fields) but the single lane of access road is a disaster. Plan 45min extra from what it would usually take you to get to the start location as it is VERY slow moving given how they merge the lanes and its a popular race so no shortage of people.

The race ... the course is flat (about half on the airport tarmac), you might see people in taxiing planes waiving before it veers onto a local road and back to the airport grounds again. Its a quick course, but pretty busy at the start so get up front if you're fast so you're not too caught up. With a few big jets parked right on the course route it's a super cool view, though watch out for the people who slow down to take pictures, that can get messy.

Post race has some snacks, nothing special (bananas and little muffins this year) and getting out is pretty easy and quick.

Do it at least once for the experience, its worth it....but more than once might not be worth the traffic getting in unless they figure out a better way.

First off, lets talk about Charleston, SC. If you haven't been, its a fantastic southern city filled with amazing eats, history, views and shopping. So, if you're looking for a weekend getaway and a great race to wrap around it, the Cooper River Bridge Run is perfect.

The Expo...
It's huge. There can be long lines for pickup (if you registered early you could pay for mail delivery of your bib). There were lines to pick up both your bib and freebies/packet but they went fast and really weren't a big deal. From there, tons of stuff to try, buy and see. We had an awesome bloody mary sample (including vodka), some great trail mix, and bought some Nuun tabs at a pretty good discount w/ a free Nuun water bottle thrown in. You could easily spend 1-2 hours at the Expo...and while busy, you could move around just fine. I like a good expo and this qualifies.

Race morning...
We were staying at a hotel 3 miles from the start but it was best for us to drive a mile (further) to a local shopping center where there is free bus transport. Race start was 8am, we got to the bus line at 6am which was a good decision. Took about 15>20 min for the buses to really start rolling in and the line was long but got to the start with no problem. There were a good number of bathrooms to use (and lots of people to use them) and had to walk a bit to our corral but what do you expect with 40k runners.

Pre race..
Lots of corrals (register early to get a better spot) and ideally submit a sub 50min time if you're capable to move up to the faster groups. Good program, national anthem, audio is excellent and the atmosphere is a lot of fun. A great crowd all up. The start was exactly on time and good spacing between corrals meant if you made your way to the start of your group you could get a quick mile in before hitting those in front of you.

Race..
Lets be clear, there are a lot of people. Starting from a mid pack corral meant the first mile was okay (given breaks between starts) but the race narrows up to the bridge and you will weave in and out if you're running anything sub 8:30 pace (unless you start up front). Still, I was able to PR but it was not easy (still lots of fun) and the walkers who start with the runners dont help. Especially when they stop on the bridge to take pic (I mean, come on people, at least start in a walkers corral). But, the views are great, lots of fun people, music and once you get over the bridge and into town its a blast running thru the streets of Charleston.

Post race..
Big party after...food, beer, etc. All the usual but lots of options (both free and paid) and worth hanging out for a bit. The busses back to the start were about a 30min ride (since the bridge was still closed for the racey you had to take another route) but wasn't bad at all and really a good chance to catch up on social media, check out some pics, post some things and look up your official time.

All up...super fun, a great city to enjoy for a few days, and a very well executed huge 10k. Recommended for a great time and if you have a fast previous race to register for a front corral spot, you can run a good time.

Given some recent injuries, I opted to run the 4 mile race instead of the longer 10 miler this year, and here's the scoop.

Location / Parking ... easy peasy. Located right off I485 and Johnston Rd in South Charlotte, there is lots of parking in the Earthfare parking lot and adjacent office building garages. No problem getting in or out.

Expo ... as with most shorter / local races the expo is small but was well done. Kind Bars, Hoka One One, Sycamore Brewing and a few others were there for you to try gear, snacks, post race free beers and there was a pay for post race mimosa too (with nice custom glass you take home).

Race ... the race starts on the main road and for about 1/3 mile you have room to move around before a tight turn onto the greeway. This is where the views are great but the course is tight. Given the size of the race (4mi being smaller than 10mi), we were closer to the front and had enough room to move around. It got a bit dicey as the greenway wasn't closed so there were a few people (including dog walkers) coming the opposite direction of race traffic...but didn't slow us down at all. Its a nice and mostly flat trek to mile 2 on the greenway when you pop back onto the streets and into a local neighborhood, this is where it gets hairy (challenging). The half mile betwee 2.5mi > 3mi is more or less straight uphill. Save a little gas for this one because it is a doosy...but you're soon rewarded with a flat to slight downhill for the final mile. Pick up the pace and run to the finish!

SWAG ... long sleeve tee's for 4 milers but a small $10 upgrade if you want the nice half zip (my fav). Both my son and I placed in our age groups so we took home a nice stainless water bottle with the race logo...AG winners also got a pair of socks...and overall winners a gift card to Charlotte Running Co.

As always, Start2Finish races are well run, well planned and a blast to run. Recommended!

CRC and Start2Finish put on great races and this one, at the US National Whitewater Center is no execption. Not huge in turnout across the mix of 4, 9 and 13.1 miles, but a challenging mostly single track trail run. The 4 miler is about 3 miles of single track with a bit before and after you enter the woods.

First off, the hoodie sweatshirt is the single best race swag ever, let's not make any bones about it. Recover brand hoodie is now my go-to sweatshirt, amazing.

If you haven't been to the USNWC it's a huge facility with rock climbing walls, rafting canals, ropes courses and running/bike trails. There is also a good cafe and beer stop too...great facility though race morning most isn't open, just open for the race. Good news there is that you do get to use the real bathroom if needed...definitely a perk.

Speaking of getting there, while parking is plentiful, you will have to pay $5 to park and there is a long'ish line to pay, so plan for an extra 15 minutes to get from the entry to the venue to actually getting to a parking spot. From there, its a minute walk to the expo and start.

The expo is small, a few local tents/businesses including my PT giving free post race treatments and the same spot is used for post race snacks including bananas and bagels.

We ran the 4 miler this year as it was our (my and and I) first trail race and I'm mid recover from some tendonitis issues. It was a good distance given the tough, mentally challenging single track. Having rained the day prior, the course was a bit slippery and you will find yourself hopping roots, rocks, handing on to a branch here or there to avoid slipping, but that's what makes it fun and a challenge.

Overall a great race, great hoodie (did I mention that), a challenging course, and a well run event. Next year will step it up to the 9 miler and enjoy the race for a bit longer. Recommended if you're in the area.