The male and female winners of the 49th annual Cooper River Bridge Run held on March 28 didn’t just “get over it” and cross the finish line first, they made race history.
Thousands of runners and walkers participated in this third largest 10K in the country, and two elite athletes smashed records that had stood for more than a quarter century.
Edwin Kurgat of Kenya won first overall in the Male Elite division with a time of 27:28, breaking the men’s course record of 27:40 set by James Koskei in 2000. Zouhair Talbi of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who finished second in the overall male category logging a time of 27:38, surpassed Koskei as well, but still couldn’t quite catch the fleet-footed Kurgat.
Evelyn Kemboi, also of Kenya, sprinted past the field in the Female Elite division with a time of 31:15, edging the previous women’s course record mark of 31:19 achieved by Elana Myers in 1997. Kenyan competitors continued their run of dominance, boasting multiple men’s and women’s champions over the last five-plus years.
Fidel Arnoldo Aquilar Zepeda of Mesa, Arizona, claimed the Wheelchair race overall male division with a time of 25:08. Yen Hoang of Champaign, Illinois, could break out the bubbly to celebrate her victory in the overall female division Wheelchair competition, tallying a time of 29:25.
Some Charleston-area runners also experienced success. Rives O’Connell of Folly Beach finished first overall in the female 45-49 age division, Declan Byrne of Charleston won second place in the male 20-24 division and Thomas Salvesen, also of Charleston, claimed second in the male 35-39 division.
Proving that age is just a number, Raymond Giles of Huger, South Carolina, finished second overall in the male 80 and over division and Raymond Willard of Summerville placed third in the male 75-79 division. Additionally, Tony Glaser of Summerville finished second in the male 70-74 division. Meanwhile on the women’s side, Patricia Gregory of Seabrook Island won first overall in the female 75-79 division, Kathryn Alexander of Mount Pleasant claimed second in the female 70-74 division and Suzanne Gallup, also of Seabrook Island, placed second overall in the female 80 and over division.
This race may be in the books, but it’s never too early to start training for the next one – and it’s going to be an event milestone. The 50th annual Bridge Run will be held on April 3, 2027.
The Bridge Run regularly attracts runners from all 50 U.S. states and participants from about 15 different countries. It is a 6.2-mile race that crosses 2.5 miles of the Ravenel Bridge and finishes at Meeting Street in downtown Charleston. For more information and to view a complete list of 2026 race results, visit bridgerun.com.
By Colin McCandless
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