Thousands of runners and walkers will descend on North Charleston this week before taking to the streets for the 49th annual Cooper River Bridge Run, with the Bridge Run Expo serving as the first stop on the road to race day.

The expo, held at the North Charleston Convention Center, gives participants two days to pick up their race packets, browse vendor booths, and gather last-minute information before the starting gun fires. For many runners, the expo is as much a part of the Bridge Run tradition as the race itself.

The Cooper River Bridge Run draws participants from across the country and around the world each spring, making it one of the largest 10K races in the United States. The 49th running of the event marks nearly five decades of the race threading through Charleston’s streets and over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

Packet pickup at the expo is required for all registered participants. Runners and walkers must collect their bibs and race materials in person, which means the convention center becomes a hub of pre-race energy in the days leading up to the event. Organizers schedule the expo across two days to spread out the crowds and give participants flexibility.

Vendors fill the expo floor with everything from running gear and apparel to nutrition products and local businesses looking to connect with the athletic community. The setup gives smaller vendors a direct line to a highly engaged audience, and it gives runners a chance to stock up on anything they might need before race morning.

Pre-race information sessions and displays give first-time participants a chance to learn the course layout, understand the pace corrals, and ask questions of event staff. Veterans of the race often use the expo to reconnect with other regulars and check out what has changed from year to year.

The Bridge Run has grown considerably since its debut in 1978. What started as a smaller road race has expanded into a weekend-long civic event that draws corporate sponsors, tourism dollars, and significant attention to the Charleston region. The race generates economic activity across hotels, restaurants, and local retailers as participants and their families fill the area for the weekend.

Race organizers have worked in recent years to improve the expo experience alongside the race itself, recognizing that for many participants the expo visit sets the tone for their entire weekend. A smooth, well-organized expo can ease pre-race nerves and build excitement. A chaotic one can do the opposite.

North Charleston serves as the host city for the expo, which reflects the race’s geographic footprint. The run itself starts in Mount Pleasant, crosses the Ravenel Bridge, and finishes in downtown Charleston, weaving through multiple jurisdictions. The expo’s placement in North Charleston keeps the event spread across the broader region rather than concentrated solely in the peninsula.

Registration for the 49th annual race has drawn participants of varying experience levels, from competitive runners chasing personal records to walkers completing the 10K as a personal milestone. The Bridge Run has long prided itself on being accessible to participants across the fitness spectrum, and the expo reflects that diversity in the products and information on offer.

For out-of-town participants making the trip to Charleston specifically for the race, the expo often doubles as their introduction to the area. Vendors and tourism representatives use the opportunity to highlight local attractions and encourage participants to extend their stay beyond race weekend.

Organizers have not announced changes to the expo format compared to previous years, suggesting this edition will follow the established two-day structure that participants have come to expect.

The race itself will send tens of thousands of participants across the Ravenel Bridge with views of the Charleston harbor, the same stretch that has drawn runners back year after year. The expo is where that journey formally begins, bib in hand, with race day just hours away.