Charleston Distance Run
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The Charleston Distance Run is a 15 mile road running event held annually in Charleston, West Virginia. The race starts at the corner of Virginia Street and Civic Center Drive. The course winds through Charleston's South Hills for six miles before crossing back over the South Side Bridge. The final nine miles are flat; runners go past the West Virginia State Capitol, along the Kanawha River, before finishing at Laidley Field.
The race was started in 1973 by Don Cohen, an eye doctor in Charleston. Cohen wanted to create a race that coincided with the annual Sternwheel Regatta, so he teamed up with city leaders and police to find a route. The race ended up being 15 miles simply because Cohen liked the course.
Francis Bowen of West Chester, Pennsylvania won the 2005 Charleston Distance Run with a time of 1:15:31 (5:03 per mile pace).
