12th Annual 'Conquer The Bridge' Run Held This Labor Day

SAN PEDRO (CBSLA) - Thousands of people took to the South Bay early Labor Day for a five mile walk-run that started at the Port of Los Angeles.

"How many times can you say you've run over the Vincent Thomas Bridge," participant Juanita Turner said.

Turner and her fitness group, Black Girls Run, can say they've run over the bridge about six or seven times and can, once again, say they've conquered the 1,500 foot suspension bridge.

The 5.3 mile Labor Day race loops across the bridge and back.

"It's pretty great looking down over the cranes and you're up as high as all the cranes," said one racer who's been coming back since the inaugural race.

Last year, concerns over COVID-19 shut the race down.

Some of the first runners to cross the finish lines did so in under 30 minutes, but today was about more than just a fast finish.

"It's fully open now. It has been for about a month or so," said a volunteer with the USS Iowa, who dressed in battleship blues and hoping participants might visit them next.

San Pedro High's cross-country team got in a workout with cheering fans.

"After COVID, anything like this is wonderful and the fact that all these people have shown up and everybody's complying with masks and everybody's doing the best they can, it just shows that we're resilient," said once race-goer.