BI-LO Myrtle Beach Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Sid B.
Goose Creek, SC

  (02-23-2011)

"This event was cancelled last year due to snow and the city of Mytle beach pulling the permit to run the event. Due to this,the Marathon took alot of heat from runners.
This year Mother Nature smiled on us,and the weather was perfect.
A new Marathon course was used,and I found it to be fast and flat. You get to run thru the old Myrtle Beach Air force base,past a very nice memorial and along Ocean Blvd,were all the beach resort hotels are. Some of the course is on areas being developed,so can be boring,but trying to run a marathon and not shut down the City is a hard thing to do,and I found that this course was a good compromise.
The Volunteers are AWESOME,they do a fantastic job. Water stops were about every 2 miles,whicch I found to be a good distance,and towards the final miles they had oranges,bananas and gue. They also gave out bottles of water if you wanted at mile 23.
The finish is at the minor League Ball park,a really nice medal,and plenty of food.
I will be back again."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2011

l d.
,

  (08-06-2009)

"This was my first ever marathon, so it holds a special place in my heart. The course is FLAT. Crowd support is thin (in the full marathon at least) but the race is in a beach town during the off season. The race was well-organized though I don't remember ever seeing any Gu's/gels on the course. I may have been too "out of it" because I believe they were advertised to be there. I'm sure things have also changed and improved over the past few years."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2006

Christine R.
Conway, SC

  (08-03-2009)

"I live in MB and have done this or the half every year since we have been here except when I gave birth in January. Overall it is a good race but if I were redesigning it, I would reverse the course. The end is SOOO boring! You run the last 6 miles on Kings Hwy with no Ocean Views. If the course were reversed, at least many of the last miles would be Ocean Front. Luckily, though, "the wall" miles--16-19--are GORGEOUS!

I set a PR here and it is very FLAT. I plan on doing it every year that we live here because it is so convenient. The early start and the fact that it is on a Saturday makes the weekend seem extra long--much needed when recovering from a marathon!"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Heather G.
Myrtle Beach, SC

  (06-11-2009)

"The 5k is a great way to start off the Myrtle Beach Marathon weekend! It starts off at the shopping/entertainment complex "Broadway at the Beach" which ensures there is PLENTY of parking. You run one full lap around the complex, then down Grissom Parkway to the finish line at the Myrtle Beach Pelican's baseball field. It uses the same finish line as the marathon and half marathon (the next day). This race is great for first timers, because you literally can not get lost! Not only is the course clearly marked, but it is so open you can almost see the entire race. You start in the daylight, and finish in the dark, so it is a neat change from morning races. And everyone recieves a finishers medal at the end,which is not normally common in a 5k!

Not up for review, but worth mentioning, is the Ripley's family fun run that goes on at the same time and same location as the 5k. The fun run is a one mile, untimed race for all agestakes place within Broadway at the Beach. you run over bridges, past the duck ponds, and even through the shark tunnel inside the aquarium! It finishes off with a post race party in the aquarium . All finishers recieve a certificate, and in the past, Chik-Fil-A has provided meals for all participants. It's a little chaotic (how could it not be with all those kids running around!) but is an awesome addition to the Myrtle Beach Marathon weekend for families! "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Vinh N.
North Charleston, SC

  (05-15-2009)

"My first half marathon. Funny how I just jumped right into full marathons first. Anyway, I ran a decent race. I took it slow in the beginning to get warmed up. The weather was perfect (overcast and cool) with a nice breeze from the ocean. I think anyone who lives near Myrtle Beach should run this race. "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Vinh N.
North Charleston, SC

  (05-15-2009)

"This was my first marathon and in my hometown. It was a great experience although I felt like I didn't do my best. I pulled both my calf muscles at mile 18 and was suffering the last 8.2 miles. At least I finished and didn't quit. I used to hate running but now I do it to challenge myself. The course was relatively flat, maybe a few slight inclines. You run right next to the ocean which had a great view and cool breeze. The crowds were decent, not very big but enough to keep you motivated. There was only a few thousand runners so it wasn't too congested which may be a good race to run a PR. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007