Plan your next racecation at the beach and join us for the annual Myrtle Beach Marathon this March! Enjoy a weekend full of events including: a beachfront Health and Wellness Expo, full marathon, half marathon, 5K, family fun run, and two post-race celebrations! Course Whether you’re looking to qualify for …
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Plan your next racecation at the beach and join us for the annual Myrtle Beach Marathon this March! Enjoy a weekend full of events including: a beachfront Health and Wellness Expo, full marathon, half marathon, 5K, family fun run, and two post-race celebrations!
Course
Whether you’re looking to qualify for the Boston Marathon or you’re planning a fun running weekend getaway with the family, the Myrtle Beach Marathon course is the perfect place to start! With only 25 feet of elevation gain, you’ll tour one of the East Coast’s top vacation towns while earning your PR. Start near Broadway at the Beach, race along Ocean Blvd, and finish at Pelicans Ballpark for a post-race extravaganza!
Post-Race Party
Cross the finish line and celebrate your accomplishment at the Pelicans Ballpark post-race party! Recover with a team of massage therapists, say cheers with free beer, and enjoy live music from a Carolina favorite, Liquid Pleasure! Runners and spectators alike are encouraged to cheer on fellow racers at this family-friendly event that lasts all day long!
Evening Celebrations
Here at the Myrtle Beach Marathon, we believe in not one, but two post-race parties! Continue your race celebration at the Post-Race Power Hour, located in the heart of Broadway at the Beach. All runners and volunteers can enjoy complimentary beer and music at this Power Hour event from 5:30pm-6:30pm.
Explore Myrtle Beach
While in Myrtle Beach, enjoy more than 60 miles of beautiful coastline and thousands of fun activities and attractions. Catch a ride on the iconic SkyWheel, stroll down the oceanfront boardwalks, or explore, shop, and dine at Broadway at the Beach, all while experiencing true Southern hospitality.
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Well organized race
Everything was well run during this race. There were plenty of water stations and volunteers. The course was OK. It wasn't as scenic as I had hoped it would be, … MORE
Everything was well run during this race. There were plenty of water stations and volunteers. The course was OK. It wasn’t as scenic as I had hoped it would be, considering that it was on the coast. There wasn’t many views of the ocean, but it was mostly flat and fast. Swag consisted of a standard race shirt and a finisher tank top. Nothing really stood out as exceptional, but it was a really solid race.
Fun
Fun race. Well organized. Great scenery with a fairly flat course. Repeat runner look forward to running it every year. Great weather last 2 years! MORE
Fun race. Well organized. Great scenery with a fairly flat course. Repeat runner look forward to running it every year. Great weather last 2 years!
Beautiful Weather & Course
Great race. Organized professionally. Had perfect weather and course was great, as you saw a lot of the city of Myrtle Beach. Highly recommend. MORE
Great race. Organized professionally. Had perfect weather and course was great, as you saw a lot of the city of Myrtle Beach. Highly recommend.
COASTAL RACE
First time to South Carolina! Enjoyed the race through the main streets of Myrtle Beach with part of it along the coast itself. Not a lot of crowd support, some … MORE
First time to South Carolina! Enjoyed the race through the main streets of Myrtle Beach with part of it along the coast itself. Not a lot of crowd support, some near the hotels/condos along the beach but the course was flat and fast. Great after race and swag. Will be doing this one again.
Good not great
The course is easy, and flat. The start line is about a quater mile away from the staging area where all the porta johns are. Plenty of water stops and … MORE
The course is easy, and flat. The start line is about a quater mile away from the staging area where all the porta johns are. Plenty of water stops and friendly volunteers.
Ocean breezes on a flat course
It was interesting returning to Myrtle Beach after being there 15 years ago. It's a very popular vacation destination. The good news is that it was before all the spring … MORE
It was interesting returning to Myrtle Beach after being there 15 years ago. It’s a very popular vacation destination. The good news is that it was before all the spring breakers ascended upon the beach. Luckily, it is also early enough in the year that it was not too hot yet.
I didn’t arrive in Myrtle Beach until late the night before the race. They had the option to have the bib mailed so I didn’t have to worry about making it to the expo. I was able to pickup my shirt after the race. Expos can be fun, but they can also be another point of stress when coming in from out of town, so this was a nice option.
There was plenty of parking at the start at Broadway on the Beach. It was a fairly short jog from there to the start line. There were no corrals, so you could line up close to one of the pacers to get an idea of a good place to start. I felt like the runners in the front of the start did well at lining up in the proper spots because I didn’t have to dodge anyone at the start.
The course was flat and a good opportunity for a PR, although I missed one by just over 40 seconds. I enjoyed most of the route which ran by a lot of the area restaurants and attractions. I carry my own water, but there seemed to be adequate water stops along the half route. There were lots of port-a-johns at the start, but I didn’t really pay too much attention to any along the route. Something that is mostly noticed if one is needed.
It wasn’t a very breezy day overall, but once I hit mile 9, there was a bit of a wind tunnel. There were views of the ocean during this stretch between the mega hotels, but it was still appreciated. Temperature was in the mid 50s with humidity over 90%. It started out cloudy, but the sun was in full force by the end of the run.
The only complaint I had was near the end with about 1.5 miles left to go, the half marathoners meet up with the back end of the 5K. It was very congested and I had to run around them which used up excess energy and slowed me down a touch.
The medal was a nice commemorative 25th anniversary themed. The shirt was long-sleeved for men anyway and had a nice design and seems to be a good quality. The end had just a few snacks and water, nothing outstanding. The shirt pickup was in the minor league baseball stadium and was quick and easy.
I was supposed to run the Charleston half in January, but it was canceled. They are put on by the same company, so I rolled my registration over to this race. Overall, I enjoyed the race.
Fast & Flat
This was my first ever marathon, so I wasn't sure what to expect going in. When deciding which race to run I landed on Myrtle Beach because the course was … MORE
This was my first ever marathon, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in. When deciding which race to run I landed on Myrtle Beach because the course was flat, and the prior years temps seemed to be perfect.
Production: Leading up to the race the communications from race production were great! Even for a first timer everything was clearly stated and made sense to me. It was also nice that I had the option to have my race bib mailed directly to me, so I didn’t have to stress about driving down the night before to pick it up. I was a bit worried about not having corrals at the start line, but thankfully was able to find my pacer without much issue at all. During the race, aid stations & Porta potties were found around every 2 miles, and I never ran into any issues. Someone had a cup of water or gatorade ready for me every time I arrived. The finish was open and funneled runners a few hundred feet into the Pelicans stadium which kept things from getting too crowded. Time mats were spaced at 10K, Half, & 18.3. One small complaint is that it would have been nice to have a few more time mats. Also, there was no race tracker for friends and family to watch your progress through the course, which I have seen at other races.
Course Difficulty: The course was incredibly flat! Given ideal weather it is very possible to put up a fast time.
Course Scenery: Even though I have been to Myrtle Beach in the past and am familiar with the area, I was a bit let down by the scenery. Miles 1-6 were mostly down a large Hwy without much to offer in terms of views. 6-16 was a long stretch down the oceanfront strip, but you only really saw the ocean a handful of times and most of the businesses & buildings weren’t the greatest thing to look at. Then you wrapped it all up with another 10 miles of mostly highways and large residential roads.
Race Swag: We received a long sleeve tech shirt, a finishers tank top, & a pretty nice medal. I’ll probably never wear the shirt or the tank because i’m particular about my clothes and how they fit/feel. At the finish runners also received pizza & one free beer.
Overall: Overall, I think this is a perfect race for a runner who is looking to set a Personal Best. But if you are looking for an experience, I would likely point you in a different direction.
Lots of sunshine
With this being my second time running the Myrtle Beach Marathon and last year being postponed to May, I was hoping the earlier start in March would be cooler. It … MORE
With this being my second time running the Myrtle Beach Marathon and last year being postponed to May, I was hoping the earlier start in March would be cooler. It was not! The temperature still got to the upper 60’s by the end of the race and I got sunburned. The course was quite flat and a great part of it was along Ocean Boulevard, which allowed for views of the ocean and a great breeze.
The communications leading up to the race were great. There was tons of parking close to the race start/finish line. I would recommend getting there early, as the lines for the port-a-potties were quite long.
The finisher’s medal was a good size and very heavy. The race length determined the size of the medal, with the marathon having the largest. Every finisher also got a long-sleeved tech shirt and a tank top.
At the finish of the race, runners got to enjoy pizza, one free beer (with the option to purchase more), and a live band in the Pelican’s baseball stadium.
Good race for a PB
Very flat and a fast course. Great organization and the weather was near perfect. The last five miles can be tough due to the slow rise in temps but nevertheless … MORE
Very flat and a fast course. Great organization and the weather was near perfect. The last five miles can be tough due to the slow rise in temps but nevertheless for the trained mind this is a fantastic race for a PB
That's a nope.
For such a pricey race, the production was very poor. Very few volunteers bunched together at the aid stations made it impossible to get hydration which was very much needed … MORE
For such a pricey race, the production was very poor. Very few volunteers bunched together at the aid stations made it impossible to get hydration which was very much needed in the 90% humidity and heat. Some mile markers were missing. Pedestrians cut me off. The last mile and a half of the half marathon combined with walkers from the 5K so you spent the end dodging people. There was only one split timer at the 10K mark. No corrals at the start, just clusters. Very boring course that just went out and back down some roads that had a considerable amount of camber to them. The camber was pretty significant in some portions of the race to where you had to jump to the other side of the road or you were running sideways. The “expo” was just a tent outside of Fleet Feet. Medal was a nice size. Overall, I’m really disappointed in the execution of this race for the cost of it. I did PR but missed my goal by quite a bit due to the heat and humidity. Will not be returning to this race.
EDIT: I’m still having issues with my left leg and alignment after running on the slanted road for this course. I would have DNF’ed if I knew it would irritate my body this long! NOT a fan of this course.
Big race-efficient race
This is a flat, less scenic race. A few miles along the coastline helped make the middle of the race beautiful. This year there was no expo, due to the … MORE
This is a flat, less scenic race. A few miles along the coastline helped make the middle of the race beautiful. This year there was no expo, due to the pandemic, I assume. Shirts and medals were good.
Best Flat Course with great support
Great flat course Well Organized with more corals Good Support from crowd Good Swag Nice Weather Water Stations every 1.5 miles and great support. MORE
Great flat course
Well Organized with more corals
Good Support from crowd
Good Swag
Nice Weather
Water Stations every 1.5 miles and great support.
Great choice for first marathon
Over a year ago, I decided I would wait until I turned 50 to run my first marathon. I had planned on making a trip out of it, going someplace … MORE
Over a year ago, I decided I would wait until I turned 50 to run my first marathon. I had planned on making a trip out of it, going someplace that I hadn’t been before. Then COVID hit and races began getting cancelled. I ended up choosing the Myrtle Beach Marathon, so that even if the race got cancelled, we could still go and enjoy the weekend. The race happened and I did it! I ran my first full marathon!
The original scheduled date was March, which is definitely a better choice than May, as the temperature got to the upper 60’s by the end of the race. The course was quite flat and a great part of it was along Ocean Boulevard, which allowed for views of the ocean and a great breeze. Many runners complained about the headwind, but I found it refreshing.
The communications leading up to the race were great. There was tons of parking close to the race start/finish line. The race was also well executed for COVID restrictions, with wave starts every 2 minutes. With the number of runners (close to 1000 for the marathon alone), this allowed for ample spacing of runners. I was not crowded during the race, yet I was never alone either.
This stagger also meant that there was not a huge gathering at the finish line. While normally I would enjoy a cheering crowd, it was also nice to NOT have a crowd to (literally) run into at the finish. There was plenty of post-race, prepackaged food and water, though no beer.
The medal was a good size and very heavy. Every finisher also got a long-sleeved tech shirt and a tank top.
Overall, I consider it a great choice for my first marathon and look forward to running it again, when it’s in the cooler month of March.
What a great race!
I really enjoyed this course and if it hadn't been for wearing the wrong shorts, I probably would have PR'ed. Every runner has an excuse, right? I highly recommend the … MORE
I really enjoyed this course and if it hadn’t been for wearing the wrong shorts, I probably would have PR’ed. Every runner has an excuse, right? I highly recommend the MBM!
Wonderful Race!!
There were plenty of hydration stops and the volunteers were so helpful! I loved that everything was well organized and super smooth. They had great precautions for Covid. This was … MORE
There were plenty of hydration stops and the volunteers were so helpful! I loved that everything was well organized and super smooth. They had great precautions for Covid. This was my first time running this race and it was the best experience. No hills but it was very windy at one point which can increase the difficulty.
Beautiful, flat,scenic course!
They presented a great race race! Awesome metals ( opportunity to earn 3 metals!) 2 very cool shirts! I love this beach town race! The salt water air and beautiful … MORE
They presented a great race race! Awesome metals ( opportunity to earn 3 metals!) 2 very cool shirts! I love this beach town race! The salt water air and beautiful sunshine accompanied me through out this race!
First Timer...and will be returning!
This race was a PR for me, shaving nearly 25 minutes off my 'flat course' PR (I keep a separate record for downhill races, and I even bested that time … MORE
This race was a PR for me, shaving nearly 25 minutes off my ‘flat course’ PR (I keep a separate record for downhill races, and I even bested that time as well). The course was nearly flat and the weather (for me at least) was perfect. There was some headwind along Oceanfront Blvd, but I’ll take the wind over rain any day. Course support was top-notch. I was a little worried about the plastic bottle disposal considering we were so close to the ocean, but volunteer clean-up mitigated the situation well on race day. I actually enjoyed carrying leftover water in a bottle which was useful when the sun came out later on in the morning. Perhaps smaller bottles (8 oz instead of 16 oz) could be considered in the future. The crowds, though limited, were very supportive and I was pleased to see people come out to cheer us on.
The race swag was nice as well: the finisher medal is one of the largest in my collection, and I appreciated getting *two* quality finisher shirts which will be worn again (often times, I donate my finisher shirts if they are not to my liking; this is not the case for this race).
Aforementioned, the course was flat. I would have liked to see more ocean views but understand that may not be feasible. There is also limited shade on this course, so dressing appropriately is key to a good race.
This may be an unpopular opinion: This race was postponed from early March, and if it was my call, I think the May date should be the permanent race date. I am sure the March date brings cooler conditions, but I personally like the warmer races as long as I stay properly hydrated.
I would like to see race photos included. That is always a welcomed addition to any race.
Building up to the race, customer service was attentive and answered my questions in a timely manner. This is always appreciated especially for those runners traveling long distances to run a race. Also, registration fees were very reasonable and worth every dollar for admission.
I will be returning to this race and will try to recruit my fellow runners from Colorado to check it out in the years ahead. I am saying nothing but good things about the Myrtle Beach Marathon, and I look forward to seeing this race under no COVID restrictions.
Amazing event!!! Loved it!
Course was primarily flat, very well set up, easy to find start and finish. Excellent placement of water stations, awesome volunteers, great job at finish line with organization. Loved the … MORE
Course was primarily flat, very well set up, easy to find start and finish. Excellent placement of water stations, awesome volunteers, great job at finish line with organization. Loved the medal and shirts I got. Will definitely run this again!!!
My fastest marathon yet. Flat/Fast
Myrtle beach marathon is a flat and fast course. It’s a great course to BQ on. It happens usually in March so it’s usually cooler weather, perfect for distance running. … MORE
Myrtle beach marathon is a flat and fast course. It’s a great course to BQ on. It happens usually in March so it’s usually cooler weather, perfect for distance running. The race is well organized and fun. Crowds are cool and the beach scenery great. You need to do this race.
Flat as it gets
This is the flattest marathon in this part of the country; my watch showed 39 feet of elevation in 26.2 miles. I have run it twice and will do it … MORE
This is the flattest marathon in this part of the country; my watch showed 39 feet of elevation in 26.2 miles. I have run it twice and will do it again just for that reason. Run this race when you want a PR or BQ.
The race shirt is not great – heat applied decal on a cheap technical shirt. I didn’t save mine. However, they also give you a finisher tank at the end of the race and that was pretty nice. I still run in mine from 2019. The medals are nice. The expo is dreadful. In 2019 it was in a hotel and it was tiny but fine. In 2020, it was at a Dave & Busters which was super loud. There were no booths or anything. It was clearly an attempt to get runners to buy food and spend money on video games. I hope they go back to a hotel packet pick-up.
The course is not scenic, but it is interesting. You run right down the main drag for a long time so you can look at all the hotels and cheesy boardwalk shops. Myrtle Beach has more pancake houses than anywhere in the country, so much of the route smells like pancakes. The loop through the upscale shopping area usually has crowds with funny signs. There is just one part around mile 19 or 20 that is along a freeway bypass road that is really unattractive. There was plenty of water on the course.
There are many sports where the road slopes down on the sides. Try and stay in the middle or you’ll get some nasty blisters! There is tons are free parking at the race start, so you can stay anywhere in MB and get there just fine. Rates are usually very low this time of year, so it is not an expensive trip to go to this race.
I’ll keep doing this one mostly because the course is just so darn fast!