Myrtle Beach Marathon cancelled

MYRTLE BEACH, scnow.com reports—

While many people welcomed the snow Saturday, a large group in Myrtle Beach did not. People planning to run the Myrtle Beach Marathon were out of luck, because the race was cancelled.

At 7:00 Saturday morning, the parking lot at Broadway at the Beach should have been packed with runners from around the country.

But Friday night’s snow had other plans.

“Last night watching TV, actually I think I was watching News 13 and we saw the trailer saying the race was cancelled, and I told my wife, ‘I’m running anyway’,” said Charley Brown, one runner.

Race officials said runners won’t be refunded their money, and some [runners] weren’t too happy.

“I had to take 2 days off work,” said Leslie Devoe, one runner from Summerville, SC. “I had to pay for a hotel, my fiancé had to take 2 days off work, and now we’ve done this for really not much. It’s a bone crushing disappointment,“ he said.

Race directors shared in the frustration.

But they said the snow would have been unsafe for everyone involved.

“The 120-odd city employees that would have been out at 1am in the snow and in the traffic, also that the 90 police officers that would have been out on the course,” said Shaun Walsh, race Director. “The 1500 volunteers that we have to mobilize around the course to make sure the runners are safe and also get their water, and food, and Powerade as well,“ he said.

The cancellation of the marathon means that more than 76,000 bottles of water are going to have to be sent back to the manufacturer.

More than 40 tents and displays will have to be packed up and sent back to Pennsylvania.

And over 6.000 medals won’t get handed out this year at the end of the race.

As crews begin to pack up the 2010 marathon, some people are angry.

“I seriously doubt I’m ever going to try and enter this competition ever again,“ Devoe said.

Others aren’t letting the snow keep them down.

“There is a marathon in Antarctica, and there’s one in Death Valley in the summer,” said Brown. “You can’t stop runners from running.”

Race directors said the after party is still going on Saturday at the House of Blues.

They said they will have the runners’ medals there.

They ask people to bring their race number to claim your medal.