My first marathon. But not my 'first rodeo.' I was strictly a 10k person prior to this, so aid stations, porta-johns (beyond the start), and food were sort of new to me.

I had a really good experience. The weather was awesome. When it was over, it was nice enough outside to stand in cold water, catch some rays and drink a few beers.

RATINGS
The fans: 4 stars. Sparse at some spots. The winner (who passed me going the wrong direction around 14 miles :)) was pretty much alone on the course. I don't think many people knew, 'Hey, that guy is the leader and he is hammering it.' Enthusiasum of volunteers: 5 stars. I really appreciated you folks' support.

Course: 3-4 stars. Flat yes, scenic no. The start was crowded but there were pacers and a few people knew to find them and use them. Starting near the ball stadium was a good idea. One comment though: those persons standing in the restroom to stay warm need to make room for those that really need to... you know... GO. :)

I will do it again if for no other reason than the cute, gray-haired volunteers screaming their heads off - "you can do it" - and the Mich. Ultra at the finish.

The course was great as far as lots of food and drinks available. More porta-johns were needed along the course. More music and live entertainment was also needed.

This was my first half marathon, and a very exciting one I might add. The weather was cool, the course flat... a bit slanted at some points, but overall quite good.

I enjoyed the marathoners and half marathoners running together, it gave me inspiration to eventually run a full marathon.

As for the starting line, it could have been better organized. There were no announcements, and I would suggest pace signs so slow runners & walkers know where to line up.

This was a great race and would highly recommend it to others... especially the newbies.

I thought the race was run excellent! Weather cooperated well, but I can easily see that wind could be a factor...I think this year was less windy than normal. Water cups were great...they were big...thanks Wendy's! It would be nice if the aid stations were 50' away from the actual mile markers. Many times I was trying to hit my lap button on my watch and get a cup of water at the same time, but thats pretty good if that's all I can come up with. Lots of massage tables after the race without lines! Great race! I would recommend.

Looping course, changed directions frequently, flat, not closed to traffic, but traffic control was excellent. Running lanes somewhat restricted so lots of runner congestion in early miles; cleared-up after half marathon point was passed. Half and full start at the same time, creates a real mess at the start. A 10-15 minute difference in start times would have helped, or separate corral for walkers. Nice touch - flavor of Powerade varied between water stops. Another concern - used my own chip but could not validate my chip prior to the race - hope I'm in there!

This was my second marathon (first was Philly in 2003) and if you are looking for a fast marathon with good weather this is your race. Pros: fast, flat course with sparse but enthusiastic fans. Well organized with a good expo and medal. Cons: Myrtle Beach is Nascar and Harley Davidson country so the only scenery is T-shirt shops and pancake houses. 'Ocean scenery' is a stretch due to the hotels packed on either side of the street along Ocean Blvd. You have to look at the ocean between cracks between hotels. If you are staying on Ocean Blvd. (stayed in a nice, clean hotel for 40 bucks!) you will be hearing loud low-rider trucks with bass thumping until 3 in the morning - but that's Myrtle.

All that being said South Carolinians are kind, warm, hospitable people that put on a great marathon. I ran like crap but the conditions were ideal. ALL miles clearly marked, with Powerade every 2 miles and gels toward the end. All in all enjoyed the experience and recommend it to anyone who is close to a BQ or wants to run a PR.

This is the 4th time I've run the marathon.

Packet pickup/registration: Perfect. Local beer (New South) free, and it was good. No problems.

T-shirt/Medal: T-shirt is much better this year. Any way we can have performance gear? I'd be willing to pay a few more bucks. The medal is nothing to write home about.

Course: I liked the changes this year, but there is still Route 17 (business) to deal with. It is so rutted and slanted. There was construction for 2 miles next to the ocean and the road was torn up. I ran on the sidewalk for a while beacuse it was really too hard to run on the road. 'Things happen,' but the RD needs to keep everyone informed. If there was an announcement or notice, I didn't hear it.

Race/Volunteers: Great on the course. Intersections were controlled. I liked the man at mile 17 or so who was cheering everyone on while smoking a cigar. It was funny.

Weather: 30 at start, 50 at finish. Light winds. Perfect this year.

Aid: Water stops and Powerade plentiful. One Carb-Boom stop at 16--basically three guts handing out plain and apple Carb-Boom.

Finish area: Professional for the runners. Outside the runners area a lot of the relayers and 1/2 marathoners had taken the H2O. The finish food was not that great. I've had better at 5ks. Why do you need to cut up bananas? The beer was a nice touch. It seemed the better food was for sale.

Value? For $45.00, it's a good deal.

I participated in the half marathon as preparation for Boston. I would attend the event again but I would recommend the following:

1. One-stop registration is much more efficient. I stood in four separate lines (bib, t-shirt, chip, and map/information).
2. The start needs to be reworked. It was much to slow.
3. Results are still not posted on the website. Why?

This was my first marathon and I couldn't ask for anything better. The support and help that I got was oustanding and the spectators were awesome. Also, the course was really flat and easy to navigate.

This was my first marathon. The course was great except for miles 17 - 19 (the road was under construction). The weather could not have been more perfect. The spectators were few but they really cheered you on!