Did you know there’s a “Myrtle Beach” and a “North Myrtle Beach?” …And they’re not exactly super close to each other? I know that now, but I didn’t know that before…
I thought i was soooooo cool, staying just down the street. But in the morning, I went to what I thought the race start was. And nothing was set up. No one was there. So, I started googling stuff, and also walked into the nearest hotel lobby to ask some questions of the person at the front desk. Once I’d gotten the mix-up figured out, I walked outside and there was a group of women all starting to congeal together looking for the start. I quickly told everyone we weren’t in “North Myrtle Beach.” People started piling into cars. I grabbed an uber with a small group of women, and we all went there as fast as we could.
The race had started. We missed the start. But I was still able to get my packet. I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch up to the half marathon, so I walked the 5k to the best of my ability. (I’m not positive I did the exact course, as it was being taken down, but I followed what I pretty much thought it was, and did over 3.1 miles. I got the tiara and medal and everything. But, because we started late, they wouldn’t give official finisher times.
Another thing I didn’t realize is that there’s a whole “tourist season” down in Myrtle Beach and a number of fun-seeming attractions weren’t open. I was just a couple of weeks, shy it seemed.
So, be careful about what time of year you plan your trip to Myrtle Beach. And also, know the difference between run-of-the-mill Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach…