Myrtle Beach Marathon undecided on deal for runners

Myrtle Beach marathon organizers said Monday they have made no decision yet about refunds for those who didn't get to run Saturday when snow Friday night prompted the city of Myrtle Beach to call off the events.

Though the marathon board is meeting today, the marathon's president and race co-director, Shaun Walsh, said he does not anticipate a decision coming from the discussion.

"We want to do this in a timely manner, but we're not going to jump and make a snap decision," he said. "We have to look at all the possibilities."

The city pulled the plug on Saturday's marathon and half-marathon when snow began piling up Friday night. It continued to fall, up to 5 inches in some places, until about 4 a.m.

Because the course is not closed, runners would be on the streets with cars for part of the race, and the city said it was concerned about that scenario. Plus, city spokesman Mark Kruea said, the 1,500 marathon volunteers would have had to drive in the dark along snowy, slippery roads to get the course starting line and other locations along the route in place in time.

The National Weather Service forecast that night called for freezing rain that could pile up on power lines and trees and cause limbs and lines to fall. Walsh said that wasn't a good situation, either.

"If someone had been injured, that would have been worse," Walsh said. "Then we would have been having a conversation about why we didn't call the race."

He said there will be conversations in coming weeks about how to prevent a race being called off again, such as a completely closed course.

"From crisis comes change," Walsh said.

The city has received dozens of phone calls and about 100 e-mails from people who, for the most part, understood the safety concerns, though they weren't happy about the decision, Kruea said.

"We wish it wouldn't have been necessary, either," he said.

One local businessman isn't buying the city's reasoning.

Jurgen Zimmer, who owns The Foot Place on 53rd Avenue North and Kings Highway, said the city's decision cost him between $4,500 and $6,000.

"Upset isn't the word for it," Zimmer said. "What is the city going to do now? Raise taxes again? They do not know how to attract tourism."

He's mad about the city's 1 percent sales tax to raise money to promote tourism, and the decisions it made to push away the May motorcycle rallies. He said he'd like to organize a group of business owners to "go against the city."

Zimmer said it was "ridiculous" to cancel the race with 3 inches of snow on the ground, and said the city could have closed a lane of traffic to keep the course closed throughout, or delayed the race until 10 a.m. or later. Ever since the city made the call Friday night, organizers have been talking about options.

One idea that's not on the table is a reschedule.

"That can't happen this year because of the time it takes to put the race together, and the volunteers," Walsh said. "Also, the city is pretty booked up with events."

He said no matter what, runners will not receive full refunds of the $50 to $100 entry fees they paid.

The marathon's Web site says, "Once your registration has been accepted, all fees are non-refundable (for any reason). This includes all circumstances including the event not being held."

But Walsh said, "We're trying to make it right and fair for everyone." He explained that a lot of the weekend's costs are incurred long before the race starts, including advertising nearly a year ahead of the events, and that it simply isn't possible to give full refunds.

Also, the weekend's events are supposed to benefit four charities - the American Red Cross, the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, Horry County Schools, and Horry County Special Needs and Disabilities.

Walsh said he cannot see how the marathon board can give the Red Cross and the leukemia society less than the minimum that's been promised to them - $2 from each entry fee. Luckily for Horry County Schools and the special needs organization, their donations come from the bike race and the fun run, which were held Sunday. Walsh said how much more than the minimum each charity gets depends on what's left over after the weekend's expenses are cleared and the next year's seed money is set in place.

Walsh said he realizes there are going to be people who are mad enough not to return, but he hopes that won't be the majority.

"This was the biggest snowfall on the Grand Strand in what, 10 years?" he said. "It can't happen twice, can it?"