North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By Ruben Lowman
Thousands of runners will unite across the Grand Strand this weekend and make the trek to Main Street and Ocean Boulevard in North Myrtle Beach for the first annual Sunglasses Half Marathon and 5K.
The event, which is being held by Coastal Race Productions, a locally-owned small family business that has been hosting premier races between the NMB and Wilmington, N.C., areas over the last decade, will give participants exhilarating ocean views as they hit the ground running early Saturday morning and wind their way through the city.
“Run North Myrtle Beach Sunglasses Half Marathon & 5K is on March 26, set in beautiful North Myrtle Beach with both the start and finish on Main Street,” said JoJo Terragna, race director for Coastal Race Productions.
Terragna said the company is excited to be partnering with McLeod Health and some community groups like the Kiwanis Club of North Myrtle Beach/Little River to bring the new race to the city.
“McLeod is the title sponsor and will be heavily represented on the course race day, as well as the North Myrtle Beach/Little River Kiwanis,” Terragna said. “We are thrilled to have such engaging partners who want to be so heavily involved in the community.”
The inaugural sunglasses half marathon event weekend is coming just on the heels of the company’s Winter Run 2022 Half Marathon here in North Myrtle Beach, which was held on Feb. 12, after being delayed a bit due to the winter storm the area experienced in late January.
Terragna described what it is that motivates them to put these events on and why they choose the city and the local area.
“We at Coastal Race Productions are very passionate about both the health and mental benefits of running. We love creating finish lines for others to set a goal and cross it,” Terragna said. “We also have a strong focus on sports tourism and bring people to an area we’ve grown to love and call home.”
The sunglasses half marathon will snake its way around three different neighborhoods in the city starting bright and early at 7:45 a.m., taking in beautiful and scenic views in Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach and Cherry Grove. Terragna said the event is rigorously planned with city officials in order to make it as safe and fun for everyone involved.
“We work closely with city officials and law enforcement to choose a route that is safe and manageable with traffic control and also aesthetically pleasing for participants,” Terragna said. “It’s really a beautiful race course and I think both participants and volunteers will enjoy it very much!”
The route sees it follow the boulevard and Holly Drive from Main Street until 26th Avenue South in Crescent Beach, then turning around and coming back down Main Street towards Highway 17 in Ocean Drive.
After taking a right onto 2nd Avenue North, runners will follow Hillside Drive to 18th Avenue North, before taking a winding path that will see them go down Princess Ann Drive, 11th Avenue North and Captain Hooks Way, before venturing down to 20thAvenue North in Cherry Grove, taking a right down the boulevard and finishing back on Main Street.
The 5K will cut its way through just the Ocean Drive section of the race loop, beginning and ending at Main Street also, with a 6:45 a.m. start that will give runners the chance to catch the sunrise over the beach as they head south down the boulevard.
Terragna said that as race participants cross the finish line, there will be a photographer on hand to capture their shining moment in the sun. Then they’ll grab their medal and T-shirt before exiting the finish corral and awaiting the awards being given out to the race winners. Participants can also choose to run both races and earn an extra surfboard challenge slider to their special sunglass-themed medal.
The awards for the 5K will be handed out at 8 a.m., Terragna said, including overall, masters and age group awards. She said they would begin handing out the awards for the half marathon at 10:30, with the cutoff time for the race an hour later.
Terragna said event organizers were expecting a big turnout.
“For this first year event we set a goal of 1,000 runners, and I think we will hit closer to 1,200!” Terragna said.
After the race, participants and spectators can wind down at the event’s special after-party, where there will be a beer garden, music and famous Carolina BBQ waiting for them. Crooked Hammock Brewery at Barefoot Landing will also be holding an After-After-Party that will take place following the event.
The city of North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department will also be partnering with Coastal Race Productions to hold a race expo the day before the event, this Friday, March 25, from 2 to 7 p.m. at the J. Bryan Community Center on Possum Trot Road. Runners and event attendees can go and pick up their bibs and check out some of the details and sponsors of the event this year.
