MYRTLE BEACH -- It looks like a beautiful forecast for the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon and the Dasani Half Marathon this weekend.
That's quite a contrast to last year, when a snow storm canceled the race.
But is it possible the weather will be too good? Many runners have been training in freezing conditions for weeks now, but they'll likely be finishing the marathon in weather that's sunny and in the mid- 60's, according to NewsChannel 15 Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski. He says a weak cold front will move through Myrtle Beach Saturday morning with a few clouds, but no rain. Temperatures will be near 53 for the start of the marathon, slowly warming to near 60 by 10 a.m. and 65 by Noon. Winds are expected to be from the northwest at 5 - 15 mph and humidity levels will be in the comfortable range. Overall, great weather for running!
Bob Bruce has run every Myrtle Beach Marathon since the first one 13 years ago. He likes to train in the same kind of weather that's expected for the race, though this year, he's trained in cold weather, and will be running in warm conditions.
He doesn't think it'll be a problem. "You just dress in different clothes, different layers and you're more cautious going out, you take your time going out, to get your body kind of acclimated, accustomed to the cold."
Bruce says staying properly hydrated is the biggest issue for runners and race president Shaun Walsh agrees. "As long as it's not too humid and even in that case, it's just a matter of maintaining your fluid intake and not over-hydrating, making sure you understand your sweat rates and how much you're losing per mile."
Walsh says after last year's cancellation due to snow, he was elated to hear a forecast for this weekend calling for sunshine and warm temperatures. It's more like the kind of weather that organizers had come to expect since the first marathon in 1998. "Those last 2 winters have been by all accounts extremely, miserably cold, so for us to have this kind of weather break at the right time is absolutely fantastic."
Shaun Walsh has offered NewsChannel 15 Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski a $10 bill if the forecast holds through the weekend. Ed's pretty confident, but it is still five days away!
You'll actually be able to watch the runners cross the finish line Saturday, on WPDE's secondary digital channel, 15.2. We'll have a live picture of the finish line starting at 7:30 a.m. and going until about noon, courtesy of Lucky Dog Productions and the marathon organizers. If you're on HTC it's channel 93. If you're on Time Warner, it's channel 106.
