Thanks to Roscoe Griffin, President of Myrtle Beach's Grand Strand Running Club, and Jane Serues, Chairman of the club's membership committee, I spent the day selling books, interacting with fellow runners, and meeting other members of the Grand Strand Running Club at the Myrtle Beach Marathon Expo.
After a few hours at a table with club members Ed Sweatt and Debbie Heller, I arrived at the conclusion that this fine local running club is organized and run the way running clubs are supposed to be.
Weather forecasts predicted a chilly start to the Myrtle Beach Marathon. We all have experienced the dilemma: How do I dress for a cold start, but a warm finish?
Well, the Grand Strand Running Club offered a solution to all runners. They placed a drop box at mile four. Excess clothing could be deposited in the box, then retrieved at the finish line.
Brilliant!
The Grand Strand Running Club sponsors races throughout the year in the Myrtle Beach area, They hold weekly group runs and speed workouts.
Well, at the risk of missing some of the club's services to its members, take a look at the club's 2014 accomplishments, as listed on their website.
The Grand Strand Running Club is an organization dedicated to the development of running as a vital activity for the betterment of its members’ health and well-being and to promote the sport of running in the Grand Strand.
2014 Achievements:
- Advanced membership database development
- Continued NEW website improvement and functionality
- Created transparency in the financial controls
- Promoted and achieved greater membership participation at the committee level
- Ran successful 5k and half marathon training programs
- Promoted October as GSRC Safety Awareness Month
- Offered a promotional code for Road ID
- Produced successful GSRC races during the year
- Produced another successful Grand Prix series
- More interesting Membership/Social meetings
- Expanded the Kids Running Program
- BFF Pink Ribbon Run raised thousands of dollars for Cancer Research
- South End and Conway Area Running Groups expanded
- Produced a monthly digital newsletter
- Participated in the 2nd Annual Border Battle with the Wilmington Road Running Club
- Increased Scholarships Awards
- Created a Communications Committee
- Established a greater Social Media presence through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
- Hosted the RRCA 10K South Carolina State Championship
- Hosted a Club Member Tent at the Myrtle Beach Marathon
- Produced a NEW Logo and T-shirt designs
My wife and I recently purchased a place in Myrtle Beach, and we plan to assume a "dual citizenship" between our home in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. The Grand Strand Running Club will enable us to integrate and become a part of a viable local running community.
Running clubs like the Grand Strand Running Club provide a means of expanding the running population, by encouraging people of all ages and abilities to get involved in our sport. They make running fun by providing opportunities for social interaction as well.
And, remember, there is always strength in numbers. A running club can influence local officials to become more receptive to the needs of runners.
If you plan to come to the Myrtle Beach area, look up the Grand Strand Running Club at:www.grandstrandrunner.com
I'm sure many of you belong to a running club. Let me know about your club, what it does, and the services it provides, and I will write about it in a future blog.
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