May 16 (UPI) -- A South Carolina resort says it already has a record 161 people signed up to run an annual 5k race with an unusual twist: it's clothing-optional.
The Carolina Foothills Resort, a nudist resort in Spartanburg County, said this year's Buck Creek Streak 5k already has a record high number of people registered for the June 14 race.
"You can go anywhere and do a 5k, but you can't go anywhere and run a 5k naked," Tom Crowder, who sits on the resort's board of directors, told The Post and Courier newspaper. "If you go to the turkey trot and drop your drawers, you're probably gonna be arrested."
This year's race offers an option to "go the extra mile" and run 7.3k in honor of race founder Mike Ward, who died at the age of 73 in 2017. People who register for the 7.3k will also be eligible to win the 5k, organizers said.
"A lot of people will come here for the first time during the 5k, which to me is pretty bold to come here for the first time and have that many people around," Crowder said. "But a lot of people will come back after that first visit because they'll have such a great time."
Organizers said first-time visitors to the resort must pass a background check before being allowed onto resort grounds. Registration for newcomers is open until June 13, while returning visitors to the resort can register on the day of the 5k.
Registration includes a free lunch and a day pass to explore the clothing-optional resort.
"It's a great time," Crowder said. "If it wasn't fun, we wouldn't have a record number of people signed up. It's an all-day event. It's just a good time."
