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Jul 7, 2024

Kiawah Island Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Kiawah Island Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.2

Number of comments: 211 [displaying comments 131 to 141]

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R. M. from Tennessee (12/11/2006) "A well-organized race in a beautiful location" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 For my second marathon ever, I wanted a smallish field and my best possible time. Kiawah was ideal this year... flat course, calm and cool weather, and great organization. The check-in was effortless and thorough (the timing chips were verified for function and ID), the race started on time, and there was hardly any traffic to contend with throughout. The crowd of runners at the start thinned out surprisingly fast. Not a lot of spectators, but the only ones I needed were family, and they were able to see me several times in the race. The evening seafood buffet was good, and I especially enjoyed seeing the video of the race which played continuously through dinner. Kiawah itself is beautiful (we stayed on the island), and walking on the beach the day before and after the race was a bonus. The only negative was not being able to drive the course ahead of time, as it is almost completely contained inside a gated community. But since it was a double loop, I certainly knew what to expect for the second half. I ran about as good a race as I can, and while I didn't qualify for Boston, I did feel this course offered me a chance to see the best I was capable of.
J. S. from Raleigh, NC (12/10/2006) "Spectacular and scenic, for self-motivated runners" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the 2006 marathon yesterday! I could not have been more thrilled with the race. From start to finish, it was impeccably run and superbly orchestrated. My husband and I went with one other couple... three of us ran the full, one of us the half. We had been very worried from previous comments about getting on the island in time. In fact, the other couple stayed off the island and left at 5 a.m. to be sure to get a good start, as they were competitive time-wise and didn't want to get bottlenecked at the start. My husband and I stayed at the Sanctuary, which I HIGHLY recommend if you want to pay a higher price. Amazing rooms and service (they even changed our flat tire!) and within a five-minute walk to the starting line from the lobby. We were able to walk to the starting line and line up at 7:45, no crowd problems. The race started promptly at 8, on the dot. No delays. Pace groups were marked, and there were a lot of Team in Training runners but they were closer to the back. Same with the half runners, so they weren't really a problem. Course is flat, flat flat... moreso than you could ever think possible. No wind this year, cold at the start (28 or so), but really crisp - excellent running conditions. Bike paths were in fine condition - not bad as a previous grumpy runner had reported - and the course was impeccably marked and directed. There were even volunteers saying, "Ice ahead! Watch your step!" at certain points! Aid stations were great, mile markers throughout, never ran out of Gatorade or water of course, and bananas and oranges at various stations as well. Spectators were sparse, but always enthusastic family members. Cute kids - really a great family race. High-fives from four year-olds got me at least a few pick-me-ups. The houses under construction helped with even more porta-potties, which is something I get really excited about. In four (yes, really) stops I never had to wait for a potty. Good news there. I've waited in huge lines at larger races. The course, since it's a double loop, really emptied out in the second half, as two thirds of the participants were for the half. You can rent bikes and ride near the runners if you want to cheer them on... this was strange at first to me but then I realized I was just sore that they were not having such a hard time as I was on foot. So that was nice for the fans, too. Saw one guy - about 70 (hey, he almost beat me) - and his wife rode the whole way with him, talking him through it. He was letting her have it at the end, because she said the last mile was the hardest part and he told her that was NOT a pep talk. Pretty funny. Finish was great with announcers calling you in, and lots were grabbing their kids from the crowd and running in with them too. After-race food was super. Bean soup, pasta, muffins, cookies, fruit, the works. Massages. Good medals, nice long-sleeve t-shirts. Wish I could complain about something, but there's not a bit. Super, super race as long as you don't need crowds to get a move on... can't say enough glowing things about it!!!!!! Great race for a PR (I did), super race for friends and family (especially young families), and it's easy to get in and out of the race if you stay on the island. Definitely a do-again. See you there next year!
H. R. from Zionsville, IN (12/10/2006) "Fast, Easy Course; A Great Race" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I really liked this marathon. I got a PR and was just a few minutes off Boston. This is a great race for someone who wants to qualify for Boston. The course: You do a loop twice. Very scenic with beautiful houses. You do not run on the beach. A 2-3 mile stretch at the end of the loop is essentially downhill. No hills. They use chip timing, but it only registers at the beginning and the end. You get no split times. The spectators: Not a lot of support, but unlike Chicago, New York, etc., you can't get thousands of people in a private, gated community... which is essentially what Kiawah is. Stay on the island. Stayed in downtown Charleston with a friend.... It takes 30 minutes to drive into Kiawah from Charleston, with no traffic. Get there early if you stay off the island. You park outside the island and get bussed in. Apparently people in the past had trouble making it to the start on time. Pretty good aid stations-they have one about every 2 miles. Good part is they had oranges/bananas at most; bad part is they watered down the Gatorade. Would definitely recommend this race to anyone. Combined it with a weekend in Charleston and it was wonderful. In case you haven't been, Charleston is a great city for dining, entertainment, etc. Probably won't do again just because it's such a long distance from home... but definitely very happy I did it.
A. E. from Wilmington, NC (12/9/2006) "Great Race!!" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a great half marathon and I will be back again in 2007.
j. p. from illinois (2/11/2006) "time waits for no man" (about: 2005) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 Okay, here's my deal: I trained hard for six months, paid my registration fee, traveled 800 miles, did all the tourist things in Charleston, arranged accommodations on the island, was standing in my pace group at 7:45 a.m. - it was about 36 degrees - and 8:00 a.m. comes and no start, 8:05, 8:10, and finally at about 8:15, we had the gun start and crossed the start line at 8:17. What's the organizer's deal?? Who were we waiting for?? Thousands of runners including myself were ready at 8:00. Normally I wouldn't mind, however standing in shorts in 36° fully hydrated for half an hour - well you know what happens. I had to stop 4 times, which never happens to me. Was something different this year then the past 27 times this race was run? There was no comment or apology offered; a late start is unforgivable, a punctual start has got to be number one on the must-do list for any organizer. You wonder if the start time had been set for 8:15 would the gun have gone off at 8:30?!?! (The old dollar waiting on a dime routine.) I am sorry, but this tainted the whole event for me; normally with the passing of time my views would have softened, however these months later, I still get upset thinking about it. One good thing is that the lingering frustration has helped fuel some good, long runs this winter. This was our first visit to the lovely state of SC; it truly is a beautiful place, and I will definitely be back some time, though I will avoid the marathon.
Richard Baber from Glastonbury, CT USA (1/14/2006) "A great Boston qualifier in a great vacation spot." (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The course is beautiful and flat. The weather was ideal (38 degrees to start, in the mid-fifties for most of the race). The support, water stations, timing, post-race amenities and the spectators were well above average. These people know what they are doing. Now, on the critical side. There is only one way onto the island: to get to the shuttle busses to arrive at the start/finish. The race starts at 8:00 and we arrived at the recommended 6:45, only to sit in gridlock for an hour. If you run this race, either stay on the island or arrive at 5:45. In addition, this race is a double-loop and also features a 1/2 marathon. I am all for people of all abilities competing in organized races. However, there were a number of half marathoners who were leisurely walking this event. This became a problem as a number of us were running the last few miles of our marathon on a bicycle path and lapping these people who were walking three and four abreast. They need to be coached on proper race etiquette. However, in summary, it was a terrific race on a terrific day. I would definitely do it again.
L. P. from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (12/27/2005) "Flat, fast and classy" (about: 2005) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My husband and I drove from Pittsburgh to Kiawah. We were looking for a flat course since we'd never run one before. We were also excited about leaving the cold weather in Pittsburgh and seeing the ocean in December. As soon as we arrived on the island the staff was very friendly and helpful. Check in and package pick-up were a breeze. We stayed right on the island in a one bedroom condo about 500 feet from the ocean. The rates were very reasonable and our condo was first class. We loved being able to hang out in our own place and enjoy a home cooked meal before the marathon. This was possible due to our fully-equipped kitchen. The morning of the marathon we left the condo about 7:30 and had a two-minute walk to the shuttle bus. We were shuttled to the start and got to sit inside and stay warm until the marathon start. The course was very beautiful, flat and the staff at the fluid stations were very upbeat and helpful. There may not have been a lot of spectators the second half but the ones that were there were very supportive. After the race I had someone greet me at the finish line and walk with me to get water and help me get my chip off. I ended up in the medical tent shortly afterwards due to severe cramping and was given excellent attention and treatment. When I was finally able to make it to the food again it was first class - the white bean soup and chocolate brownies were my favorites. When we were ready to go back to our condo, we were shuttled right to our door by one of the resort staff. Everything about the marathon was perfect and I could go on and on about our positive experience. We will definitely run Kiawah again.
J. H. from Winston-Salem, NC (12/22/2005) "Kiawah Takes Focus" (about: 2005) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I ran the marathon this year and was 4 minutes off my Boston time. Overall, the course is the perfect set-up for a PR but the major downfall is the lack of spectators. I'm glad I did it because the race is a marathoner's marathon - meaning there aren't many incentives for doing it unless you just flat want to run a marathon. It lacks the excitement of big-city marathons, which was expected. I wouldn't run it again because it is so far away and due to the lack of enthusiasm, but it was a positive experience.
Robert Gustafson from Chattanooga, TN (12/18/2005) "Very nice" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a well organized marathon. Very flat, somewhat scenic course. Fortunately not much wind to speak of. Nice shirts, sufficient aid stops. Excellent post-race meal! I don't particularly like running a marathon @ the same time and on the same course with those running the 1/2 marathon, but oh well. It would also be nice if they had a preferred/competitive start - to keep those running/walking so slow @ the front of the pack to begin the race. Overall a very nice event, though. Would recommend.
Ralph Hannah from Lexington, Kentucky (12/18/2005) "Stayed on the Island and Loved it." (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Kiawah Island Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and the course was flat as expected. Being from central Kentucky, I am used to running over rolling hills. I stayed on the island in a very nice condo 5 minutes from the starting line. The rates were more than reasonable. The water/Gatorade stops were great. The support staff were wonderful. As with every race I have ever run there were problems with walkers in the first mile. Long-sleeve shirt, finisher's medal and post-race party were top-notch. My only negative is the lack of race splits. Saw a runner cut across at mile 5. I did not qualify for Boston but this is a PR course. This race is very classy.

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