Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Apr 28, 2024

Charleston Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Charleston Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 2.9

Organization 3.3

Spectators 2.8

Number of comments: 90 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 > ]

David Weiss from Bay Village (Cleveland area), Ohio (1/20/2015) "Great city, excellent race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Overall a beautiful city to visit! An excellent race overall! The good- -Fast, flat course -Easy packet pickup-and packet pickup morning of the race available!...for an out of towner like me traveling into town the night before, its essential -very enthusiastic volunteers at water stops, enthusiastic crowd support -scenic course at times -excellent food at the finish, shrimp and grits excellent -great city to visit for a weekend when doing a race -its impossible to predict, but I came from freezing, snowy Cleveland to impeccible race conditions; low 40s at start, mid-upper 50s at finish, not windy, not a cloud in the sky -Eating some brunch at the Hominy Grill after the racewhat a restaraunt! -nice medal -nice job w posting results quickly, w emailed split times too -showers available at finish -quick shuttles back to the start to our cars The bad- -they ran out of beer at festival where I was -awesome that showers were available, but they were available at finish line, but all my stuff was in my car at the start-if it would be possible to have showers at the high school near the start line, that would be fantastic! The ugly- The word that the lead car went the wrong way and caused all 1/2 and full marathoners to go an extra .2 or .3 miles....I do appreciate that the race organizers appear to be working dilligently to fix the problem (adjusting times, etc)...I'm not an elite runner or on the borderline of qualifying for Boston, so its not too big a deal for me, but for others who are, I could see why they would be upset. Overall, an excellent race and city in which to mark South Carolina off of anyone's race list
J. V. from Philadelphia, PA (1/19/2015) "Solid Overall Race, A Few Organizational Hiccups" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Overall, a good race that I'd recommend for those who want to experience Charleston. Really enjoyed running along the water, Battery Park, and King Street during the first 10K. The course is flat and can be fast. Surprising that the winning times were so slow, probably due to lack of prize money? But if you're looking for a BQ, this course is doable. 2015 had great weather, low 50s and sun, no wind. Lots of turns and a few rough asphalt patches, but course profile is inviting. I'm sure everybody will talk about the long course... the RD has already acknowledged and will adjust times for BQ purposes. Very cool of them. But, the lead pace car's error only added about 0.2 to the route. Mapping their original course on Google leads to about 26.6 without that error. I think the course is long regardless of 2015's hiccup. I realize all courses are a supposed to be a little long, but this one was extra. One suggestion to race organizers... there are a few points where runners coming from different directions cross each other's paths (miles 9.7 and 14.3; much of the 18th/23rd miles). The race is small so it's not a huge deal, but something to consider in terms of creating clearly marked lanes to guide the flow of runner traffic. Last suggestion: Put the middle timing split at 13.1 instead of 11.9 if logistics allow. Volunteers were exceptional, and lots of them. Aid stations were well stocked, GUs and bananas at several. Expo was pleasant, easy to pick everything up. Gear check was seamless. Cool medal and white long-sleeve tech shirt. Shrimp & grits = marvelous post-race food. First 6 miles very scenic. The middle stretch gets industrial, but you get to run through some cool neighborhoods past mile 17. Overall, I'd recommend the race. Super high-strung racers who need everything perfect will find some flaws, but chill runners will enjoy the experience. And Chucktown is amazing.
A. T. from Chicago (1/18/2015) "Great post-race party" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great post-race party, even hard cider and champagne for us Celiacs! Shrimp/grits, vendor, band (although it stopped playing two hours before the posted end time for the post-race). Course was beuaitful in spots, blah in others, but the highlight of the course is downtown Charleston to tour/visit as part of marathon weekend. Need more porta-potties, especially when the half marathoners are still with the marathoners. Was VERY crowded for the first 2 1/2 mile or so; definitely recommend starting the Half a half hour later. Ran out of water at the mile 14 aid station! Otherwise, plenty of aid station and great volunteers. I stayed at an airbnb at 22 Bennett St., only a mile from the start and walking distance to downtown Charleston, plus 2 bikes.
T. G. from Alaska (2/1/2014) "Awesome City, worth visiting for a marathon." (about: 2014) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The people of Charleston made the experience. The expo was better than I expected and participation along the course was great. The only drawback I have is that the marathoners came back together with the slow half marathoners for a mile or so mid marathon and had to weave in and out of a slow crowd.
R. B. from Bogota, Colombia (1/28/2014) "Small race with potential" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I ran Charleston this year and was also struggling with the strong winds and the unexpected cold. The organization of the race was allright in my opinion - we cannot blame them for the weather nor for the fact that most people would prefer to stay indoors with this kind of weather rather than stand outside to support a group of runners - I liked the medal, the food and drinks at the finish line and the bus service from the finish line back to the starting area. I also liked the trophy I received for being second in the male masters category. The loss of you chip (falling from your bib as some commenters wrote about) in my opinion can be easily avoided by folding the lower part of the bib up and putting some pins through that part, or simply by wearing your bib a bit higher on your shirt so that the bib and the chip inside it will not move about 40.000 times together with your hips and thighs. There is some room for improvement I think. First of all, none of the Charlestonians I met in the days before the race knew anything about a marathon being organized on Saturday January 18th. That might be one mayor reason why we did not see a lot of audience. I think a bit more promotional activity might be done. Second, I would change the direction of the course. During the last miles one is exhausted and needs a lot more diversion than in the beginning of the race, when a runner is still feeling strong and concentrated. I would have liked to run the last few miles through historic downtown, pass King Street and the Battery and - potentially - more audience than in the last part of the race as it is now. One other thing that could be changed is the fact that the marathon after the split at the 9 mile point joins with the half marathon course again at the 14 mile point. As a result of this you find yourself running together with half marathoners who are about 5 miles behind you and running at a slower pace. This logically caused a bit of congestion, though I found all runners very cooperative in letting us marathoners pass. Should the race grow bigger however I foresee problems with this reunion of faster marathon runners and slower half marathon runners. Thumbs up however for a potentially very attractive race that was only in it's 4th year. Charleston was really worth the visit.
T. F. from Raleigh, NC (1/24/2014) "Love Charleston, but not so much the course" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Overall the event was well managed, but the course got a little confusing after mile 20. The turns, cross traffic, broken payment, and gravel sections were not welcome so late in the race. I also got one staffer tell me I was at mile 11 of Half and 16 of Full when I was at mile 24. The weather was cold and windy, which made it tough for 5 miles after mile 16. Based on course alone, I probably will look else where for my next marathon. Nevertheless, you have to love Charleston. I always say I need to spend more time there when I leave it.
R. W. from North Carolina (1/24/2014) "Nice course, but needs logistics help" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I liked the course. The start in Charleston is nice, and through most of the race, there are plenty of things to look at. Yeah, part is a bit industrial, but I actually liked that part as well as the views of water and landmarks. That said, I'd prefer a loop that starts and ends in Charleston for the simple reason that parking is plentiful in Charleston and hard to come by in North Charleston (where the current race finishes). At the end of a marathon, the last thing I want to do is board a shuttle back to the start! I'd much rather get in my car and head straight to my hotel for a shower and nap! Although I liked the course, and the shrimp and grits were an awesome post-race snack, this race is still plagued by logistical and organizational problems. Signs (or even better, volunteers who were easily recognizable) at the expo directing you to the proper tables, signs/volunteers at the start directing you to the bag check, and signs directing you along the course would be major improvements. There were signs at the marathon/half split, but there were parts near the end (in the park) where I wasn't sure I was on the right path. Finally, I was surprised by the lack of welcome Charleston extended for us runners. Folks at the hotel didn't even know about it. Maybe Charleston's just not a running town!
D. L. from Charlotte, NC (1/23/2014) "Unforgettable!" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Charleston Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A lot was already said about the cold and the wind, I guess - if you guys want to be warm and cozy, stay home :) More seriously, this race keeps getting better: very scenic course in old Charleston along the battery and King St, then along or over the water, no more running among industrial buildings in North Charleston, law enforcement presence everywhere which makes sense for this most touristic destination, a feast at the finish, no more crowded start, parking was well managed, volunteers were super friendly, aid stations well stocked with drinks and food / gels. Cons? I didn't experience the trouble others encountered with false routes, so I would say none. The asphalt could be better, railroad tracks crossing are a pain - but that is being very nitpicky. I didn't pay attention to the missing mile markers, my watch tells me where I am (or I ask at the aid station). Overall, you can tell that the race director listens to runners' comments and improves each year. We ran Charleston for the 4th time - 60 marathons total, and thought it was unforgettable and all worth the money. We definitely will be back next year despite the winter!
K. S. from Goode, VA (1/22/2014) "Just OK" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Course is flat and potentially fast if not battling strong winds as happened this year. Course is pretty non-descript after the initial few miles along the waterfront and historic area (King Street). Ends in North Charleston at the High School. Spectators were pretty sparse over much of the course. I should have expected that after talking to many locals and workers in the historic area and no one even knew a marathon was occurring the next day! A marathon course including East Bay Street and Meeting Street in addition to King Street would highlight the historic aspect of the city much better than the current course. Plenty of gel available on the course. Nice enough shirt and medal. Shrimp and grits at the finish was very tasty, unlike the watered down Bud Light beer. For this race to rise above mediocre, the community needs to get on board and support it!
M. M. from GA (1/21/2014) "Poor organization" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 I was told that Charleston was fast course and a great race. The former might have been true on a different day without the 20 MPH headwinds, but the race organization was anything from great. This would have been my 5th marathon, but I didn't bother to finish the race after a volunteer directed the runner in front of me, me, and the runner behind me the wrong direction shortly after the 20-mile mark. I was running in the Top 10 at the time and my wife noted that several runners that were behind me at 18 miles came by her again (just after 21 miles) before she saw me and the other two runners enter the same area going the wrong direction. We ended up running nearly a mile extra before we rejoined the course. I understand that mistakes happen and that volunteers cannot be relied on at all times, but this was not the first time that the course route was not clearly marked. My wife even saw a volunteer stick her sign into a trashcan because she didn't feel like standing in the cold anymore. The trashcan blew over because of the 20 mph winds leaving nothing to direct runners when they reached that particular turn. I also recall several volunteers and police officers acting oddly as the runner ahead of me and I passed them going the wrong direction. I realized after the race that these individuals all knew we were going the wrong way and were quick to try and remedy the situation. None of them bothered to say anything to the few of us that were already going the wrong way, though. On a perfect weather day, Charleston could be a great race to run a fast time... but only if you know the area and have memorized the course map.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 > ]

Become an Advertiser

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Become an Advertiser

© 2000-2024, All Rights Reserved by MarathonGuide.com LLC

Privacy Policy Refund Policy Terms of Use