The race started exactly on time, was well marked, and the course was as flat as advertised. Water/Gatorade stops were located exactly where they were on the maps. We had 17 runners from our running club run this race and all would definitely recommend staying on the island. It was a 3-minute walk from our villa to the start/finish line. From the time we checked-in until we drove off the island, the resort's service staff was the best I have ever encountered for any of the marathons I have run.

The course turned out fast and flat, as expected. With little to no wind, the 20-degree start was not much of a big deal and it was 50 by the finish. We stayed on the island in a villa on the beach and highly recommend that due to egress onto the island. The race was organized well and aid stations had friendly volunteers and plenty of water and Gatorade. Gel would have been nice on the 2nd half and 5-, 10-, half and 20-mile chip splits would have been nice. There were several clocks but no chip mats. The last section of the loop was a narrow bike path. I had to manuever around slow walkers on the path the first loop, but this wasn't the case on the 2nd loop. It is a nice race that is put on very well and easy to do.

I didn't run the 2005 race, but apparently a late start (unforgivable) was a major problem. This year the race started on time, and every aspect of it went off without a hitch. Give the organizers credit for problem solving. For future runner: stay on the island. It's expensive, but worth it. We left the house we rented a little after 7:30 a.m., and had plenty of time to make the 8 a.m. start. From start to finish, first class.

Not only did we have about the most ideal weather (somewhat chilly), but the course also was flat and there were not too many people... at times we saw NONE! The mix of flora and fauna was absolutely worth every mile! Well done! The Sanctuary is a top-notch resort!

Overall, a good race! We stayed at a really nice villa - just a five-minute walk to the start. Plenty of water, Gatorade, oranges... etc. Course support was lacking, but expected in a marathon of this size. Only drawback was the double loop. Seeing all the mile markers for the second loop when you are only on your first loop was a tease. Everything else was not bad at all. Nice race... and I added South Carolina to my list! :)

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.

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!

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.

This was a great half marathon and I will be back again in 2007.

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.