This is my 3rd Kiawah Marathon (18th marathon overall) and probably my last time here. Finally, they went to a tech shirt (useful to runners relative to the cotton through '09) and got the half-marathon WALKERS to the side of the course.

The course has some narrow paved paths, where 3:20 +/- marathoners have to compete with half-marathon walkers still on the course. They did a better job of keeping the walkers to the right this year, but a serious marathon needs to keep these folks OFF of the course completely.

By the way, nearby Charleston, SC does make this a GREAT destination race, however.

No expo to speak of - just a venue to pick up D-tag, bib and shirt as well as do a little shopping for last-minute needs. Some of my women friends were bummed that the technical shirt is white. I think for guys the shirt is excellent!

If staying off of the island, budget time for the shuttle to the start. Parking and shuttles were very well-organized and went very smoothly. Best part of the pre-race event was being able to be indoors (conference center adjoining the start/finish line).

Temperature was excellent, ~42 degrees at the start and I don't think it got above 48. It was drizzling and at times raining during the first hour of the race. Occasional gust of wind (ever notice how it feels like a headwind in both directions?) but nothing more than a little distracting. The ~3000 half and ~1000 full marathoners started together. The course is a 13.1-mile loop on the pancake-flat and winding residential streets and walking trails of Kiawah - very good practice for running tangents. The streets were not closed to Kiawah residents' motor traffic, but that didn't present an issue as the ~7 cars I saw gave way to runners and waited as long as necessary for crowds to pass. Intersections were manned by Kiawah police.

Minimal spectators other than the finishing chute, but the volunteers were excellent - enthusiastic, prepared and attentive. The Gatorade was nicely watered down so it was easy to take some in during every stop without having any GI issues.

Running on the walking trails late in the race got a little crowded, as half-marathon walkers were still there - and at times walking two-astride. For the record, they were very courteous and made way.

The medals are hideous.

There was a post-marathon lunch set up in the conference center adjoining the finishing chute (a very comfortable treat to be able to be indoors so quickly after a race!) with pasta, fruit, brownies, smoothies and beer. I'll end my comments with beer....

Really enjoyed running this race. It is extremely well organized. Although it's a bit congested on the bike path portion of the race, if you pace yourself evenly you don't really have to worry about it. It definitely opened up a lot after the first half as well. The volunteers were nice and enthusiastic at every water stop despite the rain and cold. And there were even spectators along the way cheering for all of us.

The best part was having access to the indoor convention center pre and post race. It was nice waiting in warmth and being able to sit and eat and relax afterward in warmth.

I'd definitely recommend this marathon; running two loops of the same course wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated! Oh, and the medals look cool, but maybe a bit cheap; HOWEVER, it's nice to have a unique medal. The shirts are nice technical t's.

This was my second time running Kiawah. My first half was run here and my first full was here also! The half was great in 2007 but this past year was terrible. With the price you pay to run, you would think the shirt and medals would be great; however, they were terrible! I understand that they are trying to go green but going green doesn't mean they had to go cheap! The post-race food was terrible, and after just a few bites, we all threw the rest away. I brought 5 other people who had never run at Kiawah before and they agreed that they wouldn't come back. I was really disappointed this past year!

The half marathon has become an annual tradition for my running group and we have a great time every year. We always rent a house on the island and the resorts shuttle service picks us up at our door and drops us at the start. After the race the shuttle returns us to the house. It's probably the most convenient race I have ever run.

The course is flat and fast and relatively scenic. The post-race party is the best I have seen at a race. Love their soup, huge chocolate brownies and beer truck. (Yes, they have fruit and pasta for those concerned with healthy food choices.) Weather is always a surprise. I've run one race where the temperatures hit the 80s, but last year it was 50s and rain.

I will say that I was disappointed by medal and t-shirt last year. You can't read the text on the medal and, since they are made of glass, they tend to break. I heard plenty of shattering glass after the race. (Maybe they should issue two to every finisher - just in case!) I dont mind a cotton t-shirt, but the 2009 shirt was very thin and it looks cheap. My advice to the Kiawah Marathon Committee: don't skimp on the medal and shirt; find some other way to promote your green agenda.

Despite my displeasure with the medal, my friends and I will be back for the 2010 event. It's such a great event that I wouldn't miss it!

I've done the full at Kiawah twice and the half around four times. It is definitely a great place to qualify for Boston as you don't have to worry about any hills slowing you down. I don't mind the double loop, as we often have to do that kind of thing in our training and at least you know what to look for in the second loop. I also didn't care for the "medal" this year being made out of glass. I saw several fall and break while there. I was also disappointed in the lack of awards. I was lucky enough to win one there on my second marathon and I treasure it! I don't mind the cotton t-shirts as I use them to run in during the winter. The narrow bike paths and the walkers/slow runners truly are a problem for those of us trying to place or even run a decent pace, but that seems to be a problem in a lot of races these days. The post-race food is excellent and much better than any I've had at other marathons around the country! They could also do better with the entry onto the island for packet pick-up. The expo is sub par and there should have a better selection of Kiawah Island Marathon shirts/singlets, etc. Kiawah still holds a special place in my heart because it's my home town, the place of my first and absolute fastest marathon! I would recommend this marathon to others.

This race has gone cheap, not green. I had done the half several times and wouldn't you just know it.... I did my first full at Kiawah, and the medal was pitiful! Several people dropped them, and of course they broke. Also, how about the tech shirt? No one runs in cotton, and if the best races in the world, big and small, do tech shirts, then what is the big deal? Worst of all, only one person can go into the finisher's party with each runner. What about family who have traveled from far away? That was awful! There was more than enough food and drink for all!

My wife ran the half marathon and I ran the full. Very well organized from start to finish. The food at the pre-race pasta party was great and we really enjoyed meeting other runners while listening to the Bluegrass music.

The course was flat throughout, although as several other commentators noted, it was hard to run your own pace for the first 5-6 miles due to the narrowness of the roads/trail and the volume of runners.

We really enjoyed our weekend and always love visiting Charleston.

This was my first marathon, and I liked every minute of it. Only two complaints: 1. It took forever to get to the island with the shuttle; 2. Runners didn't line up according to their pace. Otherwise, it was great. Crowd was small but enthusiastic. I love the green medal and the T-shirt. Course was perfect (bike paths were not crowded when I ran them).

The GLASS medal is gorgeous on the Christmas tree with a light behind it! The shirt is nice and did not shrink - we were pleasantly surprised with long sleeves!

Plenty of potties/water/bananas/oranges and nice volunteers. Food afterward was great - LUNCH, not snacks!

Only complaint was road reopening around mile 4-5 - we felt unsafe and had to breathe car exhaust. :-(