My take:
The fantastic:
The finish line was located by North Charleston High School. The lockers and showers were available for the runners. I was damaged finishing the marathon, but after the hot shower I felt almost completely regenerated. The feeling was incredible, it happened to me first time in my 35 years of running.
The good:
Plenty of parking on the start and finish. Indoor waiting during crispy morning (appreciated by those who run NYCM ;o)
This marathon is still not discovered by running community. I dont think it will be for long. Statistically it has a better chance for good weather than the one running a week latter down south. Calendar wise it is good backup marathon in case you pull out of a late fall marathon. It is very flat and perfect for PR or BQ. This year the weather was fantastic. I actually like the course. First few miles were spectacular. Latter the big out and back felt really long but I was lucky to strike a chat with fellow runner. The part in North Charleston was visually pleasing. As a small marathon it did not have as many spectators as the giant ones. At the same time your family can cheer you in several points on the course.

The bad:
As young marathon it has several small problems. The organizers should not use plastic caps for drinking. Fast runners tend to make sort of funnel from a cup to avoid splashing liquid when drinking. If you try to do that with plastic cup it will brake and the liquid finish outside your body. For future please use paper cups!
As long as we are at hydration stations I would like that the great kids helping us have aprons to avoid getting wet. (Sorry guys for the splashing)
The shirt looks nicer than on the photo, but I still think simple logo (like palm tree and crescent) would be better choice.

Finally we got to the ugly:
Timing chips were very flimsy attached to the bib. On Facebook you can read post by a runner who pick up several chips on the course and brought them to the finish line. Could you imagine preparing for marathon for few months and then do not have a proof of finishing because of negligence of timing company?
The problems did not finish with chips. If you go to results page you can find that the first place in general classification belongs to the forth guy in the marathon. General classification does not include top finishers, and winners in master and grand master category. Those runners can not be found using website search function. As well it looks like the winners did not cross the finish line. As a side note the result website has some bizarre statistics like average finish time for all three distances together (marathon, half and 5k) (female won with men in this category ;o). They also have All Category where they put runners from all distances in nice time order (5k runners definitely won with the marathoners!). At the same time they were not able to do simple Age Grading.
I contacted Mid-Atlantic Timing about those problems but they were completely dismissive.
I got really tired of their response and I created marathon result spreadsheet myself. You can download it here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0By1WFBzjW02XeUxpQ3lvNmx4Q1U/edit?usp=sharing
It is difficult to blame marathon organizers for this scandal, their only fault was choosing bad timing company. Being older guy I had opportunity to run lot of races. From top of my head I really like the company servicing Philly marathon. (text messages, personalized bib with your name on it, split times at 5k, 10k, half, 30k). I'm sure runners would pay few extra dollars to be timed in a logical honest way.

In conclusion, I think Charleston Marathon has a great potential. They have to address some small imperfections, and definitely get rid of those clowns from Mid-Atlantic Timing.

I don't understand why others are complaining. I thought it was a very solid race that was well organized. I like packet pick-up on race morning, which was great for us out of towners. The staging area was indoors, with free and easy parking. The course was great for the first 5 miles and the last two with some OK stretches in between. Even when it wasn't pretty, it was flat and I actually liked the out and backs. Water stations were well run and many had food. The course was well marked and splits were called throughout- very unusual for a smaller run. Nice atmosphere post race and the weather couldn't be better. Great shirt and medal. I have run some bad races, and this was not one. Well done and a great time of year to visit S Carolina.

I'll skip addressing many issues already mentioned regarding start, finish, food, porta potties, etc. Bottomline, Charleston is one of the most beautiful cities in America and as long as the route goes through industrial areas, federal law enforcement facilities, etc., the race will never be successful. Though I can imagine downtown businesses in and around King street would not appreciate roads closed for 6 1/2 hours - would restrict customers. Keep working on the other areas and create a beautiful route and it would be a fantastic race! Keep it up Charleston, it always takes time for new races to work out all the kinks. My son and I will be back next year.

I ran the half marathon so my comments need to be taken with a grain of salt. The course was adequate, but not great. Given the way Charleston is laid out, not sure how you would have a course that is scenic without running over a bridge (not sure if that is logistically possible). I thought the course was well marked other than in the park. There were a few areas where I had to really focus on where to go. The event was run well. Food after was more than sufficient and shrimp & grits were awesome. My two complaints are 1) I was unsure if there was a bag drop. Website had 'clothing drop' listed so a little unclear. 2) the layout of the aid stations. Would have preferred water first than gatorade - just a personal preference of what I am used too. Overall, a good race that seems to have taken running comments/complaints into account and an event that I can see improving in the future.

After reading the 2012 comments, I was a bit apprehensive to sign up for the marathon. A good sign of the quality of the event is that mistakes and feedback from runners are listened to and improvements and fixes are implemented in the future. I am happy to say that the main issues and problems that plagued the race in previous years were greatly improved or fixed.

First, and most importantly, the aid/hydration stations were fantastic. I was very worried about this situation as this was the main complaint last year. Never had any issues and never had to wait for hydration. Secondly, the expo was moved indoors to a high school so no worries about dust, cold, etc. Lastly, there was plenty of food and drink at the finish. The Shrimp & Grits were fantastic. Corn dogs, french fries, boiled peanuts, beer, gatorade and water were also available. In my 24 marathons, the post race experience in Charleston SC ranks in the top 5.

Very flat course. The first 6 miles is absolutely gorgeous running by the lake and then up beautiful King Street. The rest of the course is much more industrial but that doesn't bother me. As for previous comments about the start/finish or any other parts of the course being in 'bad' or 'dangerous' areas, I submit that those who say that either never traveled very much or live in a bubble. If any of those are 'bad' or 'dangerous' areas, they wouldn't survive in 95% of this country.

The 2 things that the race could improve upon is having more course marshals (I took the wrong turn right before Mile 22 and wound up running an additional 2 miles but it was probably my fault as I don't know anyone else that did that) and to have the mile markers more visible.

The city of Charleston is a great place to visit and is one of the top 10 Food Cities in the U.S. The locals and volunteers were the epitome of Southern hospitality and I really enjoyed my stay there.

If you need music blaring every few yards and demand that thousands of strangers come root you on, then this race might not suit you. If you like to visit a charming city with great food, no hassles and no crowding (less than 900 marathon finishers)and a race that will grow and improve and cares about the runners, then you will love it.

This was my 7th marathon. 4 road races, 3 trail races. The first few miles were great, but then we headed North out of town and the scenery dropped like a rock. The stretch where the marathon splits off at mile 10 was DESOLATE. I thought I was running into Area 51. The pier, while visually breaking the monotony, was tough to negotiate, and the course needed some tape or something along that section to help guide the runners. Not intuitive at all. And the last 8 miles were just awful.

I certainly won't win a marathon, but I was near the front. In the closing miles, corner marshals were focusing on incoming runners, not on those on their way to the finish. At many turns I had to yell out 'Which way?' when approaching. I did not miss any turns, but the closing miles of a marathon is not a good time to 'need to think'. Mixing the marathon and half together meant that the faster marathoners were mixed back in with the slower half-marathoners, many taking up the entire width of the course, which forced us to bob and weave through them in North Charleston. Was a little disappointed in the finish line location, with those sharp turns at the end to make up the distance.

Also, the postrace shrimp and grits were devoured by the time I got there at 11:30. So was all the 'good' beer; only Lite was left, blech. We did, however, find an outstanding outdoor bar/grill right on the race course (DIG in the Park) which was fantastic for dining and spectating. Awards ceremony was not well-publicized; I would've skipped it but my friends said I should go check my time (had to hunt down the tent, needed a bigger sign), and found out I was eligible for AG awards. Couldn't pick up award early, had to wait for marathon awards at '1-ish', which was about 1:15.

My friends all enjoyed the half-marathon, but would have liked gels available at the 6 mile mark. I took my own gels with me, as well as a handheld water bottle, and took water at every aid station, so I cannot comment on the presence or absence of nutrition.

Pleasant, well organized race on a flat course. The race offered race AM packet pick up- a definite plus for out-of-towners,free and easy parking at both the start and finish, good aid stations with lots of food, and the nicest shirt and medal that I've recieved in 29 marathons. The course was beautiful for the first 4 miles, but not much to look at after that, though flat as can be. The course was well marked with splits called each mile-unusual for a smaller race. Perfect weather and friendly people as well. I think the organizers got the big stuff right. A good way to race S Carolina

I spent a long weekend in Charleston and ran the marathon on the first day. I am aspiring to run a marathon in all 50 states, and this was #11. Overall I enjoyed the experience. The expo was about as expected for a small marathon - small but adequate. The long-sleeved shirt was nice. Free parking was easy close to the start. Start was on time to the second. The first 5 miles were scenic, through old Charleston and up King St. Next part was not scenic, past warehouses and railroad tracks. Thankfully the temperature was cool, as there was little shade. There was a long out and back section to a short run on a pier - which was cool. One good thing I have never seen at a race - at every mile marker, there was an automated speaker system blurting out the elapsed time of the race. This was good because I left my watch in my motel room. It also negated the need for periodic digital clocks or people yelling times. The hydration stations were adequate. The post race food was not great. They had shrimp/grits which was okay, but little else. They did have free beer though :) The shuttle back to the start was quick and efficient.

For the past two years I have run the Charleston Marathon (mostly because I wanted to support a local race) and both years I wrote reviews that were, well, not so great.
Each year I kept thinking about what people from out of town must be thinking as they ran the race and, well, I was really embarrassed...

This year was NOT the same.

This year I knew that those people were thinking the same thing as me.

This was a great race!

A few things before I get to the start.

This was my ninth marathon and my second time pacing a race (last year I paced the half marathon). This year my running partner CSR and I were the pace leaders for the five hour marathon group.

My disclaimer about the title: I have lived in Charleston for over eighteen years so I now consider myself a local, but not a Charlestonian (believe me, there is a difference and a Charlestonian will let you know that difference in a very polite southern way).

The route this year was much improved.

Props go out to Howie Schomer for all his work. He spent countless hours mapping routes that would work and, in my opinion, hit a home run with this one!

The first few miles of the race are absolutely beautiful. Runners go down Lockwood Blvd and then around the Charleston Battery.

The rest of my review is on my web site: http://www.mooreonrunning.com/2013/01/charleston-marathon-recap-from-proud.html

I am glad to know that I'm not the only one that didn't like the course, especially the out and back portions going through non-scenic, industrial areas. Very mentally challenging. Port-a-potties along the course were very few and the course could have been marked better. I won't be doing this marathon again.