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Marathon Details - Hilton Head Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > SC > Bluffton > Hilton Head Marathon

Hilton Head Marathon

Palmetto Running Co. Hilton Head Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Bluffton, SC USA

February 16, 2025

http://www.hhmarathon.com

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Contact Information

Name:	Ventures Endurance Events LLC
Address:	951 Corporate Grove Dr, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Phone Number:	(847) 243-8500
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (14)

Course 3.1

Organization 3.5

Spectators 2.6

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Number of comments: 14 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

K. M. from Wisconsin (2/21/2023) "Needs Improvement!" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The weather was not great for this race weekend! Rain, rain and rain. No expo, just bib and sweatshirt pickup. It's not that bad that you have to walk 10 minutes to get to the starting line, but when you are trying to avoid large puddles and soaking wet grass. It's not fun to start a marathon with wet shoes and socks. Double loop with half marathons didn't work out well, runners going both directions with one lane to run in. Why have 2 small sections to do a u turn down a dirt path, everyone trying to avoid puddles and other runners. This seemed to be more or a trail run with HWY running. Near the 23 mile mark many faster runners missed the small u turn section due to getting mixed up with the half marathoners. Wished we could have run more of the Island instead of a double loop. Great food and music at the finish. Bummer that the medal had no name or date on it, just the ribbon had the name.
S. A. from Connecticut (2/12/2018) "I wish this was better" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 My 6th marathon and my parents live there so I was very excited to run on Hilton ahead (have been visiting for years). I was not surprised of the lack of scenery along the course given I knew the island and was familiar with the course map, although there must be another way to get the miles without so much being on the highway. The port a potty line was incredibly long and we nearly missed the start given it took 25 minutes to use the restroom prior to the start... The volunteers along the course was great given the small Marathon and the crowd support was lite but as expected. At the end of the race it took me a few minutes to find the water.... REALLY?!?... you couldn't have it at the finish line. Fortunately I didn't need it but I didn't even see a medical tent at the end. Also no massages. Beer at the end was great although it wasn't free. Given the cost of the race I had higher expectations.
D. L. from Atlanta (3/15/2016) "Management Company Failed!" (about: 2016) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Signed up electronically, which was easy, but after that it was downhill. Drove 5 hours and took advantage of race day check in only to be told they did not have L or XL shirts despite the fact that I signed up 5 months ahead of time. Organizer said shirts would be mailed in a week or two. Despite three emails to the organizer and a phone call, all of which have gone unanswered, there is no shirt to speak of. Agree with other course comments. The freeway portion needs to be revisited. The portions of the course on bike paths and parks was pleasant. I would not run another race organize by Barefoot Sports. Clearly a makeshift organization.
D. T. from North Carolina (2/16/2016) "Nice Race - Great Organization & Volunteer Suppo" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run over 20 marathons over the years. I ran this race in 2016 in hopes of qualifying for Boston 2017. The course is mostly flat with the exception of 4 big hills (running up over bridge and back two times). The support on the course was great with volunteers throughout and the course was clearly marked. I ended up running almost 6 minutes below my BQ time!
t. t. from Denver, CO (2/14/2016) "Would not run it again" (about: 2016) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Very small town feel to this Marathon... Not many spectators along the way and seemed almost isolated at times. Not a big deal but it can make for a very boring run. Men and women received different race shirts regardless of which race they registered for. My husband received a cotton shirt long sleeve and I received a long sleeve lycra type shirt (v-neck) . The overall course lay out between running the full or the half just seemed to be a mess. At one point i actually was told to go the wrong way and had to make a detour to catch up. Just overall it did not seem organized. The finish line was very small , not many spectators or families cheering people on. Definitely a smaller marathon feel overall, if your looking for the WOW factor this one will not do...
M. e. from Beaufort SC (2/13/2016) "A fair review" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 PRO: Packet pick up was super easy on Friday at the Weston. Organized and easy in and out. Not much of a expo but come on this is a small town marathon cant knock them for that. Really nice long sleeve T shirt given out PRO: Nice to start time (8AM) with plenty of parking and a short walk to the starting line CON: 8 porta johns at the starting line ??? Yea that line was insane CON: starting the Marathon, half, and 5k all at the same time. CON: Very boring course that was run the majority on a high way, including a very steep bridge we crossed 4 times. Hilton Head is beautiful but the organizers apparently only want you to see the toll road. CON!!!: The water situation was terrible, water every two miles in these tiny little Dixie cups. How cheap can you be? There needs to be more water stations Pro: The volunteers were all very nice and helpful Con: with it being on the highway the majority of the time there was almost zero crowd support which made it tough Overall: I doubt I will sign up for this race again, just a very poor course.
P. C. from Virginia (4/21/2015) "Most uneven marathon ever?" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Could never recommend this marathon, despite some good aspects. There were just too many downsides. Men and women got different shirts. Not unusual, except women received nice shirts (regardless of distance) and men were given the lowest quality race shirt I've ever encountered (including 5ks). The course was beautiful in parts, but the vast majority was on a highway with traffic driving past. Going over the bridge several times was not fun. There were so few people in the marathon that it was depressingly deserted at many points. The people who were there were friendly. The aid stations were okay, but by the time I got to the end there were no gels (or at least none offered). I am a mid-packer, so they shouldn't have run out. For people serious about carbs, expected gels at the last few stations are set into the race planning. The post-race food was good (loved the frozen yogurt).
M. D. from GA USA (3/7/2015) "A nice mid winter race" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A mid winter trip to Hilton Head Island is always a treat. This is an OK race, but HHI makes up for a lot. The course is lovely in places but much is inside cones on a 4-lane. There was nonthing to eat on the course. They could use 1 or 2 more Port-O-Johns. A little fine tuning could really make this an excellent event.
M.Elaine Dowden from South Carolina (1/27/2015) "Hilton Head Marathon Organizers have compassion" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have finished around thirty full-length marathons since I was in my thirties. This marathon was for my seventh decade and was very important to me. I wanted to finish and say that I had completed marathons in the past five decades. I wasn't doing too badly for my slow self and thought that I would make the six hour cut-off. At mile 22, I tripped on my footyes you heard it. I just plain tripped and fell smack dab on the hard concrete, I busted my sunglasses and broke some ribs and really hurt my pride. I was able to get up and continue at quite a snail's pace. Everyone was so kind. I said that I would finish even if everyone went home. They were kind enough to keep the clock running for me and cheer me in. Now that is compassion. I want KIND PEOPLE at my marathons!
M. A. from Midwest (2/17/2014) "Nice Race" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I enjoyed the race. I agree with the other comments about the course though. It should be called the Hilton Head Island PARKWAY Marathon considering all the running on the shoulder of the highway that was done. I didn't mind the bridge as it was something to break up the monotony of the highway stretches, but I really enjoyed the portion of the course that was on the bikepath and residential roads. Great organization...parking, start, finish areas, packet pickup and host hotel were great. Wonderful and friendly volunteers on a cool, rainy day. Liked the shirt and medal and thought race was the perfect size. All in all, a great inagural event and I'm always glad to see a new marathon added to the race calendar. If the course could be fixed, this could be a destination race.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]



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K. M. from Wisconsin (2/21/2023) "Needs Improvement!" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The weather was not great for this race weekend! Rain, rain and rain. No expo, just bib and sweatshirt pickup. It's not that bad that you have to walk 10 minutes to get to the starting line, but when you are trying to avoid large puddles and soaking wet grass. It's not fun to start a marathon with wet shoes and socks. Double loop with half marathons didn't work out well, runners going both directions with one lane to run in. Why have 2 small sections to do a u turn down a dirt path, everyone trying to avoid puddles and other runners. This seemed to be more or a trail run with HWY running. Near the 23 mile mark many faster runners missed the small u turn section due to getting mixed up with the half marathoners. Wished we could have run more of the Island instead of a double loop. Great food and music at the finish. Bummer that the medal had no name or date on it, just the ribbon had the name.
S. A. from Connecticut (2/12/2018) "I wish this was better" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 My 6th marathon and my parents live there so I was very excited to run on Hilton ahead (have been visiting for years). I was not surprised of the lack of scenery along the course given I knew the island and was familiar with the course map, although there must be another way to get the miles without so much being on the highway. The port a potty line was incredibly long and we nearly missed the start given it took 25 minutes to use the restroom prior to the start... The volunteers along the course was great given the small Marathon and the crowd support was lite but as expected. At the end of the race it took me a few minutes to find the water.... REALLY?!?... you couldn't have it at the finish line. Fortunately I didn't need it but I didn't even see a medical tent at the end. Also no massages. Beer at the end was great although it wasn't free. Given the cost of the race I had higher expectations.
D. L. from Atlanta (3/15/2016) "Management Company Failed!" (about: 2016) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Signed up electronically, which was easy, but after that it was downhill. Drove 5 hours and took advantage of race day check in only to be told they did not have L or XL shirts despite the fact that I signed up 5 months ahead of time. Organizer said shirts would be mailed in a week or two. Despite three emails to the organizer and a phone call, all of which have gone unanswered, there is no shirt to speak of. Agree with other course comments. The freeway portion needs to be revisited. The portions of the course on bike paths and parks was pleasant. I would not run another race organize by Barefoot Sports. Clearly a makeshift organization.
D. T. from North Carolina (2/16/2016) "Nice Race - Great Organization & Volunteer Suppo" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run over 20 marathons over the years. I ran this race in 2016 in hopes of qualifying for Boston 2017. The course is mostly flat with the exception of 4 big hills (running up over bridge and back two times). The support on the course was great with volunteers throughout and the course was clearly marked. I ended up running almost 6 minutes below my BQ time!
t. t. from Denver, CO (2/14/2016) "Would not run it again" (about: 2016) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Very small town feel to this Marathon... Not many spectators along the way and seemed almost isolated at times. Not a big deal but it can make for a very boring run. Men and women received different race shirts regardless of which race they registered for. My husband received a cotton shirt long sleeve and I received a long sleeve lycra type shirt (v-neck) . The overall course lay out between running the full or the half just seemed to be a mess. At one point i actually was told to go the wrong way and had to make a detour to catch up. Just overall it did not seem organized. The finish line was very small , not many spectators or families cheering people on. Definitely a smaller marathon feel overall, if your looking for the WOW factor this one will not do...
M. e. from Beaufort SC (2/13/2016) "A fair review" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 PRO: Packet pick up was super easy on Friday at the Weston. Organized and easy in and out. Not much of a expo but come on this is a small town marathon cant knock them for that. Really nice long sleeve T shirt given out PRO: Nice to start time (8AM) with plenty of parking and a short walk to the starting line CON: 8 porta johns at the starting line ??? Yea that line was insane CON: starting the Marathon, half, and 5k all at the same time. CON: Very boring course that was run the majority on a high way, including a very steep bridge we crossed 4 times. Hilton Head is beautiful but the organizers apparently only want you to see the toll road. CON!!!: The water situation was terrible, water every two miles in these tiny little Dixie cups. How cheap can you be? There needs to be more water stations Pro: The volunteers were all very nice and helpful Con: with it being on the highway the majority of the time there was almost zero crowd support which made it tough Overall: I doubt I will sign up for this race again, just a very poor course.
P. C. from Virginia (4/21/2015) "Most uneven marathon ever?" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Could never recommend this marathon, despite some good aspects. There were just too many downsides. Men and women got different shirts. Not unusual, except women received nice shirts (regardless of distance) and men were given the lowest quality race shirt I've ever encountered (including 5ks). The course was beautiful in parts, but the vast majority was on a highway with traffic driving past. Going over the bridge several times was not fun. There were so few people in the marathon that it was depressingly deserted at many points. The people who were there were friendly. The aid stations were okay, but by the time I got to the end there were no gels (or at least none offered). I am a mid-packer, so they shouldn't have run out. For people serious about carbs, expected gels at the last few stations are set into the race planning. The post-race food was good (loved the frozen yogurt).
M. D. from GA USA (3/7/2015) "A nice mid winter race" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A mid winter trip to Hilton Head Island is always a treat. This is an OK race, but HHI makes up for a lot. The course is lovely in places but much is inside cones on a 4-lane. There was nonthing to eat on the course. They could use 1 or 2 more Port-O-Johns. A little fine tuning could really make this an excellent event.
M.Elaine Dowden from South Carolina (1/27/2015) "Hilton Head Marathon Organizers have compassion" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have finished around thirty full-length marathons since I was in my thirties. This marathon was for my seventh decade and was very important to me. I wanted to finish and say that I had completed marathons in the past five decades. I wasn't doing too badly for my slow self and thought that I would make the six hour cut-off. At mile 22, I tripped on my footyes you heard it. I just plain tripped and fell smack dab on the hard concrete, I busted my sunglasses and broke some ribs and really hurt my pride. I was able to get up and continue at quite a snail's pace. Everyone was so kind. I said that I would finish even if everyone went home. They were kind enough to keep the clock running for me and cheer me in. Now that is compassion. I want KIND PEOPLE at my marathons!
M. A. from Midwest (2/17/2014) "Nice Race" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hilton Head Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I enjoyed the race. I agree with the other comments about the course though. It should be called the Hilton Head Island PARKWAY Marathon considering all the running on the shoulder of the highway that was done. I didn't mind the bridge as it was something to break up the monotony of the highway stretches, but I really enjoyed the portion of the course that was on the bikepath and residential roads. Great organization...parking, start, finish areas, packet pickup and host hotel were great. Wonderful and friendly volunteers on a cool, rainy day. Liked the shirt and medal and thought race was the perfect size. All in all, a great inagural event and I'm always glad to see a new marathon added to the race calendar. If the course could be fixed, this could be a destination race.

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Marathon Details - Hilton Head Marathon