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Kiawah Island Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Kiawah Island Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.2
Number of comments: 211 [displaying comments 171 to 181]
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H. E. from NC, USA
(12/30/2003)
 "Not the best race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my third marathon and my worst. Great course for a 1/2 marathon or the 5K, but 26.2 miles through a neighborhood is tough. At the start I did not realize it was out and back on the SAME road, so doing the same boring road 6 times is a little much. Wind was very strong and the spectators that were there, were not going to cheer for anyone but friends and family. As far as food at the end, I never saw it. It was so far from the end and the hallway was filled with people eating everywhere I gave up and waited to the nearest gas station. Parking.. yes another buzz kill. Most of the race workers were great, although if you were a 4-hr+ marathoner there was not much going on for the last 10 miles at the drink stops. Maybe one person saying, 'Gatorade' like they are about to fall asleep. Anyway, lots of people on the couse seemed to be having a great time. I would do the half again but not the whole. | |
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D. M. from Atlanta, Georgia
(12/16/2003)
 "A Great Marathon Experience" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon on Kiawah. This race is first-class in every respect. The entry fee may be a little high and the accomodations on the Island are not cheap but you are rewarded in many ways. Benefits of this race include: able to start as close to the front as you wish, runners thinned out nicely after the first half-mile and you could run your own pace, with the double-loop course it seemed there was a water station every mile, several runners had friends or family who rented bikes and followed them through most of the course, the course varies enough that you really never get bored (neighborhoods, streets and paths, nice homes), nice food bar at the end with no lines, great long-sleeve shirt (no advertisements). The few negatives included: strong headwind towards the end of the loops (miles 6 & 19), fewer fans during the second loop (can you blame them?), slight delay at beginning waiting for buses, limited dining options on the Island (hey, it is a golf resort, what do you expect?). There is a reason why this race fills up in such a short period of time. | |
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Q. G. from Greensboro, NC
(12/16/2003)
 "Not Bad... Not Great" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Going into a race whose 3,000 runner maximum filled in a week my expectations were somewhat high. Runner's World also once ranked this as a top 10 marathon. Positives: 1) Well marked course with visible mileage markers, don't really care about time splits--I have a watch for that. 2) Good mix of scenery. 3) Well staffed, plentiful, and enthusiastic aid stations. 4) Flat and fast. Negatives: 1) For those staying off the island, getting to the starting line took too long from the parking area. They should have had a few more coaches to transport the runners. 2) Post-race amenities were absolutely terrible. I've been to community 5Ks with better food and refreshments. Granted you don't run a race for the post-race food, but you do expect to be able to refuel the body with quality foods, especially after 26.2 miles. One expects more from a world-class resort like Kiawah. | |
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J. S. from Durham, NC
(12/14/2003)
"This is a fantastic event" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 4th marathon and was a great experience. The course is flat and scenic. Kiawah Island is a great place to spend a weekend. My only concern is that I saw runners cutting across from the road to the return path on the loop between mile 5-7 (18-20). This is unfortunate and I suggest that the race organizers record splits on the chip at the turn around at mile 6 (19) to prevent this in the future. | |
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E. C. from South Carolina
(12/14/2003)
"This race used to be more friendly and organized.." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 1 - Good race if you are running the half-marathon or 5K and plan on seeing downtown Charleston during Christmas time. Not a good marathon for those that train with any amount of hills! 2 - Use of chip technology has removed the courteous aspect of this race from non-chip years. The 'no chip, no time' policy separates the race organizers from the runners on a personal level. The chip should not be used as your primary time standard, only as a back-up to your primary. I would understand if your race was growing, but the participant limitation of 3,000 runners was in place well before this race used the chip. No back-up for chip issues is in place, i.e. lost chips before and during the race, no known testing of chips beforehand, etc. 3 - Race fees have increased, but the amenities have not. After-marathon food buffet has changed from multiple soup, salads and sandwich stations with fruit juices and coffee to high-revenue, low-quality resort chain packaged foods such as brownies, cookies, and a flavorless pasta dish - By the way, you know it's resort chain preparations when they serve unsweetened ice tea in the SOUTH! Kiawah Island Resort personnel were rude during parking, but all others were very pleasant. 4 - Only spectators are the few friends and family of runners on the course. A handful of island residents are visible every once in a while. 5 - Only clocks on the course are at the start/finish line and at mile 10. Good luck if you forget to start your watch! | |
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M. B. from Florida
(1/13/2003)
 "Fast Course and Good Boston Qualifier" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was my first marathon in years and my attempt to get back to Boston - I made it. The course is very flat (even for those of us from FL) and fast. Plenty of water\Gatorade stations and helpers. Staff is available, knowledgable, nice. The only issues: 1) the race director announced before the race that two of the mile markers were blown over on this very windy day and would not be replaced, 2) there are no time clocks at each mile marker(as in many races). There were not many spectators on the course if you need that. Overall, a very good experience - I will run this race again. | |
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A Runner from Pittsburgh, PA
(1/8/2003)
 "Great destination and Scenic Course" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the marathon in 2002 for the second time (also ran 2001). The course is totally flat and very scenic, in my opinion. The two loop course was not a problem for me, although a bit mentally challenging at the 13 mile turn. I think this race is very well organized and they obviously listened to runner feedback from last year regarding chip timing and placement of water stations. Contrary to the post below, I have always found the Kiawah staff to be most gracious. Don't let one experience spoil the entire event. The wind was bit of a problem this year, but there is nothing anyone can do about that. I love this race and the destination and definitely plan to return. | |
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N. G. from Atlanta, GA
(1/4/2003)
"great course; great volunteers; rude staff" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I loved this course--and the two loops didnt bother me--it actually helped to have been there before and know where to go and what was ahead and how much further! The volunteers at the aid stations were great--it helped that they wore yellow shirts if they were handing out gatorade vs water. The Kiawah Island staff however were horribly rude. When my non-running husband stepped to close to the 'marathoners only' section, some rude staffer yelled at him. They treated him as if he were a child, scolding him. It outraged me. Meanwhile it was not crowded, but they staffers were still be very rude and uncooperative. I doubt I will run the race again for this reason. There is no need to be so rude. Further, a few of my friends ran the half and never could find the area meant only for the half marathon runners. There needs to be more signs up to point out where to go after the race--tired minds and bodies need directions! I enjoyed the race, but was appalled at the rude staff. | |
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A Runner from Marietta, GA
(12/23/2002)
"One of the fastest courses around" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I chose Kiawah Island as my first marathon for one reason: to qualify for Boston. Thankfully, I was able to accomplish my goal. Kiawah is undoubtedly one of the fastest loop courses you?ll find offering a combination of a ?pancake? flat course and the high likelihood of favorable weather. As nearly everyone else on this website has commented, crowd support is rather sparse although the folks that were on the course and at the water stops were very enthusiastic. One aspect of Kiawah that I especially enjoyed was the ability to bring your own ?crowd support.? My family rented bicycles for the day (actually you can rent them the day before and keep them for 24 hours) and used them to follow me around sections of the course and to meet me at other points along the way. This proved to be important late in the race when my supply of Cliff Shots ran dry. I was able to restock at mile 21 for the last five miles. While others have criticized the two-loop course, I thought it worked out rather well. Given that many of the resort homes are indistinguishable from the next, I would wager that most runners wouldn?t have been able to tell the difference if the course had been one loop. In my opinion, the benefit of having ample, well-staffed water stops far outweighs the redundancy of what is already a nondescript course. While accommodations are somewhat pricey on the island, given the distance from Charleston, I would recommend staying on the island if at all possible. I caught the shuttle from the Inn to the race start at 7 a.m. and arrived at the start in less than 10 minutes. | |
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Tim Whitmire from Charlotte, N.C.
(12/20/2002)
"Great destination; potential PR course" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 How highly you rate this course will depend on what you're looking for. It's flat as a pancake, which makes it a potential PR for most people. It's pretty to a point, which means that while generally scenic (Spanish moss-draped roadways and Lowcountry marshes) there's not a lot of diversity to the scenery. And it is a two-loop course, which some people find annoying. On the plus side, there's minimal autotmotive traffic to contend with. Half-marathoners share the course with marathoners, so as you near your halfway point, you'll have to put up with half-ers going into their kick and people urging them on with comments like 'You're almost there. ... Not much farther,' which will most definitely not apply to you. The race is staged entirely by the Kiawah Island resort and it's very well-organized. There were plenty of water stations and they were well-stocked with water and Gatorade. Bananas and orange wedges were also offered at several stops as well as pumpkin bread. (?!?) The buddy I ran with treated it like a moving buffet, while I stuck to my Gu packets, but we both finished strong. For those who care about such things, having the resort do the race all on its own meant that the T-shirt, which was long-sleeved and had an attractive 'running shoes on a beach' drawing, was not plastered with a bunch of sponsor logos. The medal had a similar motif to the shirt and also was nice. Timing is with the chip, though there are no clocks on the course and I don't remember hearing anyone calling out paces or times at any of the major mile marks. Post-race featured a nice buffet and free beer(!). A lot of runners make this a weekend trip with family or friends to Kiawah and the Charleston, S.C., area, so there are plenty of well-wishers and support crew members along the course. But don't think the crowds are going to be like New York or Boston, either. Weather this time of year is good for marathoning, as you're likely to come up with highs in the low to mid-50s. This year's race featured a stiff and chilly headwind that you ran into for about half the race. Overall, a well-organized race that should be a top choice for PR-seekers, destination marathoners and 50-staters. |
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