Kings Mountain Marathon - Race Reviews

This marathon has the smallest field I've ever run with, and for the first time I won my age group. I stayed in Kings Mountain, NC, only 7 miles from the start. Packet pickup was simple and I started by myself due to COVID-19. The course is mostly on gravel roads, with a few small rises but nothing extreme. The course is very shady, and the unpaved roads are quiet. The paved portion can be busy later in the morning, and there is no shoulder to the park road. Drink stops are close enough, and in others years they apparently also have food. The only spectators are at the start/finish. Finisher medals and age-group plaques are nice handmade wood. I did this race as part of my 50+DC quest, but if I lived locally I would likely do it again.

This is a perfectly organized and amazing race! Hills are tough enough to be a challenge, but awesome volunteers, State Park trails, fresh air and plenty of shade make it really enjoyable for all levels. With two 13.1 loops you can stage your own food or supplies mid-race. Finishers get custom medals and plenty of food. Come prepared for hills... and enjoy a great time at the Lake!

This marathon is run mostly in a state park and traverses gorgeous countryside. This is a tough but fair course in terms of elevation. This year was brutal due to the high temperatures (record 88 degrees with humidity). I have run this race before in cooler weather with much more enjoyment. In 2014 this event was in early March rather than late April. I think that it would be better to move this back to earlier in the year. With cooler weather this could be a 5 star experience. The race organizers are thoughtful and attentive and volunteers were very helpful and friendly.

This was state 25 for me and I was drawn to this race based largely on the history, location and time of the year. I was unlucky with the weather and was met with some serious humidity, but that goes with the territory racing in the south. The race is less than an hour drive from the Charlotte airport and I stayed 7 miles away in the town of Kings Mountain. The packet pickup was offered Friday 5-7 as well as the morning of the race. I was fortunate to have time to visit the National Park the day before the race. The race director, Jefferson, was an amazing host. He answered all my questions about the race and told me the history of it as well. There is also a free video presentation laying out the battle scene in a theater and museum in the visitors center. A great walk awaits right outside on the battlefield trail 1.5 miles to get warmed up for the hills the next day. The race offered ample parking and was well marked with aid stations every 2 miles. Despite the ample aid stations with wonderful friendly volunteers, I would not recommend running this race without a hydration vest or handheld. The hills and heat require preparation. The swag was top notch!! I have gotten so much less from more expensive larger races. You get a beautiful medal, race buff headwear and a quality shirt! If you want an amazing small town race that will make you feel you earned your medal and tread on sacred grounds from a decisive battle in the American Revolution this is your race. I am so glad I chose it as it is a state I won't soon forget.

Best organization ever! Start is at 8 so you can drive there and save hotel $. Gorgeous trails in historic state park. Somehow tough, but lots of course support. Prepare for hills. Enjoy the shade and authenticity of the natural environment. Incredible race crew, thank you!

From my standpoint this is the best combination of excellent unpaved roads and country roads with no traffic. You run a well-marked course in the State Park, definitely no spectators, you just enjoy the quiet of this historic site, mostly going through woods and meadows. The organization and atmosphere are OUTSTANDING, great crew at race-day check-in, professional timing and awards, and extraordinary volunteers! Numerous, well-organized aid stations with all types of stuff and real Gatorade, no washed-down powder mix here. Jefferson the RD improves this race each year, Congratulations! The web site is excellent, use it, this is one race where your strategy and knowledge of the course will count, check the elevation profile and be prepared. IMHO this is a perfect combo of uphill/downhill/flat sections, unpaved/concrete/asphalt roads, shade/sun, you do go up (and down)some good hills, surely challenging enough but the variety makes recovery easier. And you enjoy a very rewarding, downhill finish line :) One of my favorite events, for its organization, camaraderie, perfect course and aid stations.

Holy smokes! I've run some very hilly courses and this might take the cake as most challenging. Definitely not what I'd call 'rolling hills'....more like continuous uphills that never ever end! I've never been in a marathon where MANY speedier runners (easily the first 30 runners during this race) started walking by the 7 mile mark. That was a shock....but attests to the difficulty of the course. Moving on from the hilliness, the course itself was GORGEOUS. I was constantly amazed at the beauty surrounding all of us as we grunted through 26.2miles. I have always joked that I'm a 'marathon snob...I only run pretty courses.' This marathon did not fail in that regard! We also lucked out in regards to the weatherupper 50s/low 60s; had it been hotter, the finishing times would have been much worse. I would recommend a water stations at every one of the final 6 miles of the marathon. It's paramount to have water at that point in a marathon. I'd also strongly recommend LOTS of water at the finish line. I crossed the line and there was no water. That was very bizarre. Granted the power bars/gels were plentiful but water definitely should be at the finish line in addition to the gatorade that was supplied. If you're up for a challenge...DO THIS COURSE! If you don't mind a crappy finishing time...DO THIS COURSE. If you hate hills and are hoping to PR, avoid this course. Oh and thank you for allowing a friend to pick up my race packet as my flight got in very late! Not many races will allow someone other than the runner to pick up the race packet. I appreciated not having the hassle of trying to obtain that on race morning. Overall, I really loved it. Could not have asked for a prettier course!

This was my 10th marathon I knew the course was hilly and tough. We drove the marathon route the night before so I knew what to expect. This was the most beautiful marathon I have run so far. Very well organized water stations every two miles. The course was well marked easy to follow. I had made a map of the course but did not need it. The packet pick up was easy to find and get to. Pro: Beautiful peaceful course. The horse in the pasture that winneyed at me at mile 17 made me laugh. The guy on the hill about mile 18 handing out glasses of water from his house and cheering us on awsome. Loved this event everything about it was perfect. Loved the challenge of this event. It is a hilly tough course but worth every moment of my time. I was shocked to find out i was first in my age group and my time was one of my best hills and all Con If you are looking for a flat course or a lot of spectators cheering this is probably not the place Congradulations to the event organizers this is an amazing wonderful race. I would highly recommend it

So if you're from a mountainous part of the country - and by 'mountainous,' I mean living on top of a mountain - then the terrain here probably qualifies as 'rolling hills.' If you're not, then prepare yourself to run uphill continuously for 10-20 minutes at a time throughout the event. Running uphill is at least 50% of the race, and the slope isn't 'rolling' at all. It goes up, it turns in one direction, you turn with it, it turns again, you curse yourself for participating, and it continues to go upwards. Many of the people who finished this event after the 4:30 mark were just plain angry. Bear in mind that several people who finished in 4:00-4:30 won awards in their age groups for time. Don't do this one as a BQ. The aid stations seemed to operate on a leapfrog system. Two of my aid stations never appeared. I ended up receiving water from a local homeowner who set up a table at the top of one of the 'hills' because, as he said, 'There's no way I would run this without water.' Bless that man. If you're good with repetitive, seemingly-interminable uphill running after mile 20, then you'll appreciate this as a fine, challenging event. If you're like the rest of us, stay far away.

I was nervous about running this event because I knew it would be more challenging than any I had done to that point. Indeed it was! However, it quickly became my favorite. The course has low traffic, was well marked and had beautiful scenery. The Adventure Geeks team and organization was superb and the cost was low (with great t-shirts and medals). I plan to make this marathon an annual regular for me!

I ran the half-marathon in 2012 and really enjoyed every aspect about it. The aid-stations were at perfect locations and the people working them were very happy to see all of the runners. I actually won the race and was very excited to receive my unique award. This was my fourth half-marathon and by far the toughest course. Know what you are getting into when you sign up for the mountain marathon. The course is beautiful so at least you have something to look at while you are grinding out the last few miles. I hope to be back to defend my title and see this wonderful event grow. Great race, great organizers, great volunteers.

Learned that whenever you see the words: mountain and marathon together, you should read hard marathon. That being said, I really enjoyed this race. Like they say, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger! We ran hills up and down and all around in the beautiful forest that surrounds the King's Mountain Revolutionary War Battlefield. 80 degrees no problem. We were in the cool shade 90% of the time. I drove part of the course early that morning. They were putting up 1-2- and sometimes 3 of those little signs telling you when to turn. Volunteers were sparse, but they had prepared the tables for us to grab a water or Gatorade as we passed by. Had to have spotted the race director half a dozen times as he cruised by making sure all was well. You probably won't get that Boston Qualifier on this one, but if the 70 year old guy who finished after me can do, so can you!

This is a really low-key but superbly organized race. The course is challenging, but ultra-scenic, with stellar support. My prediction is that the field will double in size next year.

Definitely not a big city, big expo, big, usually useless, goodie bag race like LA, NY, Chicago, etc, but I loved it. The Race Directors did an awesome job. Lots of rolling hills on back country roads. Refreshments were available exactly as described. Water every two miles and gatorade every four miles. I traveled from Los Angeles and had family in the area to stay with so I can't comment on the lodging situation. While perhaps not the first choice as a Boston Qualifier, this race really has the makings of a high profle marathon. It reminded me a great deal of the Hatfield McCoy Marathon for any of you who may have run that race.

This race was just tough enough, superb environment, 40% gravel 10% concrete the rest on excellent blacktop, with an exceptional organization and friendliness, I will be back next year ! One little advice if you need refueling, bring your own gels ! (water and Gatorade were abundant and well located on the course)

Hats off to Kristen & Jefferson (my new Facebook friend!!) for organizing a unique & challenging marathon & half marathon in my birth state of SC!! I really loved the shirts, the award glasses, the scenery...nice to see blooms after a tough New England winter!! Very few spectators but the ones that were out were terrific & the volunteers were excellent!! Granted I did the half, but I drove the entire course, & what a great job they did organizing this last year...& geez how it grew!! Afterward, we drove over to the King's Mountain National Military Park (the course goes through both the State Park & the NMP) & walked the 1.5 mile hilly battlefield trail...very well worth the visit!! Great event if you're not hung up on your times!! I ran with my camera & have an awesome slide show.

Please ask people with pets to please keep them from running after marathon runners. The hills I loved until my legs said, "No more!!" I loved the park too. We will run next year.

For a small marathon, it was well organized. The weather was warm, but shade along the way made it pleasant. While the aid stations were 4 miles apart, it worked fine. I would advise having a water bottle to last between stations. Kristen and Jefferson were helpful and friendly. I have run 22 marathons, but the hills were challenging. Not the best for first-time marathoners.

This was my very first marathon, and it was quite the experience. My training consisted of incline levels between 2-4.5, and it definitely should have been much higher than that. This was a very organized marathon, and great views throughout the course. I would not recommend this for anybody doing their first marathon, or if you do then definitely train up and down steep hills. I was happy to finish the marathon with a decent time; I just thought the hills were much more than "rolling hills." Great groups of people, and an excellent number of water stations.

I chose this race as my South Carolina marathon primarily from the comments from the runners from previous years, and wanted to support the race directors who put together this race last year on short notice for a group that got snowed out. The course is quite challenging with many, many hills. It is scenic and utilized the best the area has to offer. That being said, I was very disappointed with the support on the course. Offering five aid stations for a hilly course on a warm day is not enough. Each of them was well stocked, but there needed to be at least twice as many. Fortunately for me, many of the other runners had their own support teams and shared water and Gatorade with me and other runners. Thanks to all of those Good Samaritans. The Race Directors seems like great young people and I hope they keep working on this race.

Second year for the race, and registration increased by seven fold! Congrats! Beautiful course through a state park, rolling country side, horse pastures, peach orchards,and past "Old Geezer Lane." Didn't have enough sleep for the hills, though. None of them were terribly steep - just long and repetitive! Would've liked more aid stations towards the end - spaced every 4 miles, but well-stocked. Ranks as one of my favorite settings, time of year, and courses. Save some for the finish, though - the last 1/4-1/2 mile is uphill to the camp parking lot!!

This race director got it right! Empathizing with fellow runners due to the cancellation of another South Carolina marathon, race director Jefferson Nicholson organized a fantastic event for all. The course was extremely well marked. Course support was one of the better ones I've encountered as well as plentiful aid stations! Finisher crowns made especially for two runners who completed their 50 State quest at this event were bestowed upon them by a thoughtful race director. Nice mason jar mugs with the race name were presented to all finishers, and polo shirts were mailed to us after the race. Congratulations to Jefferson and Kristin for a fun-filled event where we all felt like family.

Such a great couple of race directors who just couldn't be more southern and sweet to us. Despite our small numbers, they gave us oodles of amenities - we didn't expect much and we got hugely more than we deserved. There were good course markings and port-a-potties, and the fluid stations were stocked with bananas, oranges, trail bars, cookies and Gatorade, given by smiling, young and good-looking runners. At the end there were practically awards for everyone as well as the promised gift in lieu of a medal - a mason jar with gold-painted kings and queens of the Mountain Marathon and the date. T-shirts came later and were worth waiting for, as they were customized and embroidered. Most unusual course and we all loved the farming country, lakes, and sights, and we had a delightful time that of all of my 60-plus marathons will be highly remembered.

Kristen and Jefferson started this marathon for a number of us shut out by the Myrtle Beach Marathon cancellation in Feb. 2010. The course runs through both a state and a national park. The area is not too far from Charlotte, NC... but is entirely within South Carolina. My family and I camped at the state park the night before and the night after the marathon. I was there bright and early. Jefferson was so kind to let several people start early. I think he would have been willing to start us each at our own time. Kristen and her family were the SAG crew - with water, food, and friendship every couple of miles. They even picked up a stray dog. Our support crew and family made up the spectators for our run  not many of them, but they were all very enthusiastic and supportive. The course is hilly with most of it on asphalt roads with very little traffic and some on crushed gravel. At the end of the run, they awarded crowns to the top 3 men and women. They also had special awards for several people who completed their 50 states. Later in the mail, I got my Kings Mountain polo shirt with small (and distinguished) 26.2 on the back that I'm wearing today. I LOVE my SWAG. What a wonderful small marathon. Jefferson and Kristen knew everyone by name and they worked hard to make sure it was a good experience. I will gladly sign up for more of their races because they really know how to put the runners first.

I called this a marathon of necessity because most of the participants were Marathon Maniacs and/or 50-States Marathon Clubbers who got snowed out at Myrtle Beach on Feb 13th earlier this year. Maniac Diane Bolton petitioned the race director for the Clemson Easter Bunny Half Marathon to organize a full marathon by letting participants run the course two times, and getting the run certified as a marathon for club purposes. Instead, RD Jefferson Nicholson created a brand new marathon to fill the gap. At the same time, the marathon event was used as a fundraiser for Cierra Burchfield, who will be serving overseas as a missionary. This served the needs of a dozen or more people who needed a SC marathon, Jeff's desire to be a marathon race director, and Cierra's need for financial support. The race location was near Charlotte, and just across the border into South Carolina. This made access easy for those from farther away needing to fly in. There were area hotels close by, and directions  and course description were made available ahead of time so folks knew exactly where to go. Even as small as the race was, nothing was left to chance. Several of us even drove the course the day before. This race was in Kings Mountain Park, so it sounds pretty tough. But living at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado myself, I think of these more as rolling hills. We congregated at the park around 7:30 a.m., where we received our assigned numbers and got briefed on the course; and the race began at 8:00 a.m. The race course exited the park, did about a mile out and back from the park entrance to the highway and back, and then started a big loop to the west. Coming back, the course back-tracked about the last four miles and the finish was co-located with the start line. Hills were definitely a factor in this race course, but nothing was that bad. And being a spring marathon, all of the plants were coming to life. Most of the trees were already leafed out, and there were dogwoods and lilacs in bloom along the course. I even saw one lilac that had grown into an adjacent tree, and there was an array of lilacs blooming all the way up to the power lines. It was spectacular. Still, this was a remote marathon, even though there were a few houses scattered along the course. There were plenty of dogs that came out to greet us too. Apparently, no leash laws in this part of South Carolina. This course was laid out and marked well; there was simply little chance of getting lost or going off-course. There were an adequate number of aid stations too. As usual, the volunteers were encouraging, friendly, and they had water, Gatorade, chewy oatmeal bars, bananas, oranges and Vanilla Wafers. These folks were the only support and cheering fans we had, but nobody expected anything more than that. Thanks to Jeff, his assistant Kristen, and the volunteers who made this marathon work. They made this event a positive experience for all who participated. And now South Carolina has another marathon event for future years - just in case it snows in Myrtle Beach in February. And the polo shirt we received by mail some time after the race was among the best.

Needed an SC to finish my 50 state quest this year. The course (held in two different parks) was fun and different, and as our small group ran along, we were totally catered to. The RD drove along all morning checking on us, the aid stations had fun goodies and kind encouragement, and our finishers were treated to winners' crowns. Later, in the post, arrived beautiful Polo Shirts. A definite must-do for anyone wanting to experience first-class planning and execution of a nice, small marathon.

Amazing positive effort by race directors Jefferson and Kristen. Good signage and excellent on-course support - for the 15 of us who ran it! Challenging hills, but lovely environment. I recommend it!

The race directors created this race on the spur of the moment when some friends needed a South Carolina race to replace Myrtle Beach (snowed out!) on their quests for the 50 states. We had 2 runners finish the 50 states at this race and several others later this year. We had low expectations for the race since it was a last-minute creation and the race directors were in college. We were amazed how wrong we were. It was a great race! When we drove the course the day before, we were afraid we would get lost on the multiple turns on rural roads. We met race morning in a state park near the King's Mountain National Battlefield, just across the state line from Gastonia and King's Mountain, North Carolina. We got our race numbers, posed for a starting line photo, and then took off on an adventure. The course ran through beautiful countryside with fields, streams, woods, a few houses, and then through the National Battlefield. Very pretty and frequently changing scenery. My only complaint is there were a lot of hills, but I'm a flat-lander. Our fears about getting lost were unfounded because the course was very well marked. There were frequent water stops with lively college kids and even porta-potties occasionally. One of the race directors drove by to check on each of the runners several times. Where else do you get that personal attention? We finished back at the start, with food and refreshments waiting. There were no medals (none expected) but we did get mugs with the race name, an unexpected bonus. They took our shirt sizes and later got shirts made and mailed them to us! This race was more than we expected and I recommend it highly. I gave the "spectators" a 5, even though there weren't really any, but there was a cute dog that ran along with us for part of the race.