The Charleston Marathon was the very first one I knocked out, so I have a lot of sentimental memories tied to it. Since then I've done the half, and feel that is the better of the two options. Running through downtown Charleston is a wonderful experience, and with the amount of traffic and tourists we get around here, having a closed course gives you something you can't get on a normal day.

Course-wise, it's flat. Just pure and simple flat. I think there is maybe one tiny hill in there somewhere, but it's about as flat as it gets. Temperature-wise you're going to get the coldest day of the year. I'm not sure how, but each year it's just very windy and cold. To me, this is a perk, but bring gloves and layers you can rip off.

Visually the full marathon is nice about 3/4s of the time, but there are parts of North Charleston that are just sparse and boring. Outside of that everything is nice to look at.

Overall if you are looking for a starter marathon, this is a great choice. It's flat, the temperature is right, it's not insanely over crowded, and it's a good excuse to visit here.