The Kiawah Island Marathon is a flat, fast marathon that is optimal for setting a PR. While the area is not the easiest to stay in due to higher prices and availability of lodging, the organizers put on a wonderful marathon with great organization targeted towards making it a really enjoyable experience for all runners.

TRAVEL TIP: There are limited places to stay around Kiawah Island, so if you plan on running this marathon, make your hotel reservations early!

Communication leading up to the race was top-notch and I received updates via email for several weeks prior to the race with clear instructions. Packet pick up was located on the island itself, which is privately-owned, so you need a guest pass to enter. Luckily the race planners are very organized and sent out a pre-authorized parking pass to all runners allowing them entry onto the island for packet pickup.

If you stay off the island, there are shuttle buses that pick you up and take you to and from the race. We stayed close to the shuttle bus area, but parking looked to be plentiful in the grassy fields nearby (though they did seem to get a bit muddy).

The course itself was pretty, but honestly I was a little disappointed. It ran mostly through the inner-parts of the island along community roads and golf kart paths near the golf course. Despite being right on the coast, I was only able to see the Atlantic Ocean for roughly 30 seconds around mile 20. That said I have been lucky to run some of the most beautiful marathons in the country ( Mount Desert Island Marathon 2018 in Maine and The 2019 Kauai Marathon in Hawaii to name a few), so if this would have been my first marathon, I may have thought more of the scenery. Aid stations were plentiful throughout the course, but since I carry my own drink and gels via hydration pack, I did not make use of them.

Overall the experience was a positive one. I would give the Kiawah Marathon a “thumbs up” and recommend it to someone looking to run in the Charleston area of South Carolina.

More details at my full race report: https://runningriddles.com/races/the-kiawah-island-marathon-in-south-carolina/