I chose Kiawah Island Marathon as my first marathon because the average temperatures would be ideal running weather and the course is flat. Both worked out perfectly. The course is scenic running through the canopy of trees and in the trails. The expo is pretty small, but I don't care about expos. The race shirt was truly awful so I grabbed a couple of extra shirts at the expo since it was my first marathon. They do not provide a bag for the bib/shirt, but that's all you get so one isn't necessary. The pre-race dinner was way too much for what you get. I definitely wish I skipped it. Communication was decent, although they really only communicated on facebook and twitter. The official race page is part of the resort and doesn't seem to get updated frequently. Kiawah Island is a private island so if you stay off the island I can see how a shuttle or getting there early would be an issue. I stayed on the island and very close to the start of the race so it was not a factor for me at all.

There were pacers for the half and full marathon and you line up based on what you think you should be. I kept up with my pacer except she seemed to be going a bit faster than what my pace should've been. I ended up finishing exactly at the pace time, but the pace had already finished. Honestly the best part is the course. My husband was able to walk to various points in the marathon to support which helped me tremendously. The size was also really nice. It wasn't a mega race where you wait 20 minutes to start, but large enough that I wasn't alone on the course. Overall I would recommend this race.

Ways they could improve... There was only a short run with views of the ocean although I'm not sure where there would be more beach access. My GPS seemed WAY off which I assume is because of all the turns. Having a corral or two would have been nice. It was crowded to start especially since the half and full marathon runners are together. I doubt i ever will wear the shirt and the medal was just ok.

US Road Running has various races throughout Central PA including the New Years 5k, 10k. It is a small race so there is no expo. Packet pickup is the morning of the race right up until the start of the race. There is plenty of parking really close to the start so you can get there shortly before the race and be fine. The start time is much appreciated considering it is a New Years Day race (11 am for the 5k, 12:15 pm for the 10k). The t-shirts were awful. I've run another race from US Road Running and thought that shirt was bland, but this one simply has the US Road Running logo. No mention of the race, distance, or date. The race started on time without any corrals. Once you crossed the Walnut St bridge you went down to the path along the river. This path was not cleared from the snow a few days earlier. I'm used to running in the snow so it wasn't an issue for me, but could have been for others especially going up and down the hill. There were no water or aid stations that I noticed. The medal was really nice (especially considering how bad the t-shirt is!). Overall, I would do the race again simply because it is cheap and how easy it is to get to the race, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend coming from far for it.

I took a Lyft about an hour before the start and was able to be dropped off about two blocks away. I think you can get away with getting to the race pretty close to start time which is what I wish I did. It was pretty cold for the start of the race (mid-20s) and there were no open buildings to wait around in. Seemed like there were a ton of porta potties and the lines moved reasonably fast. The starting area was a lively area which I would've enjoyed more if I wasn't frozen solid! There was a lot of crowd support in the city, but minimal in the park. There were some really pretty neighborhoods that I would have never found on my own. The half marathon is mostly flat with a few rolling hills in the middle. It is especially nice to end on a downhill! The swag was great. You get a fleece blanket, a cup (for the anniversary), and a long sleeve shirt. The medal didn't have much design to it, but was pretty solid. My only real compliant was the post-race food was across a bridge in a different area. I wish I could've at least had a banana right away because it was in the opposite direction of where my family found parking. Overall I would run this race again and recommend it.

The expo was very large and definitely geared towards females. They had one stand where you received free samples of everything from tampons to shampoo (a first for me at a race). The first 2 1/2 miles of the course were straight up. There is no sugar coating it. After that, it is hills until about half way through then flat. There was a steep hill about mile 6, but there was really good crowd support and signs to help motivate you. The Hyde Park area (around mile 4) had gorgeous views. Even though the second half was flat, the sun came out and started getting warm. It was almost tougher because of that. The second half of the race was also not a scenic. There were a lot of run down areas and it just wasn't as nice as the first half. Despite the hills, it is possible to PR the race. I did :)

I was a huge fan of the swag at this race. You get a long sleeve shirt, personalized bib, and samples at the expo. The medal was nice and doubled as a wine stopper (eh I probably will never use it as one), but the real kicker was you receive a full bottle of wine and mimosa and cup at the end of the race. As a wine drinker, this alone would make me keep coming back! I would definitely do this race again and recommend it.