The Kiawah Island Marathon takes runners through the serene and picturesque landscapes of Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The course is flat and fast, winding through maritime forests, along tranquil lagoons, and past stunning ocean views. Runners enjoy a mix of paved roads and shaded paths, making for a comfortable and scenic race experience. The course's gentle terrain (there is only a 10 foot difference between the high and low points of the course), combined with the island's mild winter climate, offers an excellent opportunity for both personal bests and Boston Marathon qualifying times.
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Kiawah Island Marathon
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How does the Kiawah Island Marathon Rank?
The Kiawah Island Marathon was the 54th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 44th largest in 2022.
Last year 8.8% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 11.6% of runners qualified for Boston in 2022.
This gives the Kiawah Island Marathon the 218th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 138th highest percentage in 2022.
Its Course Score of 99.73 ranks it as the 61st fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 1st fastest course in South Carolina.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Kiawah Island Marathon a PR Score of 99.73. This PR Score ranks it as the 46th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 1st fastest in South Carolina.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Kiawah Island Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 19 feet (5m) Min Elevation: 7 feet (2m)
Absolutely the worst!!!
They ran out of finisher medals!
They gave the same finisher medals to the half-marathoners and marathoners.
13.1 miles vs 26.2 miles - NOT THE SAME!
They did not secure the marathon course - they allowed non-participants and cyclists on the course! Very dangerous to the runners!
Do not run this marathon! Not recommending this race!
When you run a marathon, no matter how "slow" you ran it, YOU SHOULD BE GETTING A FINISHER MEDAL AT THE END! PERIOD.
Race Tips
Learn good pacing strategies. Conserve energy in the first 10-miles. The marathon race doesn't really start until the 18th mile.
Arrive early. Always do your pre-run workout/warm up.
km's review of 2021 Kiawah Island Marathon.
4 /
5 Stars
Review
Everything about this marathon was great from the communication to the course being well marked to aid stations every 2 miles. the downside was the insanly small amount of port a potties at the start. for a race this huge to have like 20 of them was crazy. we arrived very early to the site did a 1 mile warm up then stayed in line 1 hour to use the restroom!
Race Tips
if you can afford to stay on the island it makes race day so easy. shuttle access was simple check in and out was easy.. book early!
The pluses...lots of communication leading up to the event, and about as flat of a course as you can get. That being said, I found the course itself (which was changed in 2016) to be miserable. It was largely on golf cart paths with uneven surface and endless "snaking" without any notable views. They claim to have chip timing, but did not. I noticed that the runners at the front of the pack had "net times." Those of us further back did not. The RD was very unaccommodating on this point. There's no excuse for that. So if you are looking to PR or are a few minutes away from BQ, I'd suggest looking for a different race.
Race Tips
Try to run on the street instead of the actual course. Note that your GPS will be off from the first few miles because of the satellites are.
3.7 Stars from 7 Reviews
