Kiawah Island Marathon & Half Marathon
Kiawah Island, SC
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
On your mark, get set, go… to the annual Marathon on Kiawah Island, where 26.2 miles (or 13.1 miles) has never looked so beautiful. Enjoy the ultimate marathon experience and stay at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Your body, mind and soles of your feet will thank you! The Kiawah Island … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Dec 11):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 55 | 68 | 59 | 63 | 70 |
| L (°F) | 37 | 42 | 41 | 50 | 61 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Loved it!
Completely flat course run through a beautiful neighborhood. Lots of crowd support and well maintained aid stations. I stayed at an on island Airbnb at a house near the tennis … MORE
Completely flat course run through a beautiful neighborhood. Lots of crowd support and well maintained aid stations. I stayed at an on island Airbnb at a house near the tennis center and the shuttle service was literally right outside my door. Plenty of Porta potties at the start. Also, you could stand inside the conference center in the event of inclement weather. We had perfect temps throughout the entire race. The expo had a Christmas market with lots of local items and was very festive, but smaller amount of running gear, etc. Communication prior to the race was great. I love the shirt and medal, but I did hear complaints that they use the same shirt and medal for both the half and full. Apparently it’s been that way from day one though and this is a long running race. Great access for family spectators. My sister was able to rent a bike and see me at multiple spots. She also had time to just lounge on the beach with very easy access. The awards went five deep on all age groups, and it was a nice insulated Tumblr which I am enjoying for my second place in my age group. I love this race which actually was a PR if you don’t count my downhill Mount Charleston marathon and another BQ. The only complaint would be very spotty cell service due to all the people at the expo and race start. Otherwise, this race was incredible and would totally do it again if there weren’t so many boxes to be checked in other states.
One of my favorite half marathons!
I am a beach girl, and while this race wasn’t exactly run near the beach, it has so much going for it. You should make this your South Carolina half … MORE
I am a beach girl, and while this race wasn’t exactly run near the beach, it has so much going for it. You should make this your South Carolina half marathon if you’re doing all states. Communication was top-notch, as was the swag. There was plenty of time for packet pick up, and it was easily accessible with a little expo attached. I got there at almost closing time the night before the race and the booths were being broken down. Otherwise, everything went smoothly there.
I stayed on island in a friend‘s house, and race morning she dropped us off at a very smooth drop off location near the start. The start and the finish were very, very crowded areas. This is one aspect I believe the race can be improved upon. I was unable to locate a friend who was also in from out of state because it was so crowded and there was no phone service near the start area. The route itself was an easy flat course, with just a little bit being near the ocean. There are beautiful homes on Kiawah Island, and the beautiful low country and marshlands. Many, many residents were out supporting the runners as the island was basically closed down for the race. I thought that was very gracious of the island to host this event. The finish was a little chaotic. I finished towards the end and while the line for food was ok, and beer line was insane. Runners are very patient people, and they had to be with only two people pouring beer for thousands of runners!
Overall, this was one of my favorite locations. Between the beauty of the island, the ease of the course, the outpouring of support from the residents, and the swag, I’m so glad I was able to make this one. Thank you, Kiawah Island!
Good race
My first half and loved it. Not much of an expo in my opinion but fun spending the day exploring the island. Traffic was normal day of race but if … MORE
My first half and loved it. Not much of an expo in my opinion but fun spending the day exploring the island. Traffic was normal day of race but if I would have left any later, I probably would not have made it. Porta potty lines were long prior to race start. Crowded running until mile 3. Post race is crowded but fun.
This is one of my favorites so far.
I really liked this location a lot, at a wonderful resort island near Charleston. I think it was really well planned and executed, though I know some would complain the … MORE
I really liked this location a lot, at a wonderful resort island near Charleston. I think it was really well planned and executed, though I know some would complain the number of runners was taxing for the infrastructure (1500 Marathoners and 3K half). The roads are largely shaded, often from live oaks stretching across and forming a Spanish moss covered canopy. The course is mostly flat, with some gradual easy grades, but there are a lot of turns and the course runs long as a result. The standard race swag is good and there are terrific options for purchase. I would highly recommend.
South Carolina's Marathon
This was my first time to run Kiawah even though South Carolina has been home for 25 years. I'll give some notes on things I wish I'd seen details on … MORE
This was my first time to run Kiawah even though South Carolina has been home for 25 years. I’ll give some notes on things I wish I’d seen details on / more info on before the race.
– Your best bet to sign up for under $100 is to sign up within a week of the race (so, Dec 2025 for Dec 2026 race date). They open registration about mid-week and announce it on Facebook (but I kept the sign up page pulled up on my phone and checked it a few times a day bc I didn’t want to miss it). If you miss that opening rate, it gets pretty pricey for what already could become a very luxe weekend, so if you’re planning a couple years ahead and see $200, know that’s not THE lowest rate.
– They don’t offer discounts on hotel rooms. I was silly and thought there would be a race discount – there is not.
– Staying on island has a lot of pros and is definitely something to consider if you’re coming in and coastal South Carolina is a unique experience for you, have somebody with you who wants to golf, want to split the cost a few ways, etc, but staying off island is absolutely an option as well. If you fly in and stay off island, you’ll need a car and IDK if uber is reliable at 4am on race day, so something to keep in mind. Downtown Charleston is walkable, but Charleston and Kiawah are NOT near each other.
– We stayed in a motel on Hwy 17 and it worked just fine – we were close enough to get to Kiawah Race day morning and only spent about $100 on the room, so that freed my race budget up to do other races/travel to other locations.
– Use google maps to look at the distances/drive times between places. The islands and towns look close on paper, but the roads aren’t necessarily straight and what should be a ten minute drive in some place like Kansas is an hour drive in the low country (not including traffic, SO MUCH TRAFFIC)
– Race communication is best a couple weeks before the race and a couple weeks after. So if you have any questions or need information, that’s the time to get ahold of them.
– The directions for parking for off islanders is confusing – it says to park in what’s essentially a grocery store parking lot. And at 5am in the dark, it’s confusing when people pass that entrance and keep moving toward Kiawah. Just trust it and follow traffic, you’re actually parking in a huge field a couple turns down from the parking lot. Just be cool, do what the volunteers tell you to do, and park in a row. There are luxury shuttles (and portajohns) at the far end of the field, so line up and know there may be a few shuttles before you get to hop onto one. Don’t panic, you’ll make it to the race. Try to get there early enough so you can see the sunrise on the beach. And bring a car that you don’t mind parking in sand/getting sandy/don’t mind parking in a field. We have a Honda Civic and a Subaru Outback, this was definitely a Subaru kind of race.
– I put flip-flops in my drop bag so I could go onto the beach after the marathon. It was the smartest thing I did all weekend.
– The expo/race is at the same building. However, both are VERY crowded. It’s a LOT of people in a small space and NO corrals. Hell, there’s not even a set space for lining up, people just kind of crowded in and made their way to the start line – it was odd. If you’re trying to BQ/PR, be aggressive with your placement – we placed ourselves at the 430 pacers and had to pass a lot of walkers/slow joggers in the first two miles.
– Race smart. We lucked out compared to other southern races this weekend (Biloxi had wind, Huntsville had bitter cold and Kiawah had warm weather). 50-70 is amazing for hiking or sitting on the beach, but less so for racing. High humidity, too. So if you’re not used to it or haven’t trained in heat/humidity, consider adjusting your goals and making this a ‘take pics of the gator signs and Spanish moss’ kind of event. Around mile 10 I overheard some volunteers radioing about someone who passed out on the course, so it’s okay if you need to adjust. There are other flat courses, they don’t all need to be PRs.
– The gatorade on the course got super watered down by the second half of the marathon, so bring your own electrolytes if you’re prone to losing them
– It’s a QUIET marathon – minimal spectators unless you count the families who make their way around the island to cheer on their people. So, bring music, make friends, or just enjoy the solitude and exquisite nature of the low country while it still exists (so much land is for sale, it’s horrific).
– About 2/3 of the race is half marathoners, it opens up after the half/full split
– the course includes golf cart trails, so emotionally prepare for uneven ground. And randomly a mile of clay/sand? IDK, that was a mile 23 surprise.
– A LOT of the runners are from SC, which just adds to my frustration that we can’t seem to get a road marathon up and running in Columbia. That’s just a personal rant and has nothing to do with Kiawah, lol
Overall, a good race, although it felt like “I’m gonna run a marathon in my neighborhood” as opposed to “I’m gonna run a marathon around this city”. People travel in for it and really seem to love their weekend here. Be sure to communicate with your loved ones about where to meet after the race, where you may be on the course at certain times, etc. It’s super crowded and my phone wouldn’t really work to make phone calls since everybody was in a small space and had their phones out/were using them.
And a random 50 staters note:
As far as picking a marathon for SC, Kiawah and Myrtle Beach are two TOTALLY different vibes, so they’re not an interchangeable set of marathons experience wise. Plus the nature in MB is different than the low country, so it’s almost two different ecosystems, especially on the race courses.
Race to run for flat and great dwah
This is one of the races I truly enjoyed. There was great communication throughout the time leading up to the race and the subject line told whether it was about … MORE
This is one of the races I truly enjoyed. There was great communication throughout the time leading up to the race and the subject line told whether it was about the pre events, race fate, etc. they had the best post race food I have had since I did Baton Rouge ten years ago. There was oranges and bananas on the course , plenty of water and Gatorade , music to cheer you on and wel marked . Book your accommodations before you sign up – I did it nine months in advance and find buddies to go with you. The downside is this was an expensive race . I fly in Wednesday so I could the free events the race had- bike ride with kiawah conservancy and you can tell from all the pictures I run for fun not time although they did awards 5 deep. I decided the pictures were more important
It's an island....
It's a closed off island, so the course is "open" but limited traffic on the course. My 14 yo son was able to bike around the island freely to see … MORE
It’s a closed off island, so the course is “open” but limited traffic on the course. My 14 yo son was able to bike around the island freely to see me on the course and bring me snacks if I wanted them. It was a laid back day, and it is a friendly environment. I enjoyed it for my SC state, but I don’t know if I would travel to it again for it. Swag- long sleeved Tshirt for marathon. Medals were nice. They are large with the logo of Kiawah Island on them. My son and I also did the glow run 5K on the beach the night before, which was a BLAST!
I really liked so much about this Event.
I really liked so much about this Event. The communication was great. The Expo and packet pickup was a pretty good size, held in the resort conference room. We got … MORE
I really liked so much about this Event. The communication was great. The Expo and packet pickup was a pretty good size, held in the resort conference room. We got long sleeve unisex t-shirts, our bib and a clear bag for gear drop. A variety of to go pasta dinners were available for purchase. They were convenient and tasty. Race morning, charter busses were provided throughout the day for the runners and family to the start finishline. The course was mostly flat on the road, paved bike trail and hard packed sand. Most of the course was shaded. Even though we had beautiful views of the river, there was only a glimpse of the beach around mile 11. Also at Mike 11 was a screen that showed your state, bib number and name. So, spectators could cheer you on by name as you ran pass. It was just the “pick me up” needed to help get to the finishl. The finishline was streamed live. There was plenty of food, hot soup drink, coffee and beer offered in the runner village. The medal is a beauty.
I would definitely repeat this race. I recommend it, highly. The organizers did a great job.
A boutique race experience
We chose this race based on recommendations from other runner friends, and it delivered. It was billed as a boutique experience and that's exactly what it was. Pre-race yoga and … MORE
We chose this race based on recommendations from other runner friends, and it delivered. It was billed as a boutique experience and that’s exactly what it was. Pre-race yoga and stretching on the beach, a full-on gourmet buffet afterwards, and beautiful scenery. There wasn’t a ton of race support since the island is closed to anyone who doesn’t live there or have a permit but the landscape was so serene that it was kind of nice to be able to soak it all in.
My only critique was the swag. The hoodie wasn’t my favorite but as race shirts go it was fine. Not quite in line with the quality level of everything else about this race but fine. My beef is that there was almost nothing for sale for the half marathon crowd. Tons for the full marathoners but just a couple of things for the half that were mostly for men. Boo.
Good choice for a SC marathon
Overall this is a good race with little complaints. We heeded the warnings and arrived early since we were not staying on the island. We stayed in Charleston (cheaper) and … MORE
Overall this is a good race with little complaints. We heeded the warnings and arrived early since we were not staying on the island. We stayed in Charleston (cheaper) and had no difficulty with driving in the morning of the race. The conference center is open so plenty of space to sit and relax, use the indoor bathrooms before the race started. The race wound through the residential streets of the island. The only disappointment is that we did not have many ocean views. After the race you could easily walk down to the beach. Post race was good although a bit crowded but at least there were places to sit down and very good food. Highly recommend!
Get there early! Pancake flat!
The course was pancake flat and weaved through tree-lined neighborhoods. Tiny parts were on sand/gravel and there weren't any ocean views. Organizers advised us several times to arrive early. We … MORE
The course was pancake flat and weaved through tree-lined neighborhoods. Tiny parts were on sand/gravel and there weren’t any ocean views. Organizers advised us several times to arrive early. We got there really early (around 5:30 am) and had zero issues, but others weren’t so lucky. The conference center is open so we just hung out in one of the ballrooms until it was time to start. One of the water stops was a bit behind in pouring water, otherwise they were adequate. If you’re one of the super speedy runners, having to merge with all the slow (and some oblivious) slow runners might be annoying. Overall, a great race with a nice long-sleeve tech shirt!
Red flag race
Scenery was great, lots of shade. Course was flat. Many aid stations and bathrooms, but as the race went on, they were running out of Gatorade and water. Expo had … MORE
Scenery was great, lots of shade. Course was flat. Many aid stations and bathrooms, but as the race went on, they were running out of Gatorade and water. Expo had a lot clothing choices for the half marathon but very little for the full marathon. The biggest letdown is they ran out of medals 5 hours and 20 minutes into the marathon. I trained 6 months to complete my first marathon and felt on top of the world when I crossed the finish line in a little over 6 hours to be told they ran out of medals and that I will get it in the mail next year (January). This is completely unacceptable and absolutely heart breaking to me after working so hard. I have read multiple other reviews stating this has happened in previous years. So if you want to finish a marathon and not be rewarded with a medal, this is your race.
Winter Marathon Break
This is a nice flat course and a great chance to run a winter marathon. We stayed on the island at one of the villas thinking this would make getting … MORE
This is a nice flat course and a great chance to run a winter marathon. We stayed on the island at one of the villas thinking this would make getting to the start much easier. Unfortunately, many of the shuttles were full when they drove to our stop and the one we finally got on broke down a couple miles from the start. We were not allowed to get out and had to go back to our pickup only to get to the start as the race was beginning. Once I got to the start, no one would tell me where to go drop my bag. For a lot of unforeseen issues, it was challenging. The race was well supported.
There are lots of turns on the course, so be prepared for that. My Otherwise, this is a great vacation spot in the winter. Lots of history in nearby Charleston.
Great destination race with friends
I didn't really chose this race, but joined two friends that decided to run the marathon (after a long hiatus from marathon running). This race is a great destination for … MORE
I didn’t really chose this race, but joined two friends that decided to run the marathon (after a long hiatus from marathon running). This race is a great destination for a long weekend away. We rented a house on Kiawah, and spent Thursday-Sunday on the island for race festivities. In addition, a couple other friends raced the half one group on the island and one off the island (but still on St. John’s).
Pre-race: so many emails! you can’t say that they didn’t communicate. They covered all the bases, made sure you had what you needed.
Accommodations: we stayed on Kiawah, about 2 miles from the start (near Night Heron Park). It made everything super easy. We did take advantage of the shuttle – but note, race day morning, the shuttles were not enough to handle the runners getting the start. I jogged to the start, and the marathoners with me hitch-hiked with a random person.
Swag and Expo: well stocked expo, lots of local artisans too. The race shirt is one of the better ones I’ve earned. The official race gear was fine — i would rate as middle quality.
Race production: we had a late start (I think because of the shuttles), but everything else was great! well marked course, lots of aid stations, lots of port a potties. The aid stations has water, gatorade, and some fruit. No gus.
Finish line: abundant. there were lots of food options, including white bean soup, some pasta salads, corn bread, and fruit, and what seemed like a limitless supply of beer!
Course: scenic neighborhoods, and maritime forest. You’re basically running residential streets the entire time. it’s not bad, but can get boring. Course is extremely flat, and there’s a small bit where you run on a sandy beach road. It’s okay.
Fun & Enjoyable
The Kiawah Half is a great race and perfect for anyone hoping for one that has relaxed setting and very doable course! It's fairly flat and the road doesn't have … MORE
The Kiawah Half is a great race and perfect for anyone hoping for one that has relaxed setting and very doable course! It’s fairly flat and the road doesn’t have any camber to it, so it’ll be gentle on your knees and hips. The aid stations are perfectly placed and always have Gatorade and water at the least. We were fortunate that the weather was quite cool. It was rainy for almost the entire duration of the half, which added some humidity but nothing that made the run difficult. The race producers can’t do anything about the weather to have made the sun peak out at least a little, but I do think they could do more to add more views of the beach and ocean. The only glimpse we get it towards the very end and only about 1/4 of a mile running behind a hotel and through their pool area. The race is on an island with beach access, I would’ve hoped for a lot more of that. In order to get to the one portion where we could see the beach, we had to run on dirt/gravel service roads, which was not ideal given it was in the final two miles and that change in ground slows you down a bit – and as I mentioned before it was a rainy morning, so the service roads were squishy.
Overall great race, and I highly recommend it for half-marathoners, especially if hoping for a PR. The producers put on a really great expo with lots of supplies available (and on discount if bought in certain quantities), as well as featuring local artisans and venders. After the race, they had a buffet that features great options for some recovery carb and protein reloading – chicken pasta, couscous, white bean soup, and more. They also had hot chocolate and coffee to help warm up.
Really enjoyed it, and would definitely make an effort to run it again!
Monotonous and Unorganized
I must admit that I'm a bit surprised at how high this race is rated, because it definitely wasn't one of my favorites!! The shuttle to the start was not … MORE
I must admit that I’m a bit surprised at how high this race is rated, because it definitely wasn’t one of my favorites!! The shuttle to the start was not difficult. But the starting line can only be described as a cluster. I had to wait 30 minutes in line for bag check . . . and the bag check line was in the middle of the starting corral. Had I known the process would have been so unorganized, I wouldn’t have planned to check anything.
The course was flat and relatively easy, but I worried in several places that surely I must have taken a wrong turn because it wasn’t entirely clear where the course was. Sometimes the course was on a walking path that meandered (making it impossible to run the tangent–I ran about half a mile longer than a marathon according to my GPS), and sometimes the course was on a street that was not closed to traffic. It wasn’t clear if runners should stay on the right side of the road or the left, so there were runners on either side with cars driving down the middle! There weren’t an excessive number of cars driving on the course, but enough that it seemed so bizarre that there were no cones marking a safe path for the runners.
The course itself was pretty . . . for the first mile or two until it became extremely monotonous and I started going crazy wondering if this was the second, third or maybe fourth time we had run on this same stretch. Everything was sage green–the grass, the trees, the houses. It was pretty at first, but boring after a while. Despite the fact that the course was on an island, we only caught a glimpse of the ocean for a brief 100 meters.
Aid stations were completely overwhelmed. I am not a complete back of the packer–finish time was 4:50–but volunteers at many aid stations were filling up cups while I waited, instead of having them ready to grab and go.
I will say that the finish line food was the best I have ever experienced, even better than VIP tent food.
Very well put together with a big crowd!
I was most worried about the logistics of getting to the run since you have to be bused to the island from just outside, but this turned out to be … MORE
I was most worried about the logistics of getting to the run since you have to be bused to the island from just outside, but this turned out to be super easy. You’ll park in a field by the Freshfield village & they have a ton of busses to get you over. I got there at 5:45am & there was a quick line. Bib pickup was super easy. Race is kinda cramped the first mile so really know where you should start. Definitely running again!
Flat Course for The Win
An almost entirely flat course, seriously there were only two hills over the entire race. The spectator support was incredible throughout the entire 13 miles, the race rented out bikes … MORE
An almost entirely flat course, seriously there were only two hills over the entire race. The spectator support was incredible throughout the entire 13 miles, the race rented out bikes for folks to use. I will go ahead and say the scenery wasn’t great, running through the neighborhoods was fun but running on an island you’d think you’d get to see the ocean, you don’t. The post race food was wonderful, buffet and a beer truck with multiple types of beer. The pasta and brownies were wonderful, highly recommended.
New start/finish area for 2021
Kiawah Island will always have a special place in my heart. It was my first half marathon. I loved everything about it. My third year running the half marathon is … MORE
Kiawah Island will always have a special place in my heart. It was my first half marathon. I loved everything about it. My third year running the half marathon is my PB. The corses were changed for this year and while still very nice, I preferred the original location. Most runners will need to get a shuttle to and from the start/finish area regardless if they stay off- or on-island. There is great support along the course and music/bands in a couple of locations. Great food at the finish…REAL food, like couscous, pasta, hot soup. Plus beer, always a good thing. The shirt this year was a long sleeve cotton blend, as opposed to the tech shirts offered in the previous few years. The medal was just as awesome as always, with a stained glass effect and a spinner with half marathon on one side and marathon on the other.
Enjoyable
The hardest part of this race is the parking. You either need to find a place to stay on the island or stay just off and park the morning of. … MORE
The hardest part of this race is the parking. You either need to find a place to stay on the island or stay just off and park the morning of. So you have to arrive early before they close the island We stayed off the island but very close. The course incorporates the path that is used for the golf course so it is not entirely flat. It was also fairly windy the year I ran it. I enjoyed all the post race festivities but due to the cool temps and wind I was too cold to enjoy very much. I flew in and out of Charleston. So we stayed the first and last night in Charleston. Made a nice extended long weekend out of it.