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Marathon Details - Charleston Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > SC > Charleston > Charleston Marathon

Charleston Marathon

Charleston Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Charleston, SC USA

~~January 15, 2022~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.capstoneraces.com/charleston-marathon

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Race Details

Starting in Historic Downtown Charleston runners will pass the beautiful Battery and their journey ends in Historic North Charleston. This is a Flat and Fast course with no hills or climbs. Runners can expect to easily earn a new personal record.

Contact Information

Name:	Liz Alford
Address:	3005 W. Montague Ave Charleston, SC 29418
Phone Number:	843-300-7500
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (90)

Course 2.9

Organization 3.3

Spectators 2.8

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Number of comments: 90 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

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T. W. from Minnesota (1/22/2019) "Unexpected stop for the train" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I have completed 80+ marathons prior to Charleston Marathon. I ran with the 3:30 pacer during this race. We had to stop for a train between mile 10 and 11. This was the first time that I had to stop for a train during a marathon. I managed to run a Boston qualifying finish despite this train delay. However don't know how many runners missed their goals by this train delay.
D. H. from TENNESSEE (1/17/2018) "Worst Marathon out of the Last 10 I Have Run" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I'm an experienced marathon runner with 10 marathons under my belt including Boston 2013 and a full Ironman. This was far and away THE WORST course I have ever run in my life. Crowd support was almost non-existent and who could blame anyone for that...the course had you running mostly out and back loops through undesirable ghetto areas. At one point you run down a dock and turn around and run back. I will say that the course was well staffed and I never had issues w/ water or gels. Packet pickup was smooth and easy. The medal was nice. But..the course...I won't be coming back to Charleston and I wouldn't recommend you go either until a serious revision is made because no one in there right mind wants to see the nonsense on this course.
G. M. from Charlottesville, VA (1/15/2018) "The worst marathon course I have ever run!" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was my 7th marathon, and I chose it because of the flat terrain, hoping for a BQ. I read the reviews about out-and-back loops and I suppose I underestimated how mentally defeating those would feel for the entire second half of the race. We were also hit with a 15 mph headwind for the majority of the race. There were virtually no crowds at all until the finish line with only a few hundred people. Water/aid stations were plentiful, but some weren't even manned with volunteers-I have never experienced that before. I was on track to BQ at the half marathon point, but finished 10 minutes slower than my goal due to these other factors. I would NEVER run this race ever again. The city of Charleston is beautiful and that portion of the race is gorgeous. Perhaps if the weather had been warmer and less windy I would have had a more positive experience.
d. c. from Charleston, SC (12/13/2017) "No longer a hometown race" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Charleston Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Race has been robbed from local organizers! It used to be a local race supporting local a local charity but they got greedy and hired a for profit race outfit. Expect a 'corporate' feel with even less music / fun than 'advertised by an R&R race'!! Could be a really great run if the mayor of Charleston ever let a quality course be set up. (Everyone thought it would change with the change in mayor but it didn't.) The after party (pre2018) AWESOME!!! Shrimp & Grits and plenty of beer & mimosas!! -doubt the thought and care will be the same...no profit in a great party. Lots of turns in the last 10 miles. Other than that...perfectly straight! SUPER flat with the exception of a road bridge at mile 9...prob a whopping 30 foot elevation change...but when you've been flat for so long feels like a mountain! Oh...bring some caffeine for miles 5-15...SO BOORING... Long distance point to point ->No walking back to the start! Be prepared to shuttle if you are not local!! (I am so always had a car at both ends...) ...never heard a problem with the shuttles though.
E. K. from Philadelphia, PA (3/10/2016) "Sea Level, Flat Course In Perfect Running Weather." (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 C Please note. (as explained to me by a local) The fact that the race starts in Charleston and ends in North Charleston is due to (mainly) the city of Charleston asking for their police and medical personnel to be paid for the time they spend on marathon activities. (As opposed to the personnel of North Charleston providing the services for free, so I heard!) Some people complain about the fact that the marathon doesn't pass through the exotic streets of downtown Charleston (a bland, unexciting race) but this is entirely not the organizers' fault. Big City, big city politics. Many city marathons run through 'rough, depopulated and desolate' stretches and a seasoned (meaning having run more than one!) marathoner would know that by now. I also have this uncanny feeling that the bourgeoisie don't want you running in their neighborhoods and they probably have a say in marathon routes. Can't please everyone! In any case, all marathons have stages where they'll have 'filler roads' that are not ordinarily used by traffic or have light traffic to reduce congestion when a race of such magnitude is going on. 'You are not in Boston anymore!' C I watched the video of the entire 26.2 mile course that was on their website (and YouTube I think) From the video, I could tell that the route was not taking you through the scenic downtown Charleston that they show on brochures but I was mentally ready for that. Watch the video to get an idea of the race and where the runners pass through so that you may make the decision as to whether the race is 'scenic' enough for you... C Bring along sunglasses (for the first 3 miles and more, as you race next to the water and the sun shining brightly on your face) and shoes with good cushioning. Some parts of the race have a pebble like feel to them (for the full marathon) and I was thankful for the good sole cushioning. If you usually don't run with, or accustomed to minimalist shoes, this is not the race to do it. The various reasons to run the Charleston marathon. 1. ALL The proceeds from the marathon are used to fund the arts in Charleston public schools, a very noble and selfless cause especially in these days of non-existent funding for the arts and dying art forms in the USA. 2. As a marathon in January, it is a perfect race for many of those (like myself) who live in the snowy Northeast, Midwest and Northwest respectively. A January race forces you/one to keep training through the winter months instead of hibernating, keeping you well trained and toned throughout the year, meaning that when majority of the races in Spring start, you shall be ahead of those who didn't train through the winter. It was a balmy 60 degrees in 2016 but it was below freezing some years before so just beware. 3. It is a relatively inexpensive race to register for and Charleston is a relative inexpensive city to visit. For the winter months, most marathons are mostly in the warm states of Florida, California and Texas. If you are traveling from far away, the races in Florida and California are more expensive to register for and the flight, accommodation and rental car fees are higher than those found in Charleston for the most part. If you are racing on a budget, keep this in mind. A man of modest means like me jumped at the opportunity. Book early for reasonable deals. 4. If you are doing the 50 marathons in 50 states challenge, this is the perfect marathon to cross the state of South Carolina aka South Cackalacky off your list! 5. At sea level, ideal running weather and a relatively flat course, this is the perfect race to PR and BQ in. 6. They have a 60 mile bike race for cyclists on the Sunday after the main running road races on Saturday, which is a unique and additional attraction. 7. They allow bib transfers (for a fee) and same-day early morning race registration! I have never come across a race that does this. In case you get injured, a loved one or family friend can run in your spot! You can jet in/drive in and sign up for the race that day! Amazing! 8. It's a big city race with a small country feeling to it. You need to be there to experience it. 9. It's held on the Martin Luther King Jr weekend, so, since the Monday after the race is a holiday, (assuming you have Monday off) you have the extra day to recuperate, tour Charleston or volunteer on the actual Monday in events in Charleston. A win win in my opinion. Traveling to Charleston C Travel arrangements are very personal and differ from one person to the next. For the out-of-towners, if flying into Charleston, the Charleston International Airport is the main airport and they have car rental services right beside the main airport buildings which you have to walk to. (When it's raining, it's not pleasant, so be aware) I purchased a vacation package from Priceline which covered airfare, car rental and hotel accommodations. This is the cheapest way to do it. (I think) C There is Amtrak, especially for us folks from the NorthEast and Greyhound for those who use buses. C Alternatively, if using public transportation is your thing, or you watch your carbon footprint, after you get to Charleston, there is a public transit bus that will get you from the airport to Burke High school. You can get the information from google maps or Apple Maps and see the schedules for the buses. There are a couple of hotels about half a mile from the start line and many runners had booked these hotels due to the ease of walking from the hotels, to the expo or the start line respectively. These hotels are the Charleston Marriott, downtown Charleston Comfort Inn and Hilton Garden Inn respectively. C I had carried a couple of GU gels (about 5) and salt stick capsules through security and there was no problem. You can get your gels from the expo or if you use GNC products, there is a GNC store in Charleston in case you don't want to deal with airport security throwing away your prized gels and protein shakes! The Expo C The expo was small but very well organized. Everything was within reach. It was held at Burke High school in Charleston (on Friday, January 15 2016, the day before the marathon) which is where the marathon starts. There were various vendors at the expo, mainly local. Some of the vendors included Community coffee, local Apples, Talbot juice, cheese, grocery store, accel energy drink and common fit personal trainers. The previous year's running gear was on sale at a discount just in case you misplaced yours or just needed a souvenir. I saw individual vendors selling Running buddy pouches, GU gels, body glide, shoe inserts, running gear and so on. If you don't have cash, all have card readers for your debit/credit card purchases. C They had a local band doing cover songs! C They have a pre-race dinner between 5-8pm on Friday, which caters for both herbivores and carnivores. It's priced reasonably at $10 (or $7 online prior to the date) The Marathon Mile 1 to mile 13.1 C All runners (half and full marathoners) start at the same time so the start is crowded. At the start, they have pacers who carry placards up in the air showing you expected finish times, from 3.30-3.45 full marathon finish time with 15 minute time increments till 5.00 or 5.30, for both the half and the full. The placards are visibly high and hard to miss. The pacers have pacer t-shirts on them. (Kudos to those pacers for carrying those placards for 26.2 miles!) They have no corrals like the bigger races so if running fast or keeping ahead of the pack is your thing, then keep to the front. The first 3-5 miles are a bit crowded but I don't think there is a big city marathon where you shall avoid a crowded beginning. Mile 1 starts from Burke High School and curves through Lockwood drive and Murray Boulevard, with the waterfront on the right. After mile 3, the race runs from the White Point gardens through the city of Charleston on King Street before inching its way forward towards North Charleston. As the race approaches North Charleston, there are industrial areas that would probably put off someone out to enjoy scenic views while running the race. No big deal here. C From mile 6-8, you pass through some North Charleston neighborhoods. Not all houses here have a white picket fence but a marathon should take you round neighborhoods that don't have million dollar houses. There are thousands of runners and there is nothing to be 'afraid' of when running through some of these neighborhoods. Very friendly people who are cheering you on I might add. C As the runners approach mile 8 or 9, there is a slight incline on Viaduct Street, not really steep. Once you are past the incline and bridge, the half marathoners run straight and the full marathoners keep left on their way to the Marina and the Federal facility. This might be discouraging to some runners as one sees elite runners running back to the 'main course' to join the rest of the runners while you have quite a bit to go. Never mind, there are slower runners than you and that might act as a 'motivation' to let you know that you are not doing too badly. The energy gels are to be found on mile 10 and there are water stations. I learned from runners to create a v-shaped wedge/funnel on the paper cup that contains the Gatorade or water to have the water go into your mouth perfectly with no spills! You have no idea how handy this tip is. You can always tell I have just completed a race by my Gatorade stained clothes! There are places that had a puddle of water on your way to (and back from) the marina and runners' shoes did get wet. It had however rained the day before. Mile 13.1 to 26.2 C This is where the fun and agony begins! This is a very desolate race at this point and its devoid of the mainly huge crowds you would find in, say, the Philadelphia (insert mega city here) marathon. The only people you'll see are your fellow runners, volunteers manning water stations and police and medical personnel. Once you are past the marina and Federal facility, you trudge on to N Hobson Avenue, close to Hunley Observation Laboratories. You shall be running through mostly industrial buildings and there shall be a couple of rail tracks that you shall have to run over. The rail tracks are not raised and it's no big deal. On mile 18, you shall get onto Buist Avenue where you shall meet runners faster than you running opposite you 3 or so miles before the finish line. You'll hit Park Circle before coming to the Academic Magnet High School on mile 20 and go round the school as you go back to the residential neighborhoods. As you approach mile 25, the scenery changes and you are exposed to a beautiful water view on Riverfront park. The stretch is about half a mile long and you are back to Noisette Blvd as you head towards N Charleston High School for the finish. The Finish. Post run refreshments and entertainment. C once you have hobbled to the finish line, your name is announced and a finisher's medal hang on your neck. The finisher's medal was an attractive medal that featured the art theme of the marathon itself, which was unique. The marathon t-shirt was also emblazoned with the same art. If you run with a smartphone like I do, ask the nice volunteers to take a pic of you at the finish line if you don't have someone (family/friend) to take it for you. This is for memories' sake. C There is an array of hydration options at the water station. There is water, Gatorade, beet juice, Coke and other types of soda, (never seen soda on offer after a race before) muffins, bananas, apples and so on. Once you are past the water stations, there are various tents with various refreshments. They include a delicious small bowl of shrimp grits, beer on tap (Samuel Adams cold frost and a grape flavor) and orange juice and champagne, redeemable from the stubs that are on your race bib. They also have peanuts on offer, both original non-flavored and chili flavored, which I enjoyed taking out of their shells. C One attractive theme of the races is the entertainment on offer at the finish line. There were various bands that were playing and these bands were very good, playing everything from country music, R&B, hip hop, country and pop music. Many were playing cover songs and I am sure some were playing original songs. There was also some bouncing castle thing for the kids that involved Velcro tape and kids jumping into the bouncing castle and sticking themselves on it! C There were various tents with sponsors of the race and most were manned to provide information about the products on offer. C There were announcements by the master of ceremonies announcing the 3rd place finishers, runners up and winners in the 5K, half marathon and marathon. Various winners in the various age group categories were also announced. The mayor of North Charleston was also present and participating. C They had places to shower at the school at the finish line and also at the start line. You can put your bath accessories in your race bag, which you can use to shower either at the start or finish line high school showers respectively. C There was a shuttle service (school buses) that was ferrying runners from the finish line (in North Charleston) to the start line at Burke High school in Charleston. It was very efficient and ran every 30 minutes or so. There were no waiting lines. C Remember the bags that you left at the start line in the UHaul trailer? They bring the bags to the finish line. I made the mistake of getting onto the bus thinking I was going to find the items at the start line and had to take the same shuttle back to the finish line to retrieve the items. C Some restaurants and eateries have discounts for runners on Saturday evening. You have to find out from the race organizers or social media. Chip times and the running Apps and smartwatches comparisons C Amazingly, the chip times were being broadcast in real time to your (the runner's) email account. They showed the chip times at the 11.8 mile mark, 20 mile mark and 26.2 mile finish line mark. Maybe this may stop a potential future race bandit? Hopefully! C There were also loudspeakers that were broadcasting the amount of time one had spent on the road. This was helpful for those with no gadgets to tell time. However, many people looked like they had some sort of stop watch/smartwatch or were running with their phones on their armbands. (With running apps running most likely) C I primarily use Runkeeper from my phone and I have a Fitbit. Runkeeper showed the total distance to be 26.79 miles (showed my Philadelphia marathon distance to be 26.70 and Delaware 26.47) I also use the Walkjogrun app just in case the Runkeeper app crashes and it showed a total of 26.67 miles (26.47 in Philadelphia and 26.30 in Delaware) Two separate runners with Garmin had 26.47 and 26.42 respectively. Race Photographs C Big races have expensive photographs! That's just the way it is. I used to believe that paying $25 for ONE digital photograph was outrageous, but I have realized that these are once in a lifetime opportunities and I need to memorialize them somehow. They claim that, even when they bring the prices down, people don't pay for the pics, so they charge a lot to cover for all the 'lost' pics that people won't buy. They also argue that camera equipment is pricey, they have to hire numerous cameramen/women and sift through the pics (using software of course) to match the pics to you. The choice is yours. I have made the painful decision to add $25 to my race budget as I feel that the finish line photo is very important to me. If you have a person positioned at the finish line, then maybe you don't need the official finish line photo. C Marathonphoto was the company that was taking the pictures. I saw an active lady taking pictures at the start line for anyone interested. I may be wrong (I ran the full marathon) but I saw none of the photographers on the way. They had photographers strategically lined up at the finish line and all my photos seemed to be from the finish line. They had one photographer who was positioned perfectly and he/she captured the finish line banner and the finish time. That picture was perfect I have to admit! Maybe that's why the photographs were ready and released so quickly! (race day was on the 16th, Saturday and the photos were ready on Tuesday 19th, 3 days after. The Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE marathon photos took a week before they were ready) I know photography is hard business but they should have at least had a photographer at the scenic 24-25 mile marker close to the water at Riverfront park where the bridge I-526 was in the foreground. A waterfront photo would have looked marvelous! They also needed photographers when runners ran through the streets of Charleston. If you compare photographs of the Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE marathon (the 2 I have run so far) you do see that there were various photographers at various points in the course. Bunching up a few photographers at the finish line and taking many similar photos just means that there are less desirable photos to buy, which means less sales. I would run it again!
L. G. from Connecticut (1/23/2016) "Flat, fast, boring" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was #13 for me... Pros: 1. Wicked flat. I think there was one teeny bridge. Great race to shoot for a PR. 2. Packet pick up was easy but there was a band playing the the gym which made it nearly impossible to hear, expo was very small. 3. Plenty of water, Gatorade and support at each water stop. 4. Cool little finish line festival. 5. Shrimp and grits and beer at the finish. 6. The people of Charleston were so kind and welcoming. Cons 1. The course is a maze of dull and uninteresting out and backs with no spectators to be seen or heard. The course is a dreadful bore for such an amazing little city. 2. Long sleeve shirt is cheap and ill fitting. 3. Food on course was a great idea but poorly placed. 4. Finish was disorganized, was challenging to find water. Tips There is nothing but the start near the host hotel. Don't stay there, stay downtown, use Uber to get around. The airport is small and it's off season, book early if you plan to fly since there are not a lot of flights in and out. If you plan to be downtown for dinner make reservations early. Overall the race is well organized with easy to manage logistics. It's just a shame that it doesn't provide more opportunities to see the true southern charm of the city.
M. L. from Orange Park, FL (2/20/2015) "Disappointed" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Charleston Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my 2nd time running this Marathon. The weather was ideal, the packet pickup was a breeze and the volunteers were awesome. But there was some logistic issues with the aid stations after mile 16. I did not find another one until mile 22, by that time it was too late, I was running on empty. At the finish there was only water and juice, where was the Gatorade? The finish also lacked edible options. Bananas, muffins and peanuts are not enough. The band at the finish was awesome. Baggage drop off and pickup were flawless. Charleston needs to do a better job at showcasing its city, instead of having marathoners do multiple out and backs.
R. M. from New Jersey (1/28/2015) "Easy course, but not very scenic" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2015 Charleston Marathon was my 30th martahon. As others have said, there was a problem with the distance. I didn't notice the marker for Mile 1, but the marker for Mile 2 appeared at 2.25 miles on my Garmin. Other runners were similarly long. My Garmin ended up registering 26.6 for the race. Some of that could be due to me taking poor tangents at times, but something was definitely off. I see some other comments that says they are correcting times. I've checked the results again, and my 'official' time has gone down by a couple minutes. I don't know how they figured out how much to shave off, but it's nice that they did that. I agree with others that the first few miles through downtown Charleston were scenic. But I thought the rest of it was quite blah. There were a couple decent residential neighborhoods, but nothing spectacular. I guess I was expecting more. The course takes a very windy path that doubles back and crosses over itself a bunch of times. But I didn't have any problems other than whatever caused the overlong distance. So I found the course to be well-marked and well-attended by volunteers. As others have said, it was flat and the weather was great. And located at sea level, there was no altitude to worry about. This would be a great course to attempt a PR as long as you don't have to run an extra quarter or half mile. Minor nitpicks: I finished in the middle of the pack, and was still only able to get one beer before they ran out. Also, I think this was the first point-to-point course I've run where I had to take a shuttle from the finish back to my rental car at the start line. Typically I've taken the shuttle to the start line and then run back to my car near the finish. It might not seem like a big deal, but it wasn't terribly pleasant to stand around waiting for a shuttle after running 26.6 miles, and then hobble on up with a busload of other sore and stinky runners for a 20 minute ride. At least the parking at the start was a breeze. Charleston seems like a great town, and the people were all really friendly. A more scenic course would be nice, but I guess you gotta work with what you have available. Not a bad way to check South carolina off my list...
c. m. from philly, pa (1/23/2015) "What a Nice Race!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I traveled in from Philly. Wasn't sure what to expect. Gald there were some options for race packet pick up. The starting line was organized. There weren't many spectators, but I don't run for them. :) The stations and amenities were AWESOME! So many volunteers, and they were quick to clean up cups. Suggest perhaps bananas at 19 or 20 as well instead of just mile 13ish. I picked one up and carried it with me for 9 miles. The course toward the end felt a little like running through and ant farm with all the turns. They were marked, but it was turn after turn after turn. The race director does a nice job with organization, communication and amenities. I loved the local kids signing and playing instruments throughout the course. The weather was perfect. Good choice for a January race. Yes, there was a hiccup with the length, but it was fixed and times adjusted within one week. Now that is service. I guess technically, we ran an Ultra. ha ha.
M. L. from Chicago, IL (1/22/2015) "Course is a disservice to Charleston!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was a very well run event. From the volunteers, to the expo, to the aid stations. However, I am extremely disappointed with the course. I lived in Charleston for almost a decade and was excited to finally run a marathon in my old city. Outside of the first handful of miles downtown, the rest of the course is going down one street for endless miles, followed by what felt like endless out and backs. I felt like I was running a poorly planned training run. Where you grossly overestimate your mileage and end up running the last 7 miles as tiny out and backs through your neighborhood. Charleston is SUCH a gorgeous city. This course barely touched it. It does the city an absolute disservice. I would not recommend this race to anyone. Stick with Kiawah if you need a fast SC marathon.

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T. W. from Minnesota (1/22/2019) "Unexpected stop for the train" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I have completed 80+ marathons prior to Charleston Marathon. I ran with the 3:30 pacer during this race. We had to stop for a train between mile 10 and 11. This was the first time that I had to stop for a train during a marathon. I managed to run a Boston qualifying finish despite this train delay. However don't know how many runners missed their goals by this train delay.
D. H. from TENNESSEE (1/17/2018) "Worst Marathon out of the Last 10 I Have Run" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I'm an experienced marathon runner with 10 marathons under my belt including Boston 2013 and a full Ironman. This was far and away THE WORST course I have ever run in my life. Crowd support was almost non-existent and who could blame anyone for that...the course had you running mostly out and back loops through undesirable ghetto areas. At one point you run down a dock and turn around and run back. I will say that the course was well staffed and I never had issues w/ water or gels. Packet pickup was smooth and easy. The medal was nice. But..the course...I won't be coming back to Charleston and I wouldn't recommend you go either until a serious revision is made because no one in there right mind wants to see the nonsense on this course.
G. M. from Charlottesville, VA (1/15/2018) "The worst marathon course I have ever run!" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was my 7th marathon, and I chose it because of the flat terrain, hoping for a BQ. I read the reviews about out-and-back loops and I suppose I underestimated how mentally defeating those would feel for the entire second half of the race. We were also hit with a 15 mph headwind for the majority of the race. There were virtually no crowds at all until the finish line with only a few hundred people. Water/aid stations were plentiful, but some weren't even manned with volunteers-I have never experienced that before. I was on track to BQ at the half marathon point, but finished 10 minutes slower than my goal due to these other factors. I would NEVER run this race ever again. The city of Charleston is beautiful and that portion of the race is gorgeous. Perhaps if the weather had been warmer and less windy I would have had a more positive experience.
d. c. from Charleston, SC (12/13/2017) "No longer a hometown race" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Charleston Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Race has been robbed from local organizers! It used to be a local race supporting local a local charity but they got greedy and hired a for profit race outfit. Expect a 'corporate' feel with even less music / fun than 'advertised by an R&R race'!! Could be a really great run if the mayor of Charleston ever let a quality course be set up. (Everyone thought it would change with the change in mayor but it didn't.) The after party (pre2018) AWESOME!!! Shrimp & Grits and plenty of beer & mimosas!! -doubt the thought and care will be the same...no profit in a great party. Lots of turns in the last 10 miles. Other than that...perfectly straight! SUPER flat with the exception of a road bridge at mile 9...prob a whopping 30 foot elevation change...but when you've been flat for so long feels like a mountain! Oh...bring some caffeine for miles 5-15...SO BOORING... Long distance point to point ->No walking back to the start! Be prepared to shuttle if you are not local!! (I am so always had a car at both ends...) ...never heard a problem with the shuttles though.
E. K. from Philadelphia, PA (3/10/2016) "Sea Level, Flat Course In Perfect Running Weather." (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 C Please note. (as explained to me by a local) The fact that the race starts in Charleston and ends in North Charleston is due to (mainly) the city of Charleston asking for their police and medical personnel to be paid for the time they spend on marathon activities. (As opposed to the personnel of North Charleston providing the services for free, so I heard!) Some people complain about the fact that the marathon doesn't pass through the exotic streets of downtown Charleston (a bland, unexciting race) but this is entirely not the organizers' fault. Big City, big city politics. Many city marathons run through 'rough, depopulated and desolate' stretches and a seasoned (meaning having run more than one!) marathoner would know that by now. I also have this uncanny feeling that the bourgeoisie don't want you running in their neighborhoods and they probably have a say in marathon routes. Can't please everyone! In any case, all marathons have stages where they'll have 'filler roads' that are not ordinarily used by traffic or have light traffic to reduce congestion when a race of such magnitude is going on. 'You are not in Boston anymore!' C I watched the video of the entire 26.2 mile course that was on their website (and YouTube I think) From the video, I could tell that the route was not taking you through the scenic downtown Charleston that they show on brochures but I was mentally ready for that. Watch the video to get an idea of the race and where the runners pass through so that you may make the decision as to whether the race is 'scenic' enough for you... C Bring along sunglasses (for the first 3 miles and more, as you race next to the water and the sun shining brightly on your face) and shoes with good cushioning. Some parts of the race have a pebble like feel to them (for the full marathon) and I was thankful for the good sole cushioning. If you usually don't run with, or accustomed to minimalist shoes, this is not the race to do it. The various reasons to run the Charleston marathon. 1. ALL The proceeds from the marathon are used to fund the arts in Charleston public schools, a very noble and selfless cause especially in these days of non-existent funding for the arts and dying art forms in the USA. 2. As a marathon in January, it is a perfect race for many of those (like myself) who live in the snowy Northeast, Midwest and Northwest respectively. A January race forces you/one to keep training through the winter months instead of hibernating, keeping you well trained and toned throughout the year, meaning that when majority of the races in Spring start, you shall be ahead of those who didn't train through the winter. It was a balmy 60 degrees in 2016 but it was below freezing some years before so just beware. 3. It is a relatively inexpensive race to register for and Charleston is a relative inexpensive city to visit. For the winter months, most marathons are mostly in the warm states of Florida, California and Texas. If you are traveling from far away, the races in Florida and California are more expensive to register for and the flight, accommodation and rental car fees are higher than those found in Charleston for the most part. If you are racing on a budget, keep this in mind. A man of modest means like me jumped at the opportunity. Book early for reasonable deals. 4. If you are doing the 50 marathons in 50 states challenge, this is the perfect marathon to cross the state of South Carolina aka South Cackalacky off your list! 5. At sea level, ideal running weather and a relatively flat course, this is the perfect race to PR and BQ in. 6. They have a 60 mile bike race for cyclists on the Sunday after the main running road races on Saturday, which is a unique and additional attraction. 7. They allow bib transfers (for a fee) and same-day early morning race registration! I have never come across a race that does this. In case you get injured, a loved one or family friend can run in your spot! You can jet in/drive in and sign up for the race that day! Amazing! 8. It's a big city race with a small country feeling to it. You need to be there to experience it. 9. It's held on the Martin Luther King Jr weekend, so, since the Monday after the race is a holiday, (assuming you have Monday off) you have the extra day to recuperate, tour Charleston or volunteer on the actual Monday in events in Charleston. A win win in my opinion. Traveling to Charleston C Travel arrangements are very personal and differ from one person to the next. For the out-of-towners, if flying into Charleston, the Charleston International Airport is the main airport and they have car rental services right beside the main airport buildings which you have to walk to. (When it's raining, it's not pleasant, so be aware) I purchased a vacation package from Priceline which covered airfare, car rental and hotel accommodations. This is the cheapest way to do it. (I think) C There is Amtrak, especially for us folks from the NorthEast and Greyhound for those who use buses. C Alternatively, if using public transportation is your thing, or you watch your carbon footprint, after you get to Charleston, there is a public transit bus that will get you from the airport to Burke High school. You can get the information from google maps or Apple Maps and see the schedules for the buses. There are a couple of hotels about half a mile from the start line and many runners had booked these hotels due to the ease of walking from the hotels, to the expo or the start line respectively. These hotels are the Charleston Marriott, downtown Charleston Comfort Inn and Hilton Garden Inn respectively. C I had carried a couple of GU gels (about 5) and salt stick capsules through security and there was no problem. You can get your gels from the expo or if you use GNC products, there is a GNC store in Charleston in case you don't want to deal with airport security throwing away your prized gels and protein shakes! The Expo C The expo was small but very well organized. Everything was within reach. It was held at Burke High school in Charleston (on Friday, January 15 2016, the day before the marathon) which is where the marathon starts. There were various vendors at the expo, mainly local. Some of the vendors included Community coffee, local Apples, Talbot juice, cheese, grocery store, accel energy drink and common fit personal trainers. The previous year's running gear was on sale at a discount just in case you misplaced yours or just needed a souvenir. I saw individual vendors selling Running buddy pouches, GU gels, body glide, shoe inserts, running gear and so on. If you don't have cash, all have card readers for your debit/credit card purchases. C They had a local band doing cover songs! C They have a pre-race dinner between 5-8pm on Friday, which caters for both herbivores and carnivores. It's priced reasonably at $10 (or $7 online prior to the date) The Marathon Mile 1 to mile 13.1 C All runners (half and full marathoners) start at the same time so the start is crowded. At the start, they have pacers who carry placards up in the air showing you expected finish times, from 3.30-3.45 full marathon finish time with 15 minute time increments till 5.00 or 5.30, for both the half and the full. The placards are visibly high and hard to miss. The pacers have pacer t-shirts on them. (Kudos to those pacers for carrying those placards for 26.2 miles!) They have no corrals like the bigger races so if running fast or keeping ahead of the pack is your thing, then keep to the front. The first 3-5 miles are a bit crowded but I don't think there is a big city marathon where you shall avoid a crowded beginning. Mile 1 starts from Burke High School and curves through Lockwood drive and Murray Boulevard, with the waterfront on the right. After mile 3, the race runs from the White Point gardens through the city of Charleston on King Street before inching its way forward towards North Charleston. As the race approaches North Charleston, there are industrial areas that would probably put off someone out to enjoy scenic views while running the race. No big deal here. C From mile 6-8, you pass through some North Charleston neighborhoods. Not all houses here have a white picket fence but a marathon should take you round neighborhoods that don't have million dollar houses. There are thousands of runners and there is nothing to be 'afraid' of when running through some of these neighborhoods. Very friendly people who are cheering you on I might add. C As the runners approach mile 8 or 9, there is a slight incline on Viaduct Street, not really steep. Once you are past the incline and bridge, the half marathoners run straight and the full marathoners keep left on their way to the Marina and the Federal facility. This might be discouraging to some runners as one sees elite runners running back to the 'main course' to join the rest of the runners while you have quite a bit to go. Never mind, there are slower runners than you and that might act as a 'motivation' to let you know that you are not doing too badly. The energy gels are to be found on mile 10 and there are water stations. I learned from runners to create a v-shaped wedge/funnel on the paper cup that contains the Gatorade or water to have the water go into your mouth perfectly with no spills! You have no idea how handy this tip is. You can always tell I have just completed a race by my Gatorade stained clothes! There are places that had a puddle of water on your way to (and back from) the marina and runners' shoes did get wet. It had however rained the day before. Mile 13.1 to 26.2 C This is where the fun and agony begins! This is a very desolate race at this point and its devoid of the mainly huge crowds you would find in, say, the Philadelphia (insert mega city here) marathon. The only people you'll see are your fellow runners, volunteers manning water stations and police and medical personnel. Once you are past the marina and Federal facility, you trudge on to N Hobson Avenue, close to Hunley Observation Laboratories. You shall be running through mostly industrial buildings and there shall be a couple of rail tracks that you shall have to run over. The rail tracks are not raised and it's no big deal. On mile 18, you shall get onto Buist Avenue where you shall meet runners faster than you running opposite you 3 or so miles before the finish line. You'll hit Park Circle before coming to the Academic Magnet High School on mile 20 and go round the school as you go back to the residential neighborhoods. As you approach mile 25, the scenery changes and you are exposed to a beautiful water view on Riverfront park. The stretch is about half a mile long and you are back to Noisette Blvd as you head towards N Charleston High School for the finish. The Finish. Post run refreshments and entertainment. C once you have hobbled to the finish line, your name is announced and a finisher's medal hang on your neck. The finisher's medal was an attractive medal that featured the art theme of the marathon itself, which was unique. The marathon t-shirt was also emblazoned with the same art. If you run with a smartphone like I do, ask the nice volunteers to take a pic of you at the finish line if you don't have someone (family/friend) to take it for you. This is for memories' sake. C There is an array of hydration options at the water station. There is water, Gatorade, beet juice, Coke and other types of soda, (never seen soda on offer after a race before) muffins, bananas, apples and so on. Once you are past the water stations, there are various tents with various refreshments. They include a delicious small bowl of shrimp grits, beer on tap (Samuel Adams cold frost and a grape flavor) and orange juice and champagne, redeemable from the stubs that are on your race bib. They also have peanuts on offer, both original non-flavored and chili flavored, which I enjoyed taking out of their shells. C One attractive theme of the races is the entertainment on offer at the finish line. There were various bands that were playing and these bands were very good, playing everything from country music, R&B, hip hop, country and pop music. Many were playing cover songs and I am sure some were playing original songs. There was also some bouncing castle thing for the kids that involved Velcro tape and kids jumping into the bouncing castle and sticking themselves on it! C There were various tents with sponsors of the race and most were manned to provide information about the products on offer. C There were announcements by the master of ceremonies announcing the 3rd place finishers, runners up and winners in the 5K, half marathon and marathon. Various winners in the various age group categories were also announced. The mayor of North Charleston was also present and participating. C They had places to shower at the school at the finish line and also at the start line. You can put your bath accessories in your race bag, which you can use to shower either at the start or finish line high school showers respectively. C There was a shuttle service (school buses) that was ferrying runners from the finish line (in North Charleston) to the start line at Burke High school in Charleston. It was very efficient and ran every 30 minutes or so. There were no waiting lines. C Remember the bags that you left at the start line in the UHaul trailer? They bring the bags to the finish line. I made the mistake of getting onto the bus thinking I was going to find the items at the start line and had to take the same shuttle back to the finish line to retrieve the items. C Some restaurants and eateries have discounts for runners on Saturday evening. You have to find out from the race organizers or social media. Chip times and the running Apps and smartwatches comparisons C Amazingly, the chip times were being broadcast in real time to your (the runner's) email account. They showed the chip times at the 11.8 mile mark, 20 mile mark and 26.2 mile finish line mark. Maybe this may stop a potential future race bandit? Hopefully! C There were also loudspeakers that were broadcasting the amount of time one had spent on the road. This was helpful for those with no gadgets to tell time. However, many people looked like they had some sort of stop watch/smartwatch or were running with their phones on their armbands. (With running apps running most likely) C I primarily use Runkeeper from my phone and I have a Fitbit. Runkeeper showed the total distance to be 26.79 miles (showed my Philadelphia marathon distance to be 26.70 and Delaware 26.47) I also use the Walkjogrun app just in case the Runkeeper app crashes and it showed a total of 26.67 miles (26.47 in Philadelphia and 26.30 in Delaware) Two separate runners with Garmin had 26.47 and 26.42 respectively. Race Photographs C Big races have expensive photographs! That's just the way it is. I used to believe that paying $25 for ONE digital photograph was outrageous, but I have realized that these are once in a lifetime opportunities and I need to memorialize them somehow. They claim that, even when they bring the prices down, people don't pay for the pics, so they charge a lot to cover for all the 'lost' pics that people won't buy. They also argue that camera equipment is pricey, they have to hire numerous cameramen/women and sift through the pics (using software of course) to match the pics to you. The choice is yours. I have made the painful decision to add $25 to my race budget as I feel that the finish line photo is very important to me. If you have a person positioned at the finish line, then maybe you don't need the official finish line photo. C Marathonphoto was the company that was taking the pictures. I saw an active lady taking pictures at the start line for anyone interested. I may be wrong (I ran the full marathon) but I saw none of the photographers on the way. They had photographers strategically lined up at the finish line and all my photos seemed to be from the finish line. They had one photographer who was positioned perfectly and he/she captured the finish line banner and the finish time. That picture was perfect I have to admit! Maybe that's why the photographs were ready and released so quickly! (race day was on the 16th, Saturday and the photos were ready on Tuesday 19th, 3 days after. The Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE marathon photos took a week before they were ready) I know photography is hard business but they should have at least had a photographer at the scenic 24-25 mile marker close to the water at Riverfront park where the bridge I-526 was in the foreground. A waterfront photo would have looked marvelous! They also needed photographers when runners ran through the streets of Charleston. If you compare photographs of the Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE marathon (the 2 I have run so far) you do see that there were various photographers at various points in the course. Bunching up a few photographers at the finish line and taking many similar photos just means that there are less desirable photos to buy, which means less sales. I would run it again!
L. G. from Connecticut (1/23/2016) "Flat, fast, boring" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was #13 for me... Pros: 1. Wicked flat. I think there was one teeny bridge. Great race to shoot for a PR. 2. Packet pick up was easy but there was a band playing the the gym which made it nearly impossible to hear, expo was very small. 3. Plenty of water, Gatorade and support at each water stop. 4. Cool little finish line festival. 5. Shrimp and grits and beer at the finish. 6. The people of Charleston were so kind and welcoming. Cons 1. The course is a maze of dull and uninteresting out and backs with no spectators to be seen or heard. The course is a dreadful bore for such an amazing little city. 2. Long sleeve shirt is cheap and ill fitting. 3. Food on course was a great idea but poorly placed. 4. Finish was disorganized, was challenging to find water. Tips There is nothing but the start near the host hotel. Don't stay there, stay downtown, use Uber to get around. The airport is small and it's off season, book early if you plan to fly since there are not a lot of flights in and out. If you plan to be downtown for dinner make reservations early. Overall the race is well organized with easy to manage logistics. It's just a shame that it doesn't provide more opportunities to see the true southern charm of the city.
M. L. from Orange Park, FL (2/20/2015) "Disappointed" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Charleston Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my 2nd time running this Marathon. The weather was ideal, the packet pickup was a breeze and the volunteers were awesome. But there was some logistic issues with the aid stations after mile 16. I did not find another one until mile 22, by that time it was too late, I was running on empty. At the finish there was only water and juice, where was the Gatorade? The finish also lacked edible options. Bananas, muffins and peanuts are not enough. The band at the finish was awesome. Baggage drop off and pickup were flawless. Charleston needs to do a better job at showcasing its city, instead of having marathoners do multiple out and backs.
R. M. from New Jersey (1/28/2015) "Easy course, but not very scenic" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2015 Charleston Marathon was my 30th martahon. As others have said, there was a problem with the distance. I didn't notice the marker for Mile 1, but the marker for Mile 2 appeared at 2.25 miles on my Garmin. Other runners were similarly long. My Garmin ended up registering 26.6 for the race. Some of that could be due to me taking poor tangents at times, but something was definitely off. I see some other comments that says they are correcting times. I've checked the results again, and my 'official' time has gone down by a couple minutes. I don't know how they figured out how much to shave off, but it's nice that they did that. I agree with others that the first few miles through downtown Charleston were scenic. But I thought the rest of it was quite blah. There were a couple decent residential neighborhoods, but nothing spectacular. I guess I was expecting more. The course takes a very windy path that doubles back and crosses over itself a bunch of times. But I didn't have any problems other than whatever caused the overlong distance. So I found the course to be well-marked and well-attended by volunteers. As others have said, it was flat and the weather was great. And located at sea level, there was no altitude to worry about. This would be a great course to attempt a PR as long as you don't have to run an extra quarter or half mile. Minor nitpicks: I finished in the middle of the pack, and was still only able to get one beer before they ran out. Also, I think this was the first point-to-point course I've run where I had to take a shuttle from the finish back to my rental car at the start line. Typically I've taken the shuttle to the start line and then run back to my car near the finish. It might not seem like a big deal, but it wasn't terribly pleasant to stand around waiting for a shuttle after running 26.6 miles, and then hobble on up with a busload of other sore and stinky runners for a 20 minute ride. At least the parking at the start was a breeze. Charleston seems like a great town, and the people were all really friendly. A more scenic course would be nice, but I guess you gotta work with what you have available. Not a bad way to check South carolina off my list...
c. m. from philly, pa (1/23/2015) "What a Nice Race!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charleston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I traveled in from Philly. Wasn't sure what to expect. Gald there were some options for race packet pick up. The starting line was organized. There weren't many spectators, but I don't run for them. :) The stations and amenities were AWESOME! So many volunteers, and they were quick to clean up cups. Suggest perhaps bananas at 19 or 20 as well instead of just mile 13ish. I picked one up and carried it with me for 9 miles. The course toward the end felt a little like running through and ant farm with all the turns. They were marked, but it was turn after turn after turn. The race director does a nice job with organization, communication and amenities. I loved the local kids signing and playing instruments throughout the course. The weather was perfect. Good choice for a January race. Yes, there was a hiccup with the length, but it was fixed and times adjusted within one week. Now that is service. I guess technically, we ran an Ultra. ha ha.
M. L. from Chicago, IL (1/22/2015) "Course is a disservice to Charleston!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was a very well run event. From the volunteers, to the expo, to the aid stations. However, I am extremely disappointed with the course. I lived in Charleston for almost a decade and was excited to finally run a marathon in my old city. Outside of the first handful of miles downtown, the rest of the course is going down one street for endless miles, followed by what felt like endless out and backs. I felt like I was running a poorly planned training run. Where you grossly overestimate your mileage and end up running the last 7 miles as tiny out and backs through your neighborhood. Charleston is SUCH a gorgeous city. This course barely touched it. It does the city an absolute disservice. I would not recommend this race to anyone. Stick with Kiawah if you need a fast SC marathon.

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Marathon Details - Charleston Marathon