***NOTE: As of the 2018 race, the Charleston Marathon is under new management*** 2017 was another great year for the Charleston Marathon. The City of Charleston and City of North Charleston are embracing this race more each year. The big change I noticed was that the expo was moved to the North Charleston Colosseum. It's a no-frills expo, but picking up my packet went smoothly and you can pick up last-minute needs like Gu. The route was well marked and the water stop volunteers, pacers, and race staff were wonderful. Both water and gatorade are offered on the course. The last few miles of the half marathon were a little lonely for me after the full marathoners turned off at mile 9.5. The finish line party was amazing as usual- I talked to runners from other states and they assured us, Charleston Marathon-ers know how to party. The bands played until later in the afternoon and the beer tent was great even for those who finished the marathon in the early afternoon hours. Keep up the great work, Charleston Marathon! read more

Charleston Marathon - 2017 half marathon medal! Hard earned on a warm day. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

All in all, the Charleston Marathon offers a solid, albeit no frills type of experience. This was my first full marathon (I mean, everyone else was doing it so why not? Kids, don't give in to peer pressure), and I did some homework before signing up for this race so I pretty much knew what to expect. As others have mentioned, the course is not all that spectacular. The first few miles are quite scenic and showcase Charleston quite well as you run along the Battery and the touristy portion of King Street. Then, however, you run up the rest of King Street (which I still love especially with the revitalization going on but understand why others may not) and proceed ultimately into North Charleston. Along the way, there are some other spots of eye candy as you run out onto a marina and along a few waterways. However, there are also a lot of drab spots that really don't speak to the essence of Chucktown. The good news is that you barely notice this if you're simply trying to survive as I was... Also as noted by others, there are a few out and back spots which are kind of a bummer since it adds repetition and puts you in contact with peeps who are way ahead of you in the race and looking strong, graceful, and beautiful as you struggle to keep your breakfast from taking a trip up North. Getting away from the Debbie Downer vibes, let's focus on some of the positives, shall we? First off, the expo/packet pick up was a breeze. Plenty of parking and you could get in and out easily. Yes, the expo didn't have a ton of freebies, epic guest speakers, or any other type of top shelf craziness, but that was more than ok with me. I didn't need those types of perks, I just needed a solid shirt (which I did get) and my race bib. Similarly, race morning was smooth. There was a ton of parking (once you got through race traffic) and plenty of port a potties at the start line (avoid the inside bathrooms since the lines were insanely long). Again, getting to the race site and to the starting area on race day morning was a no stress experience which is truly invaluable (especially for your first marathon!). The course itself (as you would imagine and others have mentioned) was almost disgustingly flat. However, I honestly chose this race as my marathon debut for that very reason, and do not think I would have survived if not for the lack of elevation change! Given the vertically challenged nature of the course, peeps can come here and expect fast times. Along the course, I felt that the volunteers/dancers/musicians were amazing! They seriously provided this struggling dude with some major motivation at points. For a small race only in its fourth year, I think the race organizers did an admirable job with the support staff they had in place. Once you cross the finish line and pretend like you're not going to collapse, you get awarded with a very handsome medal and free shrimp and grits. Like some others, my GI tract was in no mood for seafood or creaminess so I deferred. I did indulge a little bit in some free beer and in the general festivities of the finish line area, however. I do believe Park Circle is a spectacular spot to have the post race festivities as that area does showcase a part of the greater Charleston area that not everyone is familiar with but should be! All in all, I was pleased with how this event was put together and executed, and sincerely hope to see it continue to grow and improve in the years to come! read more

Charleston Marathon - Bling. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I echo Colleen J's thoughts - the race is new, and needs to grow! I did the marathon on Saturday, January 19th. I would have won, but I stopped to volunteer at a food bank along the way and that really hurt my time. The course is horrible considering the surrounding beauty. Less than five miles into the race you're in the badlands. The crossovers and double-backs were actually quite annoying and I saw more than one person "in the zone" miss their appropriate turn. Luckily I was going slow enough I had time to make a well informed decision. All-in-all it was a good experience. The city will have to step up with the permits and permissions to allow more downtown running, and an overall larger venue. Once there is an established showing, it will come. See you all again next year! read more

Charleston Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I can rate a marathon on here?! Okay then. Let's do this. This is a rather new marathon, only in it's third year, so they are still working out the kinks. The expo was kind of lame. No samples or freebies aside from the t-shirt anymore, but I think this is becoming commonplace for a lot of races now. I did the full last year and the half this year. Last year, the course was pretty dreadful, albeit flat, but just not a great view of Charleston in my opinion - very little time spent touring downtown. After doing the half this year and glancing at the route for the full, it is much improved. Kudos to the race planners for making the changes! The starting line by the Joe Riley stadium allows more miles to be run downtown and around the Battery (and ample parking!), and the finish line on East Montague was perfect. The course does go through North Charleston, but I think it was much better than last year. You get to see the RIverfront Park and everyone can ooh and ahhh at the Park Circle neighborhood. It's too cute. I love when North Charleston gets to shine because It is an incredibly underrated area. I will say that the last thing I wanted to eat after running a marathon was shrimp and grits... the thought actually disgusted me... luckily they had other options. Pasta salad, beer, french fries, fruit, etc. All of which were more appetizing than shrimp and grits post race. Great, flat marathon. Excellent volunteers. Course wise, it could stand to get better but with time and popularity I think it will. The more people that sign up, the easier it is for the city to justify certain road closures. Already excited for next year! read more

I traveled in from Washington, D.C. for the half-marathon race on Saturday, and it was easily the best of the 4 races I have run so far at that distance. I know opinions vary a bit regarding this race depending on which race was ran and how fast one ran it, so I will just detail what I observed about it. The course for the half-marathon (which coincided with the marathon course for the first 11 miles or so) was mostly beautiful and remarkably flat. It began downtown near the French Quarter, passed by the Battery, continued through town, before making its way out to North Charleston, Riverfront Park, and a finish at the expo site. The full marathon course split in North Charleston and meandered for quite a bit there before finishing at the expo site. I thought running through town was just amazing; Charleston is so beautiful and it is a joy to run through. The Park was splendid too. The long connecting stretch was gritty at times, but it was so flat, it was perfect for getting a fast time. This was definitely the flattest course I have ever seen, with only 1 hillock to accommodate a bridge crossing -- it was great! Along the course they had a lot of volunteers manning fluid stations, playing instrumental music, and offering support to runners going so far as to high-five us. There was definitely great community turnout for this race. Also, for the serious runners, they had pacing groups at 1:30 and 1:45 times for the half and comparable times for the full. And little touches like the 9th mile coinciding with "Success Street" and another street called "Sans Souci", all real names, made the race memorable in more ways than one. The swag was great! I got a full length sleeve technical shirt from Repreve for the Planet with Sorbtek technology. It features a beautiful painting on the front entitled "These Old Houses" depicting houses and palm trees in downtown Charleston. It is a great shirt! The medals were really nicely done too. At the expo we were treated to a bowl of shrimp and grits and 2 beers. Imagine my surprise that the beer choices included Shock Top Belgian White!! Wow! It paired well with the rather excellent shrimp and grits, too. They had this amazing, gumbo-like broth they poured over them that made it amazing, and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. The add-ins included shredded cheese, jalapeños, green onions, and hot sauce. It was such a great way to finish a race -- best food options ever! They also had a selection of fruits, a mix of bagels from Panera, and bottles of iced tea. I was pretty happy. For me, the trip was definitely worth the drive in from DC. It wasn't for others though. Since I finished relatively early (1:43:52), I missed how the race sort of fell apart for those in the middle and back of the pack. Apparently they ran out of cups at a number of the water stations, ran out of medals too (they will be mailed out), pulled down the expo tent after only a few hours, and offered little fanfare for those finishing the full marathon. Undoubtedly these are kinks that will likely be ironed out by the third edition of the race next year, but it certainly made the race less than enjoyable for some. I personally think the full marathon needs to be handled a little bit differently, since it seemed like all of the love and attention went to those running the half, and, well, we only did half the work. With that said, I loved the non-traditional inclusion of a youth marathon (they run 25 miles in segments in advance and the final 1.2 miles in an actual race), which I never heard of before, and a bike race -- great options for everyone to participate. read more

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I will start off with a warning - this race is no frills. So, if you like the bells, whistles, etc. of large, big city races this is not the one for you. It is very low key, not many spectators to cheer you on and the water/aid stations are fewer and farther apart than at most races. However, if you want a quick, simple race this one is for you. Packet pickup is a breeze, not a single line since the race had only about 5,000 participants. I pulled into my parking space 35 minutes before start time and was able to see the race start from where I parked. Nice and simple. You run the first 4 miles through beautiful downtown Charleston, amazing, but then the following miles straight up the very unattractive North Meeting Street. The course is super flat though which leads to many strong race times. The finishers party in Park Circle is nice with shrimp & grits, mimosas, and beer for finishers if you would like. My only wish is that this race would somehow find a way to incorporate more of the beauty of Charleston. read more

Packet pick up was super easy and organized. I actually registered at the Bridge Expo the previous April, and there were some issues with the other person I tried to register (who didn't get registered). Be aware if you register early at an expo there may be some snafus. I couldn't prove that I had written a check for 2 people, so I ran on my own. Also, for packet pickup, 2017, there was a children race during pick up times. There are children every.where. If this is not your jam, make sure to schedule properly. It was a bit overwhelming for me. The 5k was a great run. Mostly flat (the Lowcountry way) around Park Circle. The 2 water stations were well places and the officers along the course kept us safe. The finish chute was well organized and getting water/food was no issue (a runner's dream). While it was my own fault, I arrived late and struggled to find parking. The high school parking area was full. read more

I did this on Saturday - a Chicago Native that has run my share of marathons. The good - Nice Shirt - Friendly People for the most part (volunteers) - Lots of parking easy to get to the race - Small race not crowded (after first 2 miles) - Big medal The bad - The course is not that great - it's great for the first 10K - Lots of out and backs which can drag as you can hear the crowd at mile 21 /26 which is a downer - Very small expo in a school - you can be in /out 10 minutes The ugly * Endless marathon - it feels like it goes on forever with mile markers and audio timing vs. digital timing (so you have to really pay attention * Water is far and few between between miles 21 and 26 (dangerous) * Entertainment stops if you are a back of the packer - 4:30/5 hr girl there wasn't any entertainment for me - it was all for the fast people * You have to lead yourself to the end - no man power volunteers to assistance is gone if you're at the back of the pack I can check this one off my list but ... not going to return. I guess I'm more of a big city gal. read more

I ran this marathon this past Saturday morning having run 30+ marathons prior to this one. So let me start off with the good things about this marathon. The starting area is at a high school so its easy to stay warm in case the weather is cold (it was in the 30's this year so this was especially nice). Like others have said the first 10K of the course is also nice running along the water and then down King St. Finally the finish line festival was awesome. It may have been the most real food that I have ever partaken of after a marathon with the Shrimp and Grits, spicy peanuts and then 2 tickets for a choice of a number of beers or mimosas. Now onto the things I didn't like about the marathon. There was no real organization at the start and that caused too many slow people to be too far to the front. Of course things work themselves out here but it led to slower miles in the beginning and a major annoyance for myself. The mile signs were also hard to see and it would have been nice to know my times at the mile markers instead of through a loud speaker on a car a quarter of a mile earlier. Finally the miles after the first 10K are pretty boring. A couple of out and backs including a turnaround halfway on a bridge in a body of water on or around a navy base as an example. Even with all of that said, I still enjoyed the marathon to an extent and without the freezing temperatures and headwind (I know its nothing the marathon can control) I think that I would have enjoyed it more. The bottom line for me is that if I lived within a reasonable distance to this race then I would be back again in the future. This mostly has to do with the finish line festival and I would hope that at some point that the race organizers find a somewhat less boring course. read more

My run club (Grandview Running Club from Columbus, OH!!) ran the Half Marathon this year . The weather was beautiful. All the volunteers, policeman, and bands along the way made the course very special. The post race celebration was awesome! Rated 3 stars because the course itself was very boring. Charleston is a CHARMING AND BEAUTIFUL city and unfortunatly the course did not do it justice at all. The stretch between mile 6-11 was exceptionally boring. Also, it was a pretty warm day and the runners could have used more water stops along the way. Overall, a great runcation. read more

Charleston Marathon - Charleston Race Expo was so much fun! We liked mingling with the other runners and talking to the booths. Such a great volunteers! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Although I have run half marathons, this was my first full. What a disappointment. I was looking for a flat course for my race and this fit the bill. Everything else about this race needs improvement. Packet Pick up--went at 3:30 and streets were blocked with a kids race. Fine to have the race but almost no way to get to the gym. No signs to direct you either. At packet pick up you had to find your name on a sign, get your number and pick up your packet based on your number. has anyone heard of alphabetical pick up? At no point in the EXPO did anyone know who to give my waiver to. As I was picking up multiple packets I had about 6 to drop off but nowhere to do this. good thing none of us were injured. finally at the info desk someone told me that they had no idea but I was welcome to leave it with her. Course--5 miles of good route and the rest was industrial sections and switchbacks. At one point we had to run to the end of a pier and back. that was fun with the hurricane winds. I guess I must be the only person who needs to use the bathroom at a race as there were only 4 portolets in the first 10 miles. I would have used a bush but that would mean going in someone's front yard. got to respect the host city. the last two miles were awful and they had you running on dirt roads with gravel. I had to concentrate too much not to get an injury. They did have bananas, Gatorade, hammer gel etc every two miles so that was great. volunteers were great as well. finish line was great! Nice medal, shrimp and grits and beer were appreciated. I don't recommend this one for a first timer. read more

With the goal of trying to run a marathon in each state I was excited to sign up and cross South Carolina off my list. Charleston has always been a city I wanted to visit and I have heard such amazing things about the city's charm and history. Charleston was my 7th marathon and sad to report my most disappointing. The first 5 miles are beautiful and highlight the character of the city- the next 21 miles are terrible. This is definitely NOT a spectator marathon, that aside it was mile upon mile of seemingly desolate property, vacant lots and boring scenery and a lot of out and backs. It is a poor representation of what the city of Charleston has to offer visitors. That said, if you are not concerned with a scenic or at all interesting run and don't mind a boring 21 miles I will give a positive nod to the organization. Although it is not a big marathon there was always sufficient water/gatorade at the stations and all the volunteers were friendly and helpful. Also note that the expo is in a high school gym and thats about it, no flash no frills- bib, shirts, bag -period. Go to Charleston for the charm and food skip the marathon! read more

My review is for the Half Marathon. Packet pickup was easy. Lots of great vendors in case you needed last minute gear. I loved the reusable bags we got - most races I've been to just put all your stuff in a plastic bag so I liked that. Everyone we encountered was super friendly. Race day - I really liked how they opened the gym and school up for the runners. It meant I didn't have to stand outside in the cold while I warmed up. The first 6 miles of this course were beautiful. Running along the water and historic King street were just awesome. We were having such a great time listening to all the music along the course too - really kept you going. And I loved looking at the architecture of the different buildings along the way. I almost forgot I was running. By mile 6.5 that all changed. I had read reviews that you ran through an "industrial" section, but that's not really what I would classify it as. It felt more highway than anything. Just a random street beside a train tracks. No music, nothing to look at. Was pretty boring until mile 10 when we were at the naval station and had cool ships and warehouses to look at - That I would describe as industrial. Mile 6.5 -10 I would call them more desolate than anything. Then we were routed into Riverfront Park which was a nice break in scenery. The rocky gravel was a little hard to get my footing in (not like crushed gravel) so that was a bit of a bummer but didn't last long. Then we were back on a road with not much to look at it, but by this point you're at mile 12 so just looking for the finish line. The race was EXTREMELY flat which was awesome. Overall if I could have run the first 6.5 miles in a down and back, it would have made this race 10x better. The end festival was awesome. Mimosas, beer, shrimp and grits - does it get any better? A little bummed they ran out of bananas. So basically none of the people running the Full got bananas. I would run this race again - and just prepare myself better for 6.5-10. read more

This was my fourth marathon and my first in Charleston. The first 6 miles were a gem. Great views, great people, and just an all around great vibe. The remaining 20 MILES were a major bummer. It was very industrial and pretty ugly which is pretty hard to pull off in Charleston.No crowd and the police were pretty freakin rude. I cant tell you how many times I saw runners wave to the police and thank them for their time, unfortunately the cops simply stared back..... A horrible feeling especially for those later miles and a major contrast to other marathon locations. Speaking of, who designed the course to run the last miles on loose gravel, pot hole ridden roads, and a handful of demoralizing round a bouts? Finally, the shirt. A plus for being a tech version, horrible for design. Too ugly to wear out (first world problems...). Either way, if you want to run your first marathon, dont run the Charleston Marathon. You will miss the amazing sense of community and beauty that can come from running in cool cities. The female winner of the race didnt even show up for her award ceremony, likely an indication of the vibe this marathon left the runners... read more

Tons of rookie mistakes. The course isn't all that great. GREAT volunteers (thank you, thank you thank you). Ran out of half marathon medals. How about this - DON'T TAKE LATE REGS FOR THE HALF AND FULL MARATHON?! Really! Who does this?! I won't run it again. Save your money and do Disney or a Rock-n-Roll. read more

This was my first marathon (ran half marathons before), not to mention the biggest accomplishment ever for me and my brother and sister. I was very disappointed with the expo and the finish line/recovery area. The expo did not have much to offer at all. A roof gutter vendor at a marathon expo??? By the time we finished the race (little after 5 hours) the staff was already packing up. The ONLY type of recover fuel we saw were brown banana halves, water, and Gatorade (I do not consider shrimp and grits a post marathon snack/meal). My brother passed out, and my sister almost did due to this and had to be treated by the EMT. The rescue squad offered more snacks then the actual group hosting the race. They were even surprised by the lack of food/recovery for runners. We paid a lot of money for this run, you would think you could use some of that money for proper after race fuel. ALSO, after we finished the race their were groups of people standing in the way so basically right when you crossed the finish line you had to make your way through a crowd just to get water and recover. I think more consideration needs to be taken for the people participating in the race. Is this race worth over 6 hours of traveling and around $100??.. NO. The shirts, and bags were nice. Hopefully this review is helpful to those considering this race and those who host this event! read more

(2013 Charleston Marathon) I thought the Charleston Marathon was great from start to finish. We rolled out of bed at 6:30 am and were able to pull into a parking space right next to the start line at 7:30 am. People were running into the bushes (which were plentiful) since the porta potty lines were apparently long, as in any race :-). It is a little packed at the start but that kept me from going too fast too early. We were able to see many different parts of town which was very interesting and a nice way to tour. There were bands and musicians here and there on the course. I was able to pop into a porta potty near the half way point. There were plenty of aid stations with drinks and gels. The expo isn't anything like the one at Boston (How many are...) but the rest of the event was just great. read more

This was my first marathon and I purposefully picked this as a flat race (which it was!) to run. I thought the run was very well organized with plenty of water stations and an easy beginning destination at the local school. The only negative I would have is the middle of the race (maybe miles 15-18) get kind of boring as you are running on stretches of high way. However, that being said the beginning and end is very beautiful. I'd say a great race to Boston Qualify as well due to how fast it is. Great first marathon! read more

I have run 11 half marathons, and this was easily the worst. With any race, the volunteers are much appreciated. However, there was so much more bad than good. Luckily I run with a water bottle, so I wasn't one of those poor people who got stuck picking up used glasses to get something to drink. The lack of post-o-potties was awful - and meant most people lost at least 10 minutes waiting to use one. The shuttles got people to the start late, and this was actually a small race so there was no excuse for it, and they didn't have mile markers at every mile...awful! Not to mention, they said they were going to have packet pick-up the morning of the race, but the packets weren't there, so unless you wanted to wait (and then chance being one of those people who go to the start late), you didn't get a packet. And the best past? They ran out of half marathon medals because they let people register the day of!! Where was the forethought in that? Didn't it occur to anyone that if you let people register late you will not have enough of anything - cups, medals, port-a-potties? It was extremely poor planning and one of the worst races ever. I will not spend $65 to do it again, and I highly caution anyone else from doing so. You will be disappointed. read more