#48 • SOUTH CAROLINA • KIAWAH ISLAND
Kiawah Island Marathon
Time of Year: December 2025
Race Cost: $207 (with T-shirt) – registered in June 2025
Weather & Temperature: sunny, LOWS – mid 40s, HIGHS – low 60s
Hotel Information
Kiawah Resort Lodging (rental condo)
Kiawah Island, SC
Rental condo with detached check-in lobby and multiple restaurants and bars on the island. No fitness center. Upscale room with carpeted floors in the bedroom, vinyl floors in common areas, multiple windows that fully open, central A/C unit, and a small balcony. Good walls that prevented outside noise. Full kitchen and living room and two bathrooms.
* Plenty of parking next to condo complex
* Distance from Expo: 1.25 miles
* Distance from start/finish of marathon: 1.25 miles
* Hotel provides a shuttle but not convenient from the rental condo
Other Hotel Options: Hyatt Place Charleston Historic District (40 minute drive to bus pick up)
Expo Information
West Palm Beach Convention Center
Kiawah Island, SC
Features:
* Packet pick-up
* dozens of vendors – 1/3 are race oriented; the other 2/3 are crafts
45 minutes to collect packet & visit vendors
Race Day Information
Saturday, December 13, 2025
Weather & Temperature:
* Start: Low 40s°F
* Finish: low 60s°F
* blue sky, no clouds
8:00am start @ West Palm Beach Convention Center )
* climate controlled area available for stretching and any per-race preparation
* indoor restrooms
* gear check available
* crowd was laid back and made it easy to get to the start corral
* full and half marathon start at same time at same location
Course Information
Miles 0-26.2
The race started after the sun was up so you could clearly see where you were heading. The race proceeds to run through Kiawah Island on a combination of small roads and bicycle trails. The scenery is beautiful with lakes, golf courses, and forest for most of the race. You also have the opportunity to see marshes and wetlands. Most of the race is shaded by large trees which means there are only a few areas where there is direct sunlight. Not much crowd support but the views make up for it. The race is essentially flat the entire way and pretty fast.
Final stats
The Race Finish was located at Civic Plaza, next to the Convention Center. The finish was completely open which was nice – only a small finisher shoot was segregated. Everything was close and easy to access. There was plentiful seating in shaded areas in the Civic Plaza or you could go inside to the Convention Center if you wanted a climate controlled area.
The post-race party was at West Palm Beach Convention Center and surrounding area included snacks and a few vendors. Beer from a local brewery was available and free for runners. Convention Center next door for restrooms, shade, and parking. Plenty of outdoors restrooms and shaded areas. Gear check took an unusual long time – over 10 minutes from when I requested my bag. Overall: Highly recommended
Overall Review
Overall the race was a medium-sized race – 1600 people for the full marathon. The race proceeds to run through Kiawah Island on a combination of small roads and bicycle trails. The scenery is beautiful with lakes, golf courses, and forest for most of the race. You also have the opportunity to see marshes and wetlands. Most of the race is shaded by large trees which means there are only a few areas where there is direct sunlight. Not much crowd support but the views make up for it. The race is essentially flat the entire way and pretty fast.
Out & About
Places I visited around town
…or wanted to but ran out of time!
What restaurant will help me carbo-load the night before the race?
* Tomasso at Turtle Point
What grocery stores are in the area?
* Kiawah General Store (200m from the start)
* Nest Market (1.25 miles from the start)
* Water; Energy drinks; Bananas; Oranges; Bread; Chocolate
What other restaurants are in the race area?
* Ocean Room (make reservations a few days ahead)
* Atlantic Room (make reservations a few days ahead)
* Jasmine Porch (make reservations a few days ahead)
* The Players Pub
* Cherrywood BBQ
* Nest Market
Where can I celebrate finishing the marathon with a drink?
* The Players Pub
* Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House
* Players Pub
*The Ryder Cup Bar