Early December · Southeast · Loop

Kiawah Island Marathon

Kiawah Island, SC · Saturday, December 12, 2026

Private resort island; maritime forest

Best for PR
Boston Qualifier
First Marathon

Official site

Opens the race organizer's website

Typical start

48°

Cooler than 49% of U.S. marathons

Modeled historical conditions

Elevation gain

50ft

Flatter than 89% of races

Estimated total climb

Field size

Larger than 71% of races

Estimated field

PR potential

9.4/10

Top 11%

Almanac model

Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.

Course profile

50 ft gain

Flat course, loop.

0510152026.2

Schematic profile drawn from total gain, total loss and course category, on a shared vertical scale of 200 ft. Not a surveyed GPS trace.

Race-day weather

Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.

6 AM

40°

Start

48°

Midday

59°

ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk

Typical start sits at 48°F, excellent marathon conditions.

Typical dew point 41°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.

The bottom line

A quietly fast race that does not ask for much beyond honest pacing.

Kiawah Island Marathon is a strong choice for a PR attempt, and Kiawah Island offers very little meaningful elevation. The tradeoff is that nothing about it is extreme in either direction.

Why runners choose this race

A loop course around Kiawah Island, SC, with very little meaningful elevation change.

The case for it

PR attempts
Boston qualification
First-time marathoners

The tradeoffs

No notable warnings in the data.

Course and logistics

Course type: Loop
Surface: Road
Profile: Flat
Total gain: 50 ft(estimated)
Field size: ~2,000 runners(estimated)
Crowd support: Pockets of spectators
Entry: Data coming soon
Start / finish: Start and finish in the same area

Race details

Typical timing: Early December
Next confirmed date: Saturday, December 12, 2026
Region: Southeast
Editorial tier: Featured
Data last reviewed: 2026-08-26

Best for PR
Boston Qualifier
First Marathon
Loop course
Flat course
Destination race

Similar races

Races with a comparable profile.

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Weather: 48°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size: ~1,500 runners
Course: Flat
Elevation: 80 ft gain

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Mid-January · Southeast

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Weather: 44°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size: ~1,500 runners
Course: Flat
Elevation: 200 ft gain

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