If you play golf you've probably heard of Kiawah Island, as it is a premier golf destination on the east coast. If not, Kiawah Island is a barrier island off the coast of South Carolina, just south of Charleston. The marathon and half marathon were held entirely within the gated community of the island. In 2007 the marathon consisted of 2 loops. To date, this is the only "double looper" I have ever ran. It is no longer a double looper, but looking at the map it looks confusing, as it twists and turns and snakes about upon itself. There simply isn't a lot of room on the island for a full marathon, that is, unless they'd let the marathoners run on the golf courses, which makes me bust out laughing. In case you don't know, runners are known for getting chased off of golf courses!
We had a pretty large group for this one; Kathy, Laura Harvey, Bill Baxley, Toby, Jamie and I signed up for the full, with Mike and Ken Troupe signed up for the half, but it didn't end up that way. Two weeks out Kathy had elbow surgery from a bike wreck. People were contemplating about how she was going to miss the run and I had to laugh. There was no way Kathy was going to miss this run. Toby was too injured for the full, so he and Mike swapped bibs. Mike would run alongside Kathy and assist her, as she would be running with her arm in a sling! Even though this was my first marathon with Jamie, she ended up dropping out due to injury.
I don't have an old write up to help me with my memory of this one, but I think we all liked it well enough. The route was shaded with large trees and Spanish moss hanging from the branches. There were marsh ponds, glimpses of pristine golf courses and gigantic southern homes. It was beautiful. It was a little humid, and when the sun came out the second loop got a little warm, but the shade helped. Oh, and the course was completely flat! Not a single hill! I remember not liking the stretch on the road where we were relegated to a tiny chalked off portion of a lane, and the teenagers manning most of the water stops had clearly lost focus on the second loop, but all in all it was a pleasant run.
I don't remember what everyone's times were, but I did get 3rd in my age group and was awarded a really nice wooden plaque. Kathy finished her marathon with only one functioning arm! I think that deserves an award.
Overall, it was a great marathon and a great trip overall. At the time Charlie and Ruth were living in North Carolina, so they came down to visit with us. Here are some pictures of the trip:
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| I believe this is the very first pic of Jamie and I |
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| Toby, Bill, Jamie, and me, pre-race |
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| Laura Harvey--notice our narrow path to stay in |
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| scenery of island |
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| Nice bike path |
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