Overview The Charleston Half Marathon and 5K is the only half marathon that runs through downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Capstone Event Group stages it every winter on a flat, fast, USATF-certified course past the harbor, the Battery and Rainbow Row, finishing at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, the home of the Charleston RiverDogs. It is also the main annual fundraiser for Engaging Creative Minds, a local arts-education nonprofit. On site Runners pick up bibs the day before. On race morning the half marathon starts at 7 a.m. beside the ballpark, with wheelchair and handcycle athletes going off a few minutes early, and the 5K follows about an hour later. Hydration stations sit at six points on the half marathon course, artwork from local schools lines the route, and a DJ and entertainment keep spectators on the streets. Kids from kindergarten through fifth grade run the free Youth Marathon, logging miles at school and finishing their last stretch at the same line as the adults. Every half and 5K finisher gets a medal, a shirt and a gift, and the post-race party runs on the ballpark grounds until noon. Audience Most of the field comes from somewhere else: 46 percent of participants live out of state, 15 percent come from other South Carolina cities and 39 percent from the Charleston metro. Travelers book hotels and make a weekend of it. Women make up about 58 percent of runners, and runners in their twenties are the biggest group at 43 percent. Talent and Influencers This is a race for everyday runners rather than a paid elite field. The local running community turns out through Fleet Feet Mount Pleasant and area clubs, and the race's Strava club lets runners explore the course before race day. Movement-health app Jeani is recruiting a Team Jeani cohort that trains together for twelve weeks, joins the founders for a shakeout run in Charleston and gets physical therapy time at a recovery lab after the finish. Runner stories carry the event: first-timers, parents running for their kids and lifelong Charlestonians who say the course shows off the landmarks they love. Track record Registrations passed 7,500 at the most recent race, up about a third on the year before, and the organizer counts close to 11,000 runners and spectators on race day. Runners rated the experience 4.36 out of 5. The arts grants tied to the race have raised more than $500,000 for Charleston-area schools. Capstone also runs the Myrtle Beach Marathon and the Tar Heel 10 Miler. Brand presence PNC Bank is the title sponsor and Engaging Creative Minds the charity partner. Race partners include the Charleston Area Sports Commission, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Fleet Feet Mount Pleasant, IQ Fiber, Jeani, KOR4 Elite Fitness, Renewal by Andersen and Tidewater Carts. Race emails open at better than 80 percent. Sponsors can brand the arch, course, bibs, medals and shirts, run a packet-pickup booth or finish-area activation, and sample at aid stations.