running retreat

Miles of sandy beach, sunshine, endless bike paths, Southern hospitality, poolside fire pits, beachfront sunrises: After two amazing running Retreats overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, we have answered the siren song to return again to beautiful Hilton Head Island, just off the South Carolina coast.

Whether you want to learn more about running from experts; hang with co-founders/podcast hosts Dimity and Sarah; participate in a half- or quarter-marathon on beautiful bike paths; do soothing recovery yoga; be part of a podcast recording; croon karaoke in the hotel’s quaint Tiki Hut; or befriend other BAMRs (bad*ss mother runners), you will be delighted by the extended-weekend offerings.

Join a bevy of BAMRs for the 4-day, 3-night Run + Refresh Retreat on Hilton Head Island, Friday, November 3 – Monday, November 6, 2023.

To see pics from our 2022 Hilton Head running Retreat, head to our Instagram Highlights—and be prepared for FOMO!

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By registering, you agree to our Cancellation Policy.

THE Location

We couldn’t make this up: Hilton Head Island is shaped like a running shoe! With wide, fine-sand beaches, a vast network of paved bike paths, abundant natural beauty, and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, Hilton Head Island offers a relaxing and welcoming vibe that makes it a perfect vacation destination.

  • running retreat
  • running retreat
  • running retreat
  • running retreat

THE Hotel

The Beach House is Hilton Head’s only beachside boutique hotel—and the property is undergoing many renovations in early 2023, so it’ll be better than it has been on our previous two running Retreats! This property is literally a stone’s (seashell’s!?) throw from the beach and offers amazing views of daily sunrises.

Whether you’re up for sampling Lowcountry cuisine at the Porch Southern Kitchen & Bar, listening to live music daily at the Tiki Hut, hanging out at the outdoor fire pits to gab with other gals, or chilling on Coligny Beach just beyond the large pool deck, there are endless ways to kick back and have a truly memorable, oceanfront escape.

THE Race

A half-marathon and quarter-marathon (6.55 miles) race will once again be the cornerstone of our running Retreat. We’ll take part in the lovely Hilton Head Half-Marathon and Quarter-Marathon,  run by a trusted local race organizer.

The Hilton Head Half/Quarter route is on leisure paths and one-lane roads parallel to the beach, with the start/finish in a park just across from our host hotel.

The race has a lively post-race party and, best of all, Dimity and her cheer-gang will once again set up a cheer-tunnel for an energy-filled finish like you’ve never experienced! (Truly.)

  • running retreat
  • running retreat
  • running retreat

THE Parties

The first evening of the running Retreat kicks off with a beachside welcome reception, complete with a Dimity-led icebreaker or two. Our traditional final-night, post-race celebratory dinner is held at the famous Tiki Hut (being completely updated in early 2023), also right on the beach. (Sensing a theme?) We’ll celebrate our accomplishments–and new friendships–with tasty food, adult beverages, and special desserts, then sing and dance like mothers as we karaoke the night away.

In between, you’ll be treated to plenty of other delicious meals, including a pre-race dinner to set you up for a great performance.

THE Extras

Hilton Head is a barrier island graced by weathered live oak and cypress trees draped with Spanish moss and countless Palmetto trees (the S.C. state tree). In your down time, you can explore the beautiful island on a bike ride (rental bikes abound) or a beach stroll. Or you can follow the lead of some of our 2022 Retreaters by renting kayaks for a guided tour of an inland waterway. Browse nearby boutiques for that perfect “what’d you bring me, Mom?!” souvenir. A delightful coffee shop with tasty baked goods is a short walk from our host hotel.

  • running retreat
  • running retreat
  • running retreat
  • women's running retreat
  • women's running retreat
  • women's running retreat
  • women's running retreat

THE Schedule

The final schedule will be available about six weeks pre-Retreat, but be assured it’ll include all of the fun things we have done in the past, plus some new additions. Group runs; strength classes; expert-led sessions; 1:1 advice sessions with coaches, Dimity, and Sarah; podcast recording party; karaoke; race; and many more ways to experience all that an AMR Retreat has to offer. Above all else, it’s a (sunny) escape from daily life with friends, old and new!

Check out the 2022 Hilton Head Retreat schedule to get a sense of how the weekend (and fun!) flows.

By registering, you agree to our Cancellation Policy.

running retreat

FAQ

The Retreat is Friday, November 3 to Monday, November 6, 2023.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is a 45-minute drive from Savannah, Georgia, and a 2-hour drive from Charleston, S.C. Many commercial airlines, including Delta and American, fly directly into Hilton Head airport (code: HHH), which is a quick taxi to our host hotel.

Yes, for the first time on any of our products, we now offer Affirm Pay over time option on our Retreats. During Checkout, below where you enter your credit card, click Affirm and you can choose your option–4 equal payments spread out every two weeks for no fee or interest, or a longer payment option that charges fees (that Affirm keeps–not us!).

$165/night for standard king; $175/night standard queen. Our contracted rate waives the $20/day Resort Fee charged by all hotels on the island, a big savings!

Sometime this fall, we will email all attendees a booking link to make their reservations at The Beach House. Please wait to book your room until we give you the heads up. Also, if you want to find a roommate to save money on accommodations, you can post on the Retreat’s private Facebook page you’ll get invited to once you register. Loads of ladies find roomiest that way!

Thank you for asking! No, we have done away with the vaccination requirement at our Retreats now that COVID is no longer deemed a pandemic.

Newbies to ultra-marathoners are all welcome.

In order to get the most out of the Retreat, it will be helpful if you can cover 3 miles in run/walk intervals, regardless of pace. There are several race options, including half marathon, quarter-marathon, and 5K. Or you can also joinTeam AMR as part of a boisterous cheer squad! The race is completely optional. (In 2022, neither Sarah nor Dimity raced, due to injuries. Dimity lead the cheer tour de force, and Sarah emcee’d.)

Absolutely: You’ll leave with a bunch of BRFs from around the country (and possibly the globe) who will virtually cheer you on through your upcoming miles and races!

Not at all: All women runners are welcome. There is nothing mother-specific about the Retreat (except for the name of our brand). At each of our Retreats, we’ve had attendees who aren’t moms–and moms of older offspring who attend with a grown daughter. We welcome all.

Along with the aforementioned BRFs (because you can never have too many!), you’ll learn from sessions led by running and self-care experts. Plus, you can add another race medal to your collection with the beautiful Hilton Head Half-Marathon and Quarter-Marathon, the cornerstone of our running Retreat. The race is run by a trusted local race organizer.

The Hilton Head Half/Quarter route is on leisure paths and one-lane roads parallel to the beach, with the start/finish in a park just across from our host hotel.

The race has a lively post-race party and, best of all, Dimity and her cheer-gang will once again set up a cheer-tunnel for an energy-filled finish like you’ve never experienced! (Truly.)

All Retreaters get 50% off a Train Like a Mother Club program pre-Retreat to get ready for race day, but like we said above: The race is optional. That said, with the expert training plans, support, swag, and camaraderie, we think following a TLAM plan is a smart move.

The race is the cornerstone of the Retreat, so we plan around that Sunday morning event. Check out the complete schedule of our 2022 Hilton Head Retreat in a nifty PDF; we’ll have the 2023 schedule finalized about six weeks prior to the Retreat.

In the meantime, here’s a rundown:
We’ll kick things off Friday afternoon with an educational session, then an evening welcome party, complete with a get-acquainted icebreaker (Dim always organizes great ones!). We’ll record a podcast this evening, as well. On Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning, there are optional one-on-one sessions attendees can sign up for to talk privately with Train Like a Mother Club coaches, Dimity, and Sarah.

Saturday morning will start with a shake-out run and a scrumptious breakfast buffet (the first of several for the weekend), followed by educational sessions with experts who get the mother running lifestyle and concerns. Saturday afternoon will feature a relaxing yoga session. Packet pickup and exploring Coligny Plaza shopping center (if you want) will round out the day before we enjoy a pre-race dinner together.

Sunday morning is race day, followed by lunch in town and a group yoga session. There will be lots of free time in the afternoon to explore the island, ride bikes, go shopping, or whatever else you choose to do! Like in 2020 + 2022, we hope to have licensed massage therapists provide massages the afternoon after the race. (For an extra cost.) Every night there will be delicious, friendship-forming dinners, and Monday morning we’ll wrap up our weekend with a celebratory group brunch.

One thing we DO know for sure: The final evening festivities will be in the beachside Tiki Hut!

We’re still working out programming and guests, but there will be plenty of members of Team AMR and the Train Like a Mother Club.

Whether you cover a mile in 14 minutes or half that time, your running—and your life—will benefit greatly by the experts we assemble for the weekend.

You mean other than being away from laundry-duties, having cooked food magically appear, and a bed all to yourself?

All activities at the Retreat are optional–no judgment if you want to sleep until 9:00, stroll by the sea, read a novel poolside, or knit in your room. We also have certified, vetted massage therapists give 50-minute massages on the afternoon after the race so you can set up an unwind session. (Massage not included in Retreat registration.)

On Saturday and Monday mornings, when some Retreaters do a group run, Dimity always offers a strength session bookended by a warm-up/cool-down walk. And our Retreats always include a yoga session or two.

Most definitely: We welcome locals and out-of-towners alike with open arms! But know a big part of the Retreat experience comes from staying at the host hotel and being part of impromptu hangout sessions or drinks at the Tiki Hut.

By the end of 2022, we’ll provide a special booking number to call to book a room at special rates secured by AMR.

Um, do we sweat when we run? Yes, yes, yes, attend solo! We promise, you’ll have a coterie of running buddies within the first mile—or actually, the first hours. At previous Retreats, the majority of gals attended solo–but they weren’t alone.
And it always seems like it’s the self-proclaimed introverts who laugh the loudest when they hit the dance floor at the farewell party in the Tiki Hut!
That said, you’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy some much-needed quiet in your room, strolling seaside, or exploring the island. If you attend solo but want to split cost of hotel room, the Retreat’s private Facebook page can help you find a roomie. Loads of previous Retreat attendees have gone this route–and come away with a new friend.

Yes, you can easily find a roommate on the private Facebook page. Within 48 hours of registering for Retreat, you’ll get invited to private Facebook group for Retreat. You can then post that you’re looking for a roomie; you should be able to find one pretty easily.

This fall, we’ll provide a special phone number to book your room at the Beach House; you and your new roomie can rock/paper/scissors for who makes the reservation. We have a block of rooms reserved, so no fear of them selling out!

Yes, we want to ensure everyone has a memorable, meaningful experience, so we limit the Retreat to 70 women. Both our previous Hilton Head Island Retreats sold out.

Guided runs and strength workouts; yoga; all educational sessions; meals (hot buffet breakfast on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; lunch on Saturday; evening welcome reception on Friday; dinner on Saturday; celebratory dinner on Sunday); loaded swag bags; and race registration for the retreat race.

Travel to/from Hilton Head Island is not included, neither is lodging: You will book your choice of rooms at the The Beach House separately.

And of course, laughter, camaraderie, and sweat is limitless—and free-flowing–all Retreat long.

If only our children were as good at following directions as you are!

Yes, you are correct: Lodging is not included, so you need to make your own hotel reservations. Our host hotel is the beautiful Beach House, and we have negotiated great room rates, including getting the Resort Fee waived. (Room rates apply two days before and two days after the Retreat, in case you want to extend your time on Hilton Head Island.) All the educational sessions, all breakfasts, Friday lunch, Friday dinner, and Sunday celebratory party will take place at The Beach House.

By the end of 2022, we will provide a direct number for booking a room with our personal agent. Please wait until we send an email, letting you know the hotel is accepting reservations for our group.

It depends on where you fly into. Airlines, including Delta and American, now offer more flights into and out of Hilton Head airport (airport code: HHH): If you fly into the airport on the island, you would not need a rental car.
But if you fly into Savannah airport, then you’ll need to rent a car or coordinate with other Retreat attendees to share a rental car. (The private Facebook page we’ll invite you to will help you facilitate plans like that.)

The Retreat welcome is at 2 p.m. on Friday, November 3, 2023, so plan on being at the Beach House, our host hotel, by that time, if at all possible. (If you fly into Savannah airport, pick a flight that lands before noon; if you get a flight into Hilton Head itself, you can cut it closer.)

Book a departing flight on Monday, November 6 at noon or later, if possible, so you can say your farewells. (And not have to cut short Sunday night merrymaking!)

In the words of Minnesota-bred Dimity: You betcha! We want to keep some details secret, but you’ll definitely be swagged many of our favorites, including Nuun Hydration; GU Energy products; running socks; and many (many!) more. Plus, we present each Retreat attendee with a special gift (in 2020, it was a custom Vooray backpack, while in 2022 it was a limited-edition BoCo Gear running trucker hat).

And, as have become a signature at our Retreats, ShopGal Sarah will host a pop-up store of Another Mother Runner merch (tees, hats, sweatshirts, etc.) at Retreat sign-in. A great way to feel and try on all the goodies you eyeball in the Mother Runner Store—as well as a fun way to interact with other Retreaters. No pressure to buy, though!

In the unlikely event AMR is forced to cancel the event completely, guests can opt to transfer their registration to a future Another Mother Runner Retreat.

We know broken bones, pregnancies (!!), business trips, and the unexpected can happen in any woman’s life. That’s why we have cancellation terms with a mom’s schedule in mind:
250 days or more prior to the start of the Retreat, you receive: 100% full refund, minus $200 administrative fee, to original method of payment.

200-249 days or more prior to the start of the Retreat, you receive: 75% full refund to original method of payment.

151-199 days or more prior to the start of the Retreat, you receive: 65% full refund to original method of payment.

91-150 days prior to the start of the Retreat, you receive: 50% full refund to original method of payment.

76-90 days prior to the start of the Retreat, you receive: 25% refund to original method of payment.

0-75 days prior to the start of the Retreat: No refund will be given.