All in all, I had fun a lot of fun at this race and would run it again. It had a nice expo (especially good for a marathon this small), flat/reasonably fast course, good spectator turnout given the marathon's size, and a very enjoyable post-race. My favorite memory from the race weekend was lying on the sand after finishing, talking with some other runners, and relaxing with a free beer or two. Given the unpredictability of Virginia Beach's weather, we got really lucky on the weather and had a perfect day for running (mid 40's->mid 50's by race end and NO WIND).

My only complaint about the race was the size of the drink cups at the water stops. For some reason, the race used smallish Dixie cups instead of the usual twelve ounce cups. While that may sound trivial, it meant that you had to drink twice as many cups of fluid in order to remain hydrated. Maybe the RD figured on that because it seemed like there twice as many water stops (one every mile or so -vs- one every 2.5 miles) as the other marathons I've run, so I guess it ended up as a wash.

Weather conditions were perfect. Great race. Between miles 3 and 7, you are going uphill slightly along Route 60W and then a hill between 17 and 18. The rest of the course is flat. Enjoy.

This is my 2nd time running this event, and I preferred this course over last year's. Starting at 30th street, and ending on 31st (on the broadwalk) were key points in having a good start and a strong finish. I can't speak for other runners but mentally the start point help me prepare for a comfortable start, and the home stretch on the broadwalk help me finished strong. I had a great time, and would recommend this race to other runners looking for good race in March. Also, the weather was great! See you next year.

The weather was cool and brisk at the start and soon warmed up, and there was low humidity. The course is flat (except for a 50-foot hill at mile 18) and has good views of the Atlantic Ocean and Chesepeake Bay, finishing on the boardwalk. The crowds were modest but enthusiastic. The course was well-marked and organized.

Shamrock was my first 'small' marathon and I found it to be a very well-organized and friendly. The course is very flat, fast, and overall, very pleasant. Great crowd support, especially for a smaller race.

The best parts of the course, in my opinion, are the two stretches on the boardwalk: it's invigorating during the first few miles and on the way back in, the view is a pleasant distraction from whatever discomfort you're feeling. A weekend on the beach + a nice course + free post-race beer = a great spring marathon.

I would highly recommend this marathon. It was flat, scenic, well run and the weather was good to boot. I am not a big eater after a marathon, so I did not notice a problem. A bagel and a banana were all I could stomach (although I did manage to get down a beer or two).

Staying at the host hotel was wonderful. The start/finish line were right outside the front door. And the post-race party on Saturday night was the best I have ever attended.

This was my 10th marathon. The Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon is one to add to your list of 'to do' marathons. Perfect number of participants in my book. We stayed at the Double Tree Hotel next to the start/finish line. Good accommodations and very convenient. The course is an out and back.

Personally I didn't care for running miles and miles on the concrete boardwalk but what marathon course doesn't have some spots on it that are less than desirable. The course and water stop volunteers did a terrific job in my book. Very enthusiastic and worked real hard to make it a fun day. My only suggestion for improvement would be to make the mile markers larger or tie a balloon to them. They were real small and I missed a couple. Many had fallen over due to the wind and some were just simply not placed were they could be seen by anyone.

The post-race food was a let down. There really wasn't any except for some bananas. They did have post-race beer which is always welcome. There's nothing like an ice cold beer or Coke after a marathon.

Organization was terrific (but please, a finishing bagel). Va. Beach pleasant enough hotel-strip beach town, wonderful beach, nice range of hotels and restaurants. Saturday choice a great one...Sunday to recover. Modest number of runners a comfortable experience.

The course isn't that special, outside of the 5 miles or so on the boardwalk on the beach. That part is fun. The rest is a non-descript residential street, a pleasant but ordinary parkway section, a disappointingly dull army base with no water views (the map implied a much prettier section here)...and then almost an identical run to return to the start. So, not a very interesting course, but a pleasant run if one lives near enough. Spectators sparse, but friendly and supportive.

(For ALL marathons: Wish we could get all volunteers at water stops to wear gloves and keep fingers out of the drinking water).

Best part: run on a Saturday, giving time to visit great beaches and recover on Sunday.

Beautiful course along the boardwalk. The drawbacks on the boardwalk were wind (miserable) and running on concrete (especially the last few miles of the race). Water stops were good with friendly volunteers. Really appreciated the GUMMI BEARS! The discussion board was great! Tended to generate enthusiasm among runners and was very helpful when it came to answering 'dumb' questions from an out-of-stater like myself. Overall a good experience and one worth repeating. A good marathon for a first-timer.

Lots of accolades: good organization, excellent co-located start (wide) and finish (I liked the U-shaped finish though others didn't, and it was good for spectators as well as allowing you to step inside immediately to get warm), extremely helpful discussion board, reliable water/Gatorade stops with port-a-johns, flat course with nice mix of scenery (I liked it though some people complained about it being mentally tough, as if other marathons are easy), nice size (<2,000), attractive medals and T-shirts, and great value for a nearby hotel room (it's the off season). I also liked being able to pick up my number/chip on race day morning. That's mandatory for a Saturday race (which I love, by the way). And it's a good race for the family: they can see you three times and still have plenty of time to play.

But the organizers desperately need to fix the mile marker problem. I can live with the chance of wind (it's the eastern shore in March!), the crown in the road (I didn't even notice), and the sparse food at the finish (oddly deficient, though I got bananas, oranges, a bagel, and water). But I missed 8 markers, more than in my previous 18 marathons combined. And that doesn't count the 18th which was about 1/4 mile early. The #s were on cute little green shamrocks often placed on chairs that were hard to see, easily hidden behind spectators, or just plain not there. Add to this the spurious on-course clocks which were facing the runners at odd points on the way back (at mile markers on the outbound course, I assume?), and you sometimes had little idea of pace, especially over the last 6 critical miles. I've never experienced this before. Fixing it doesn't take more money (hey, organizers who make a profit are more likely to keep hosting the race) so much as more care. This would be a deal breaker for me in considering a repeat run.

On balance, I'd love to make this an annual thing since I have family in VA. But I would need to know the mile marker situation will improve...substantially.