My second marathon, and second Shamrock. Very well organized, perfect weather, enthusiastic crowd, if a little sparse in some areas.

What a pleasant weekend to run in VA Beach in the off-season! Was easy to navigate around town, get into restaurants, and you can't beat the off-season hotel rates (stay at the finish line hotel - you'll thank yourself later).

Course was fun, flat, and fast. The Boardwalk running between miles 11-12 and the finish wasn't as bad as I heard. The high winds made for good pack running, which made up for the little crowd support there was.

Only caution I have is the timing chip. It's on an ankle bracelet and if you wear no-show socks, it just takes the skin off your Achilles. I took mine off after 6 miles and ran with it on my wrist, then dropping my arm down close to the ground as I passed the timing checkpoints.

Overall a fantastic, well-run marathon. Expo was good, course was well marked and maintained, and the pacers were good support throughout. Congratulations on a successful event!

This is a great marathon for anyone who enjoys a well run race, ocean views, flat road and lots of beer! This year the sky was blue with plenty of sun; unfortunately the wind showed up and and the morning temperature was in the upper 30's. Getting warm during the race proved to be pretty easy and plenty of fluid stops kept me well hydrated. Since the course essentially makes two loops, the wind proved to be a factor for many runners. Since I'm a mid-packer I heard a lot of people comment on their fatigue... especially after the 20 mile-mark. Fortunately, the lighthouses, military, and Boy Scouts helped motivate us to get the job done. And let's not forget the beer stops at miles 16/23 and the Killian's waiting for us at the finish! This marathon is definitely worth doing!

The folks who put on the 2006 Shamrock Marathon did a wonderful job. A mid-sized expo had everything you would need. Although there was no "special" pasta feed, there are more than enough restaurants to choose from. Shamrock offers plenty of aid stations, a well marked and senic course, plenty of port-a-potties at the start and on the course, and a well-stocked finishing area. The technical running shirt and the medal are very nice and the finisher's hat was an unexpected perk. My only concern is the common finish route for the half and full marathons. The leading marathon runners had to weave through and around half-marathoners for the last several miles. This was a problem since the lane was not very wide. I am hoping that they either have 2 separate lanes or that the races finish from from opposite directions in 2007.

Race was well organized, flat, and fun! Temps were in the 30's and 40's, so I didn't worry about overheating. Set a personal record in the marathon (my fifth overall). The Misspelled Medal (Virgina Beach) is a hoot. Not many spectators, perhaps because of the cold. Most spectators were family or military. Great job with water breaks and port-a-potties. An excellent race overall.

This was my third year running this race. I love the organization and feel of this race. It has all of the amenities of a big-city marathon, including a technical T-shirt and running hat, but also a small-town feel as it's a very laidback affair.

The new course seemed faster than before, but the wind also had a bigger effect than before. At times it was a real struggle.

The wind was at our backs for the first six miles, and then in our faces for the next ten. Fighting the breeze wore me out so much I didn't have anything left with which to take advantage of the tailwind for the last seven.

Best advice for next year: train in a wind tunnel.

This was my fifth marathon (started last year with the Flying Pig) and so I am hardly an expert on the subject. But I know that I enjoy marathons that give a lot back to the average runner instead of using the entry fees to offer large purses to attract the elite professional runners. So when a nursing student won the women's division, earning a prize of $1,000 (along with $150 for an Olympic qualifying time), I felt that the Shamrock's organizers had amateur athletics in mind.

They provided a decent medal, a long-sleeved technical shirt (not as good as Columbus, but OK), and a neat running hat for finishing. And plenty of Killian's beer for those so inclined. I thought that the large tents on the beach gave runners a chance to fraternize, eat, and drink beer, while protected by the stiff ocean breeze.

The size of the Shamrock was about right for me: 1,700 finishers. Not too small and not too large. I was lucky enough to find a good running mate (thanks, Lynette!) who paced me to my best ever time of 3:56. The favoring wind over the last six miles also helped.
Some complained about the chilly start (38 degrees with wind chills of 27) but I found this temperature to be delightful for running 26 miles. We found a nice pack to run behind - some tall lads who were perfect barriers; so wind in the face wasn't much of a problem.

The expo was large enough to be entertaining and gave me the opportunity to find some glow-in-the-dark tangerine shorts that prompted some cheering at the finish line.

The course was different this year and took us through Navy and Marine barracks where soldiers, sailors, and their wives gave runners high-fives and plenty of encouragement. Going over the bridge in the first half of the marathon was easy and scenic, as well - with a great view of a marina. Although miles 15-18 were slightly uphill - my running partner told me they were flat - they took us through a pine forest that added variety. The last five miles were along the ocean (hidden by dunes and trees mostly), past tall lighthouses, and along the streets of Virginia Beach, which are numbered so that you know how many you have left before reaching the finish. They became longer at the end.

The only drawback was having to walk a hundred yards or so to get down to the tents and port-o-lets after the finish. Might be nice to open the ramp nearest the finish line next year.

We stayed at the Ramada at 31st Street, an older hotel that showed its age. However it was extremely runner friendly, only a block from the finish. Easy parking, early complementary breakfast, and a late check-out at 1:30. Wonderful.

In my opinion, the Shamrock is a perfect marathon. I hope to return someday.

A nice course, mostly flat. Friendly and enthusiastic supporters. Really fun post-race party. Beware the wind though; it was blowing in my face for quite a bit of the way. Small hiccups include mis-spelling in the medal and some complaints about t-shirt sizes. Otherwise, organization was top-notch and definitely an easy and enjoyable first race.

Great event in Virginia Beach. I really enjoyed the course, good mix of scenery and terrain. Running through a couple of military bases cuts down on spectators, but spectators aren't a big draw for me in choosing a marathon.

Field was ideal size, around 2,000.

Expo was good without being oversized, very easy and organized number pickup. A wealth of hotels to choose from at off-season rates; I stayed right at the start and was only 8 blocks from the finish.

Great runner goodies, nice looking long-sleeve technical shirt, fantastic medal and a very nice running "finisher's" hat given out at the end.

It was a cool and windy day but what can you do about weather on the coast in March?

The finish-line party was one of the best I have seen. Lots of post-race Killian's Red beer was flowing, hot steaming bowls of Irish stew which was much appreciated on this chilly day, plus massages and the usual supply of bagels, fruit, cookies, water etc.

I will definitely be back at this race in the future.

I loved the course! The variety kept things interesting. We started out on Atlantic Avenue, did a little "run about town," then headed out to Fort Templeton, passing the aquarium and crossing a concrete bridge. Seeing the barracks gave me lots of thought about those who are serving our country. The woods were beautiful! Then back across the bridge, back through town (cheering family on the hotel balcony), and another loop up north of town around Fort Story and the Cape Henry lighthouse.

Great finish line on the concrete boardwalk, and post-race celebration the beach. The beer post-race was GREAT, but the awards ceremony was disappointing (started 15 minutes late, didn't present age-group awards). There were parts of the race with few spectators, but that was great for meditating. The loops in and out of town were wonderful for waving to family. This is my 12th marathon, and I would highly recommend it! Be prepared for potentially COLD weather at the start (wind chill factor in the 20's), but beautiful, sunny low 50's at the finish. What's not to like about Virginia Beach?