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May 5, 2024

Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 4.6

Spectators 3.7

Number of comments: 240 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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S. S. from Florida (3/18/2013) "Fast Course - Great Race Organization" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The Shamrock Marathon lived up to its reputation as a very well run race. All the information that you needed was available on the website, with additional tidbits, like the shirt design, band lineup or medal preview being posted on Facebook, not to mention receiving your bib number by text and email to facilitate packet pick up. Packet pickup was efficient as was the shirt pickup. They had a table set up to exchange shirt sizes, which I appreciated. The popular race-specific items that my wife and I wanted were sold out when we got there about 1:00 on Saturday, so if you can, get there early to shop if that's important to you. I did notice the long line to purchase race items that I've heard about from past races, but it could be that the line moved very quickly. I didn't have to wait in it so I don't know. The expo vendors themselves had the normal fare. If you needed something last minute, you would be able to procure it easily. The course itself was as advertised, flat and fast. The bridge at mile 3 and 10 was not a challenge that early in the course. There is a noticeable small incline from about mile 16 to mile 20. Again, it's not a hill; I don't want to mislead anyone, but there is a slight incline for at least a 3 to 4 mile stretch. It shows up on the race elevation chart on the race website. However, this is definitely the flattest of the three marathons I've run so far. Even much flatter than Houston. As to the course aesthetics, I'm not one that needs cheering throngs, bands or great scenery, but I understand that those things are important to many and don't begrudge them for it. If that is you, this would not likely have been a great year for you on the course. The weather was not conducive to crowds, and, not surprisingly, there were very few spectators. A portion of those that were on the course were enthusiastic, and that was appreciated, but the majority seemed like they were there to cheer on their particular friend or family member only. I will say that the spectators were more numerous and more enthusiastic in the last mile or so, which is certainly where you need them the most. The situation with the bands was strange, but it could have just been me. I don't know if their volume was required to be kept at a certain lower level, but most every time I didn't even know we were approaching a band until we were right next to them and their music kicked in, and as we passed on, it just as quickly faded out of hearing. This kind of defeated the 'pump you up' aspect of on-course music, but, again, I certainly appreciated that they were out there doing their part to help us on our way. I've heard many refer to the course itself as boring, especially the portion from mile 16 to about mile 23. I enjoyed this portion. From mile 16 to mile 19 you are running on a tree-lined road with the trees limbs extending over the road, creating a sort of tunnel feeling. I found this peaceful. Mile 19 to about 23 is through Fort Story. While not overly scenic, I find running through a military installation kind of cool, and there was at least one stretch where you could get a glimpse of the Atlantic ocean. Frankly, at this point, I wasn't taking in much visually anyway. As to course setup/management, all went well. The race started about 5 minutes late, but that doesn't bother me; I'd rather start a few minutes late knowing that things like timing, course closures, and the like are all worked out than just have the organizer send us on or way. My only complaint was that the mile 24 marker was missing when our pace group went past that point. When you are ticking off the last miles like I am, not mentally being able to check off passing that marker, even though you know you must have reached mile 24, was somewhat mentally challenging. I'm confident that the marker was not there as no one in the pack of about 12 runners that we were in saw a marker. Speaking of pacers, our pacers were great. The first mile was about 20 seconds slow, and they very slowly brought us back on pace. We hit the half marathon mark exactly on pace. They were communicative and encouraging. They brought the group in to the finish on pace and several of us moved ahead in the last mile or so to finish ahead of pace. I earned a BQ with 65 seconds to spare.(Hopefully that proves to be fast enough.) I would not have made it without the pacers. I made a point to thank the pacer that I could find in the finish chute. At the finish, the special item of a finisher's blanket was much appreciated. It was very effective in warding off the cold and bringing my body temperature back up. The finshers' tent was quite impressive. Lot's of energy and people enjoying the music and the food and beer. Overall, a great race. I set a 9 minute PR and got a BQ-worthy time.
J. O. from Sterling, MA USA (7/3/2012) "Great race - great party" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is just great party race. Everything is done well. The course is a little boring at times but overall it is a good run. The big thing for me is the SWAG - other marathons take note! Finishers get: medal finisher cap finisher hoodie 4 free beers unlimited beef stew really good bands at the finish That is really good swag! But the best thing is the party atmosphere going on Also kudos to the race for not running out of stuff - i was taking the race slow as to not mess up Boston but when I crossed near 6 there was still plenty of people, food and beer! Highly recommended!
M. J. from Virginia (3/30/2012) "Great Event" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pros: - Flat course except for the one bridge that you cross twice, which is a nothing, maybe a 40 incline. - Half marathoners started earlier so they were off the course. - Several stretches with views of the ocean. - Run through the center of town for the halfway stretch, very festive. - I thought the stretch from 16-19 was a nice change of pace, going from a shore resort town to a serene 3 mile run through the woods. - DJ and small crowd support in the middle of nowhere at 19 was nice. - 20 22 was getting rough and lonely but back to the crowds just in time at 23 when I was hurting. - Finish on the boardwalk was fantastic. - Super crowds, very supportive people over most of the course and a few crazies with funny signs. People on the balconies of hotels cheering, locals offering beer around mile 24 (I passed). Soldiers in Camp Pendleton were awesome, high fives for everyone. I hope people realize how much their cheering and support means, its huge. - Well organized, started on time; orderly and non-packed corrals; - plenty of gatorade/water stops and 2 gel stations; no overcrowding anywhere on the course. - Nice and easily accessible expo. Got my race packet in 2 mns. - Nice long sleeve race tee, cap, hoodie and medal. 4 Beers and Irish Stew on the beach at the finish. - Hotels are off season and very reasonable. - Great town. Cons: - None Areas to Improve: - The checkout line at the expo for merchandise was ridiculously long, like an hour wait, which I wasnt doing. A couple of additional registers should fix that. - Itd be nice to start a little earlier, the sun was beginning to beat down on us around 11:00. - Yuengling Light would have been better after 26 miles but I just added water and made mine a light. This is a great spring marathon. The only thing that could have messed it up would have been strong ocean wind, which we didnt have. Highly recommended.
J. H. from Virginia Beach, VA (3/26/2012) "Solid Weekend of Events" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I recommend this race for a spring marathon on the East Coast. Virginia Beach would serve as a nice destination race. Positives: - Flat course - Fair weather - Drink stations - Family friendly - Finish on boardwalk - Finish festival inside tent on beach - Overall value (long sleeve athletic shirt, running hat, finishing medal and finishing hooded sweatshirt) Negatives: - Carb boom energy gel (terrible flavors and taste) - Road conditions (numerous spots where roads are in less than desirable conditions: potholes, patches, construction) - Little to no fanfare from 16 - 22 miles - Need more food than Irish Stew at the finish festival tent (does not sit too well in stomach after running 3 hours) - Expo lacked the feel of a top notch event (seemed a little small and did not have a bunch of vendors or other race booths)
L. C. from St. Louis, MO (3/21/2012) "Green, green, green" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I had alot of concerns approaching this event based upon previous reviews. For example others have previously described taking up to 2 hours for package pickup. The biggest issue was probably getting in and out of the parking lot but overall not a horrible experience. I drove 14 hours to get to Va Beach so I did not want to spend much time browsing but there appeared to be many vendors (the usual suspects). I would have stuck around if there were a guest speaker or two. With an event of this proportion perhaps it is time. Cost of marathon $$$ certainly on the high side but you get alot of swag including long sleeve dry fit shirt, finisher's cap, hooded sweat shirt (same for full and half marathoners), and a draw string bag. Yes and also the medal. Post race food - a bit dismal (green bananas, water, gatorade, cereal bar, sugar cookie, and a bowl of Irish stew). Race course was fairly flat in the first half (only hills were out and back across a bridge) but in second half along the boardwalk wind was stiff at times. There are more gradual rollers in second half. Timing: The half marathon starts an hour and half earlier that the full marathon (8:30 am). This leads to potentially warmer temperatures even for 3:30 finishers. Parking - if you are not from around Virginia Beach finding a parking spot might be a challenge on race morning. I stayed at the Hampton Inn (Norfolk) and there was a complimentaty shuttle to and from the race. This actually was the best part of the entire race experience. Whosoever was responsible for this kudos to them (I suspect it was the Hampton Inn/Holiday Inn folks). The best part of the weekend though was just getting out to the beach. If you are trying to complete 50 states or just looking for a destination marathon this one is worth doing.
S. T. from Vienna, VA (3/21/2012) "Flat and fast marathon!" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons \| 2 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I did the half-marathon last year and loved the experience so much I decided to do the full. Lots of reasons why I loved this marathon: 1. Flat and fast marathon. I shaved off my time by 15 minutes and PRed! Course wasn't that scenic, but was a good course nonetheless. 2. The swag bag: you get a long sleeved tech-tee; hat; drawstring bag; medal and sweat shirt (the these are given after you finish). Bang for your buck! 3. Spectators were good for the most part. Some parts were sparse (like Fort Story and Shore Drive), but I can understand that it might be tough to get there. 4. Water stations were good and plentiful! 5. Finishing by the beach and seeing King Neptune: awesome! The only downside was the start time: 8:30pm for the marathoners (half went an hour before) and how hot it was towards the end (this isn't something anyone can control). I wasn't prepared for the heat in March. Would completely do this race again!
A. W. from Boston,MA (3/20/2012) "Fantastic race!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This year's Shamrock was fantastic! This was my 9th marathon and second Shamrock. The expo had a lot of vendors and it was super easy to pick up my number and shirt, no waiting at all. There was a very long line to buy extra Shamrock gear.. The race started exactly on time. There was good support with Gatorade, water and gels out on the course. I enjoyed running a relatively smaller marathon since my last two were LA and Boston. There were enough fans to encourage the runners and the support on the military bases was great. The weather was perfect with the only negative was a bit of a head wind during the boardwalk section. The wind was at our backs during the last 5 miles so I am not complaining. Last, the swag was incredible. They gave a long sleeve technical shirt, a bag, hooded sweatshirt and a hat!
G. A. from Bluffton, SC (3/20/2012) "GREAT Marathon!!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 1st Shamrock marathon but one I will run again. Course is flat and fast (I ran a PR). Organization is top notch. Post race party fantastic (plenty of free beer!). Where did all the free stuff come from? You get more gear than any race I have run. 1) Long sleeve technical shirt 2) Finisher's hat 3) Finisher's sweatshirt 4) great medal. Fun party after the race. Check out Murphy's Irish Pub as well...great times.
M. H. from Virginia Beach, VA (3/20/2012) "Perfect day for a marathon" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and it was a great experience. The weather was great with just a little wind which is not bad for this area. i have run races here for 5 years and this one had the least wind. the expo was great especially if you knew what your bib number was. they didn't open till 1pm on friday and i got there at 12:30 and waited in line. only took 20 minutes to get my number and look over the entire expo. course was generally flat with the exception of the bridge at 1 1/2 mile area and the incline going from mile 15-18 on shore drive to the Fort Story gate. crowds were thin on this section of the course and it did get a little warm while running on Fort Story where there is a lack of trees. once i got back down to mile 23 to mile 25 was great while the last mile was just crazy with the fan support. i couldn't have asked for a better experience for my first marathon. i ran in 3:53 and lost 47 lbs since august to get to this point. i would strongly recommend this race.
W. F. from Brooklyn, NY (3/20/2012) "A Well-Organized Race Weekend" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my fifth marathon overall and my first Shamrock. I signed up because the registration fee was so low (and I had a promo code), and I had heard wonderful things about the race. Overall, I had a really great experience and would absolutely recommend Shamrock to others. A couple of nitpicky bits of constructive criticism/notes: -Add more port-o-potties to the start. It seemed like there were only a handful of port-o-potties in the start area (unless I completely missed others). I know a lot of the hotels seem to turn a blind eye to runners coming in to use the bathroom, but more port-o-potties would avoid some of the longer lines at the hotels. -The last 6-7 miles of the course are completely without shade, and at least this past year (2012), that was when the sun was absolutely overhead and blazing. -It seemed like the water stops were rather spaced out for the final miles of a marathon. Maybe consider adding another water stop or two from miles 19-26.2. -While nothing like the deathmarch to baggage at NYC, it did seem like the bag check trucks were a bit far from the finish (or at least it felt far at that point). -The Hilton charged $50 for a late check out, which felt a bit like extortion. -WEAR SUNSCREEN Pros: -This race is tremendously well-organized. -I stayed on the boardwalk and other than the late check out fee noted above, it was so easy to come and go to the start and finish. I would highly recommend paying the extra amount to stay on the boardwalk. -A hooded sweatshirt and running hat were given to all half and full finishers. I've never seen a race do that - wow! So all in all, you came away with a long sleeve tech shirt, a cinch sack, a hoodie and a running hat. Really impressive. -The medal is quite nice. -I made a mistake while registering (I entered something wrong in my address) and got a personal response within minutes from someone on the J&A staff that it was fixed. -The 4:30 pacers were great (George and Joe). They were consistent, encouraging and lovely to chat with. After having had some lousy pace group experiences, it was really nice to feel completely comfortable in their hands through mile 19 (I sped up a bit afterward). -This seemed to me to be the perfect happy medium between your mega-marathon (i.e., NYC, Chicago, etc.) and your teeny tiny event. -The half started 1.5 hours before the full. While I didn't love running with the sun overhead, I appreciated not having to dodge half runners at any point on the course or experiencing congestion in the first few miles before splitting off. I really enjoyed myself at Shamrock, and I'm thrilled with my shiny new PR. I would definitely do this race again if it were to fit into my calendar.

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