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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 41 to 51]
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S. S. from Lancaster, Pa
(3/20/2012)
 "Great race- Lots of support and views" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Ran the 2012 race. Course is very flat besides 2 bridge crossings that are really nothing. Start out a block from boardwalk and go south through a military complex. Awesome support at mile 8...high fiving troops, lots of energy and gave me goosebumps. Went through a Boy Scouts troops aid station that was cool. Came around and ran the boardwalk for a couple miles before heading back to where we started for the midway point. Great opportunity for family to take pics. Headed north around a wooded area...got kind of lonely between 17-21 miles. They had these cool signs with jokes on them that helped pass time. Some DJ's playing tunes along course. Came back around 22 mile mark and finished on the boardwalk by King Neptune statue. All aid stations were well staffed. Some parts of the course were tight, but they were few. Lots of crowd support around beach area. Pro's- Views of ocean, troops giving support, aid stations, crowd support Con's- tight in some areas, take your bib with you to get free beer (I didn't), had to walk for a while after finish to get hat, shirt, food and no chairs, need chairs at post-race concert. Great race and would highly recommend. | |
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Z. P. from Pittsburgh, PA
(3/19/2012)
"Great marathon" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 2nd marathon (1st was 6 years ago) and I really liked this race. It was a nice flat course, the only downside being some beat up roads and dealing with some cones. Plenty of water stations, and two gel stations. I really liked the finishing area and the after party (although I also ran the 8k the day before and there was no visible effort to keep people moving, and I almost crashed) Great food and free beer! The expo was fairly small, but the deals offered were pretty nice. All the spectators were great (albeit a bit sparse towards the end). | |
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H. V. from Watertown, MA
(3/19/2012)
 "Flat course, great location" (about: 2012)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Good flat, first marathon with a seven hour limit. Only one 'hill' (a bridge that you travel over twice.) The boardwalk can be windy and it was a sunny and somewhat humid day. Enthusiastic crowds for most of the course except for a six mile part in a wooded area. Great fun to go through Camp Pendleton to be greeted and cheered on the by cadets. Plenty of water stops and porta potties. Four Yeungling beers at the finish plus a cookie, water, gatorade, pretzels, and Irish stew. Marathoners get a long sleeved technical shirt before the race and a nice hat and sweatshirt at the finish. The finish is on the beach where you can relax and enjoy the beer and music. Number packet pick-up was easy but the lines were really, really long if you wanted to purchase any Shamrock merc. It was nice touch to have my name on my bib and people cheering me on. I didn't mind that there were not mobs of people on the course. The spectators were very supportive even for us slow runners. It is an interesting course and do you see a bit of everything. | |
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M. W. from Mississippi
(2/15/2012)
 "Very poorly managed." (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I ran this marathon in 2011 with my husband. He's fast, I'm not. He ran 3:05, I ran 4.48. I have never 'reviewed' a marathon before, as he is much more experienced and usually adds his review. He added a review (initials PW) and was somewhat critical of a few issues. He was then barraged with emails from the race director, and generally called a liar and a trouble maker. So, here is my review: 1) The expo was horrible. We were there with our kids and it took TWO HOURS to get in, get our race numbers, and get out. Awful. 2) The half started first (??) and the full was delayed for 30-40 minutes because of 'construction' and we were forced to stand around in the freezing cold and the 20mph winds. It was a miserable way to start a race. 3)When I finished the marathon, there was NO FOOD AND NO DRINKS! unless you count tap water in paper cups. All the 'stew' they advertise was long gone, as well as sandwiches, Gatorade,etc. The race is geared towards the half, and for some unknown reason, they start the half first. There was a ton of walkers who walked the half, and then ate like they were at a free buffet. Seriously, NO FOOD OR DRINKS AT ALL when I finished! My husband finished in 3:05, and they had already run out of food, so you can't blame it all on my slow time. Overall, nice beautiful course, friendly people, but poor management decisions force me to agree, THUMBS DOWN! | |
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E. I. from Barstow, California
(7/18/2011)
"Great Marathon, fast course" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great Marathon, I have run it twice. I rated the course a 4 because it can be windy depending on the weather. It is a fast course if there is no wind. I rated the spectators a 4 because there are two portions of the course where it gets a little isolated, although the spectators that they do have are great. Awesome beer tent at the finish with live music. It is very congested getting in and out of Va. Beach on the way in and way out. | |
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T. R. from Ohio
(4/20/2011)
"A good place to PR" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was marathon #21 for me and my 3rd Shamrock Marathon. I added the 8K this year the day before and had a great time doing the "Whale" Challenge. Pros: -Quite a few hotels available on the boardwalk. If you just want a clean place, you can stay for a very reasonable amount. -The race organization of all the events is great. It's easy to navigate around. -The course is the 2nd flattest I've run (Berlin being the flattest). The only hill is a bridge you run over twice. There are some other elevation changes but none are really significant (and I hate hills!!). -The start of the marathon is for the marathoners only. This makes it very easy to get into your rhythm early. I don't remember having any issues with the crowds at any aid station either. -Yuengling and Irish stew at the finish. Still my favorite finisher's area of all the races I've done. The live band was good, too! Cons: -The wind is a little unpredictable. This year was a headwind for about 12 miles in a row. I'm a larger runner and it really bothered me. I ran my 2nd fastest marathon in 2009 here and it wasn't an issue. Certainly not the organizer's fault for weather, but beware. -I hope the delay in 2011 was a one-time thing but it was pretty disappointing not to know about it prior to race morning. I would have walked to the start 15 minutes later had we been told at the expo or had they sent an email blast. Because they didn't inform anyone until that morning, we were all left out in the cold and wind for additional time. It definitely wasn't fun. -From around 16-23 it was pretty lonely out there. The Burma-Shave type signs are funny but if there is a way to get some crowd support out there, it would be a really nice bonus! All in all, on the right weather day, this is a PR-type course. Run big!! | |
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D. L. from Bridgeton, MO
(3/29/2011)
 "Great except for..." (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Overall, this was a very well organized race. The stretch from 10.5 to 19.5 is a very long, gradual hill, which seems to go forever. Lots of good things make it worthwhile. However, I have two gripes: 1. The organizers blew it by not announcing the delay in the start until race morning. The area under construction that caused the delay was torn up on Friday when I drove the course. Organizers should have made the announcement to delay the start during the expo so marathoners would not have had to stand out in wind/cold longer than necessary. 2. The Cavalier Hotel decided to charge me for a whole extra day since I could not make the 2:00 p.m. checkout. They did this despite saying that they wouldn't the night before. With the 15-minute delay, I was a whole 45 minutes late. Runners beware! | |
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S. H. from Atlanta, GA
(3/23/2011)
"The Shamrock Marathon Rocked!" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really thought the expo was well organized. However, for a race this size and with this level of organization and planning I expected more vendors and a few speakers. I stayed at the Westin for only $115 each night, which was a nice discount for the runners. I also really enjoyed parking at the finish and only walking a block to my rental car. This was an easy race to run as the organization of the race directors made sure the only thing you had to do was focus on racing and not logistics. Now, onto the course. The marathon and half marathon have seperate starts which I loved. The course is flat and scenic and had visable clocks and mile markers. I loved running through the navy base and hearing all of those loud cheers around mile 8. You will be on the boardwalk for a mile or so around mile 11-12; prepare for wind. The second half is scenic yet more isolated and sheltered from the wind. The last couple of miles have you headed back to the start and the crowds start to pick up and you have the grand finale on the boardwalk lined with spectators. I Boston Qualified by 90 seconds along with a group of women my same age and the crowd was going crazy to cheer us into a BQ time. The finish area is a great place to party, relax or recover depending on your state of mind and body post run. It is the beach, enough said. I have completed over 23 marathons and this is one of my favorites. Besides, who can't use a little luck of the Irish for a 26.2 mile race? | |
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J. L. from PA
(3/22/2011)
 "Great race - I really enjoyed it!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my seventh marathon in six states and thus far this has been the best one I have run. Very easy and flat course. It was a little cold and windy at first; however, the spectators were great and water stations were plentiful. The pre-race activities are great for the kids and a good time party afterward. My only suggestions is to have oranges or bananas on the course and make it a Saturday race so runners can enjoy the beer more so and not have to work the following day. Overall, great race!!!! | |
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t. l. from Detroit Michigan
(3/22/2011)
"A Good Marathon to Run" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A well run marathon. Organization was top-notch. A shirt before the run and a shirt and hat after the run. Two shirts - never seen that before. The course was well marked with spectators in most areas except the far corners. The 15-minute delay at the start was required to keep us away from the halfers but the wind and the cold made the wait unbearable. Only bad thing is that I hate long, straight runs, and some of the course had straightaways that seemed to go on forever. |
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