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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 51 to 61]
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Loretta Miner from Buffalo Ny
(3/21/2011)
 "Awesome marathon" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 5th marathon, and first in Virginia Beach. The marathon was very well organized and very well orchestrated. The marathon starts in downtown Virginia Beach and heads south. Love running through the base with the soldiers giving us a high-five. We then came back to town, ran up the boardwalk, and then went North on Atlantic before going through a park on the north side and through another base. We finished by going back into town to end on the boardwalk. This was an awesome race. I ran a personal best here. Will definitely come back to run this again. Virginia Beach is a very friendly area. We had a lot of fun spending time in this area. | |
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A. D. from Pound Ridge, NY
(3/21/2011)
 "Wonderful Early Spring Marathon-Highly Recommended" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved this race. The most impressive thing about this race was how well it was organized and how engaged both the volunteers and the spectators were. The Shamrock folks have decades of experience "running" this event, and it showed! Kudos to the marathon organizers. I am one of the people who got hosed by the Myrtle Beach cancellation last year, and I'm so happy to have found this race as my spring marathon this year. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an early/spring race in the mid-Atlantic. Other noteworthy things to mention: It was inexpensive to fly down from NY, and the lodging was reasonable. Make your reservations early for dinner the night before (not that many sit-down pasta/Italian joints). Course not as easy as advertised-challenging, long stretches of modest inclines, and a lot of headwinds (on the day I ran). Overall, I loved this race. I would highly recommend it, and I'm very grateful to the organizers for pulling off a super race! - AD | |
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D. K. from Virginia
(4/9/2010)
 "Excellently-Run Race! Loved it!" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon, but based on my previous racing experience, this is the best run race I've ever been a part of. It was also the best value. With some races beginning to force you to pay for your own medal, Shamrock gives you the medal, two long-sleeve shirts and a special finishing surprise. The course was really as flat as everyone says, and it was a very first-timer friendly route. There were long stretches that were at least partially shaded. There was awesome volunteer support with water every mile past the halfway point. There really isn't that much spectator support at all. Other than the last .2 miles, there might have been 150 spectators on the rest of the course. | |
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T. N. from Blue Ridge, Va
(3/31/2010)
"Fantastic first-time experience" (about: 2010)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was one of the people who went to Myrtle Beach only to have the race canceled. AND it was my first marathon too. I chose Virginia Beach and signed up the minute I got home from Myrtle Beach. Then I trained another 5 weeks. I have to say... I was so impressed with everything and everyone associated with the marathon. First-rate job! I would request that future races start at 7 a.m. or even earlier, since marathoners are out there longer than the runners doing the half and it can get hot ( and it did). I was delighted to do a 4:21 for my first marathon, missing qualifying for Boston by less than 6 minutes (although qualifying was not my goal). Thanks to the volunteers who all were enthusiastic, supportive and genuine. I normally don't have a smile on my face for 4-plus hours while running, but I sure did that day. The soldiers at Camp Pendleton were a real highlight and I just can't express enough how great my experience was. Thank you for an experience I will never forget. I plan on returning for sure! | |
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Tom Monarque from Hawthorne, NJ.
(3/26/2010)
"Fantastic Time!" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my fourth marathon, but my first time doing the Shamrock. This was my wife Joanne's first marathon. Based on our training, I was slightly concerned because the course time limit had dropped to 6.5 hours from 7 hours the previous year. I emailed the race director in October and recieved a prompt reply that we would be fine if we finished by 7 hours. We did not need the extra half hour, but it was nice to know we had it. The organization for the race was fantastic, and the volunteers could not have been nicer. At each water stop people were encouraging us. My high-fives to our Marines might have been the highlight of my run. I thanked each one of them for their sacrifice. I actually liked the solitude of Fort Story. There was also an unofficial "beer stop" at mile 23! When Joanne and I saw Neptune, we knew we were home. We received a great medal, a finisher's hat and a second shirt! Thank you all for a wonderful experience. For anyone considering running this race, I highly recommend a hotel near the start/finish. The rates were good and you could not beat the convenience. We left our room at 7:40 a.m. to start the race at 8. It doesn't get better than that! The only downer, and no fault of the race committee, was the temperature. I was hoping for 50's, but I got 70's. We went a little slower, but so what? Be sure we will return. | |
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E. R. from New Jersey
(3/25/2010)
"Nice race, but seems geared to the half" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is flat course, but marathoners get a pretty nasty headwind for the first few miles and the last few miles. It definitely impacted my pacing the first few miles, and then I did myself in by overcompensating and forgetting to wear sunblock, so by mid-race I was sunburned and delirious! Not the race's fault! Organization was great. Very efficient and manageable expo (get there Friday night, if you can). You pay a lot for entry, but you get a lot too, if you're into that. The half attracts a much bigger crowd and I also got the impression that the half was their premier event. The 7 a.m. start time for half marathoners didn't make sense to me because, in this weather, the marathoners should receive the benefit of the cooler weather for that first hour - they're out there twice as long! Marathoners trying to pull down a decent pace were catching up to half marathon walkers during the final miles.... It's totally feasible that this be reversed so the marathoners get the earlier start. Crowd support was really good for a race this size. DJ's on the course were awesome and looked like they were having a great time working the crowd and runners.... The course itself was average. You're not running along the water for that long, and although the finish is nice, there are lots of sun-baked miles between the start and finish. All in all, it was fun, and I'd probably do it again if I were a local. | |
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M. M. from Maine
(3/25/2010)
"Terrific event" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a terrific event, very well run, with lots of nice perks. Would have preferred to have an earlier start time for the marathon based on the warm temperatures, but that is a minor whine coming from a northerner used to running in 30 degree temps. The post-race party was great. | |
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K. G. from Boston, MA
(3/24/2010)
"A great race to do year-to-year" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was the 2nd year I did the Whale Challenge at Shamrock (8k on Saturday and Marathon on Sunday) and it was great. Like previous posts before, this is a race where you get a lot of bang for your buck. My ony grievance for this year was the poor corralling of the 8k race - I run a 39 minute 8k and was put all the way in the back of the pack, while walkers and children were in the front. What gives??? It took 2 minutes off my time just to dodge all those people. Other than that, a great and friendly atmosphere and the off-season provides a good chance to get a cheap hotel right by the start. | |
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B. H. from Richmond, VA
(3/23/2010)
"The Shamrock Rocked!" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was very impressed with this event. Expo - It was well-organized and appropriately decked out in green and shamrocks. There was a nice variety of vendors and friendly volunteers. Course - There were plenty of nice hotels on the beach within walking distance of the start and finish. It is pancake flat (except one tiny overpass that you cross on the way out and back) with diverse scenery - stretches are on the boardwalk, tree-lined roads and military bases. Miles 16-23 were a little rough due to the unseasonably hot weather, blazing sun and no shade. However, the finish on the boardwalk made up for it. Crowd support - Very good for the most part but absent in some stretches (which I like). Spectators really got into the Shamrock theme and dressed in creative costumes! Swag - The best I have seen. Great long-sleeved technical race shirt, a nice-looking finishers hat, a long-sleeved cotton finishers shirt, and a very nice medal. The finishers tent was also pretty cool. Although the weather was in the 70s in the latter part of the race and I didn't come close to PRing, I was very impressed with the Shamrock Marathon. I will be back next year! | |
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T. W. from London, England
(3/23/2010)
"Excellently organised race." (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Pros: 1) Decent expo with lots of easy free parking, packet pickup was easy, nice long sleeved technical t-shirt. Goodie bag was physically nice though contents a bit spartan (there was an electronic green goodie bag too). 2) Course was generally very flat, though actually less along the seafront than I imagined it was, a little more wouldn't hurt I feel if it could be squeezed in. There were also a few places where you could run on the side of the road on grass or gravel, I think my feet appreciated that! 3) Excellent water stations, seemed to be an endless supply of them with very enthusiastic and encouraging volunteers. 4) Crowds were good and very encouraging. Especially around the half way mark and the finish although there were long stretches through the woods and military bases where it felt more like a long run with friends. 5) Fantastic support from the High 5 Corridor by the soldiers at Camp Pendleton, they made so much noise that when I first heard it I thought it was half marathon finish I could hear! 6) Excellent finish line organization, no shortage of food or drinks (and I finished in 5.35) and a bonus finishers cap and cotton finishers t-shirt to boot and really nice medal. 7) Very impressed with the Team in Training crew, whilst at the beginning they were very much supporting their own people by the time I was getting to the end their support was universal, especially during the quiet miles circa 16-21 or so. I actually watched them come in at just under 7 hours with one of their runners, certainly no one got left behind. Cons 1) Probably another gel stop wouldn't hurt, just had the two. 2) Weather was perfect, unseasonably warm in fact, I found it rather toasty, but perhaps better than wet and wild! Not the organizers fault of course& but do wonder if starting the marathon a little earlier wouldn't hurt. 3) Errr& Overall excellent and would recommend to anyone to run at least once. |
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