Chesapeake Bay Bridge Marathon - Race Reviews

Fair course. The scenic start out on the bridge/causeway/tunnel gets old after about the first 5 miles. Wicked wind. It seemed that no one but the marathon director knew anything. When asked simple questions the volunteers at the expo couldn't help with any real questions. No one showed up for the Saturday 4PM course briefing. Very spectator unfriendly! Spectators discouraged from going anywhere but the finish. The volunteers were great, however instructions for them was non-existent. My wife decided to volunteer because she was discouraged from spectating. Spectators were great along the beach in the last half mile.

Good: Organization was well done from start to finish Nice age group medals, five deep, with a low amount of entrants Water/aid/Gu stations were at right spots Liked the tie-die t-shirts Bad: Extreme headwind for whole time on bridge More hilly than described Only Champion Chip time was at start and finish, no splits Receive certificate with medal at finish when sweaty and they don't put your name or time on it

This was my first marathon and I had a great time running it. It was pretty painful waking up at 3am, and the bus ride seemed to take forever. But the sunrise over the ocean was beautiful and worth the wait. I heard stories of the terrible headwind last year, and although there was a pretty good wind blowing this year, it wasn't unbearable. I didn't even notice a gradual uphill towards Fort Story (as stated in comment below), so it must have been really gradual. The volunteers at the water and Gatorade stops were very supportive, and there were plenty of stops. I thought our certificates would be mailed to us with our official times. I was suprised to get a blank certificate at the finish. Overall, I thought it was a great race and I'd run it again.

I was very disappointed in this run. I know that weather can't be predicted, but to say in the promotional information that the wind on the bridge is usually a tailwind is not accurate. Getting off the bus and feeling the headwind, I heard others complain that it was like this last year as well. I also thought the description of the event as not having any hills besides the bridge tunnels was incorrect. There is a long, gradual hill up to Fort Story which is not mentioned at all and came as a surprise. I must not be the only one who feels this way, as last year there were 884 finishers, down to 577 this year. That being said, was impressed with the organization of the buses and thought the water/Gatorade stop volunteers were awesome. I also managed my first negative split.

Waking up at 3:00 was tough, but watching the sun rise across the Chesapeake Bay made it all worth while. The only crowd support during the first 14 miles was friendly Bay Bridge Tunnel workers and smiles and waves from boaters below. The first half was very meditational. The second half had a little more community support. The volunteers at the water stops were AWESOME!!! The course was nice, except for the headwind. (Where is the mythical tailwind reported in all of the marathon literature???). I would highly recommend this race if a PR isn't your only reason for running. The kind folks of Virginia Beach are the salt of the earth.

This is one marathon I will not run again. The headwinds on the bridge were awful but the sunrise was great. Another issue is when you finished race you were given your certificate for finishing the race, but you had to stand in line to get your name printed on it. Not a good thing after running 26.2 miles.

If sunrise over the ocean inspires you to go on a long run, this marathon is for you. An absolutely gorgeous course! This was my first marathon and I want to do it again. I was a little concerned about getting up at 3:30 am and about headwind, but it turned out to be not so bad. Getting up was worth it and the wind was not too strong. The volunteers were great. The only negative - I could have used one or two more water stops than they had the last six miles. Overall, it was a great experience and I highly recommend this marathon to anyone.

This was a great first marathon, due to the organization of getting everyone to the starting line on a bridge, watching the sun come up over the water, running through the park and along the beach, the very enthusiastic fans and perfect weather. The race organizers did a great job with little resources and it's much appreciated. The headwind wasn't great, but not that bad. Being from Florida, I prefer it to running in cold weather, cold rain or on hills.

While I was hoping for the ideal warmish breeze, the headwinds were brutual and made me question my sanity as I tried running the first 14 miles, not even able to draft off of my boyfriend. But the view is wonderful, the accomplishment awesome, and the race to the finish along the beach the best. I even 'made it' onto the website via one of the pictures. Those famous devices made it into our pictures, as well. Flat, fast w/o the headwinds, and scenic, all make for a great time.

The race organizers did a fantastic job to pull this off. The volunteers, police, and bridge personnel did an extraordinary amount of work for a relatively small race. For two years I've heard and read that the prevailing winds would be at the runners backs but for the second year it was in the runners face for 14 miles. Despite the headwinds, it was a nice course and I'm glad I chose this race but if you need big crowds and loud music for motivation, choose another race...

There aren't too many opportunities one has to view the sunrise from such a vantage point! There wasn't opportunity for spectators to be on the bridge, but the volunteers did a great job encouraging the runners. The seagulls really weren't vultures hovering overhead waiting for another runner to fall prey, and I didn't see anyone scaling the guardrails to leap into the water. I gave the '0' mile marker a 'high five' as I finished that portion of the course. (That move could have been costly, as I only had six seconds to spare in making my Boston qualifying time). The toughest part of the course mentally seemed to be along Shore Drive. Portions of that were more lonely than on the bridge. I echo the positive comments about finishing on the boardwalk. To the race organizers: thanks for the opportunity to run in such a unique setting.

I always love running in Virginia Beach. I wanted to exeperience the bridge-tunnel on foot, and this was one of the very few ways to do it. The monumental planning required to get everyone to the start is commendable. Early start was tough & I pity anyone who has a long walk back to their hotel from the finish.

Got up really early - I mean really early - and took a bus to the start. The headwind upon exiting the bus was ominous. If you are a slower runner, the miles with no real spectators on the bridge - especially with the headwind - can take a toll on your psyche. Once off the bridge, there are not many fans but the ones who are there are friendly and enthusiastic. The boardwalk makes for an exciting finish. A tip: arrange for late check-out with hotel so you can hit the hot tub. The logistics of a run like this give you tons of respect for the organizers. I probably won't do this one again but I'm glad I did it once because it's a neat story to be able to tell.

Overall, the race was well organized and well supported throughout. I don't think I have ever seen that many cones lined up before in my life. I truly enjoyed this race. Despite the headwind, I ran a personal best and really thought the course, support, and fans (once we reached land) were great. The VA Beach boardwalk finish was dramatic and the post-race festivities (the disco band and BBQ) were nice. I thought the awards ceremony was a little long and painful though.

The race was very well organized and really fun. Running on the bridge and through the tunnels was fantastic. The headwind on the bridge was tough, though, so don't expect to PR there even though the course is flat. Finishing on the boardwalk is difficult but fun.

There are not too many turns on this course so it is hard to get lost. Flat course, great water stops and fantastic logistics. If you like getting up early in the morning this race could be for you.

The preorganization sucked as I had to call less than a week before the marathon to get them to mail me my confirmation. Also, 3-4 months earlier, they had problems understanding the concept of returning phone calls. However, the run itself was very enjoyable. Didn't like being on the bus by 5 am, but got to the start line on the very scenic Chesapeake Bay Bridge by 6:40. The 1st 14.6 miles was into a headwind and there were not enough port-a-johns on the bridge. Once we hit the mainland, the crowds and the volunteers were the best. The course is basically flat with 2 tunnels on the bridge itself and 1 bridge to go over on Shore Drive. Wind was a factor only on the bridge. The last mile finished on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. Not only lots of people cheering from the race volunteers, but people from their hotel balconies were rooting for all. Overall, I enjoyed the run, but the organizers need to let the hotels know that an 11 am checkout for runners is not practical if you are not a sub 3 hr. finisher.

Good 1st time event. Unique running on the bay bridge. Arriving to board a bus at 4AM the only option to get to the start. Doubt it will generate much interest for future growth,

With all the marathons on the calendar for October it was hard to make a decission on which marathon to run. (I am shooting for 50 states and have done one a month this year), but I think I made a wise choice when registering for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Marathon. It was a great experience to run across the bridge…one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world…and through the two one-mile long tunnels. The weather, although a bit windy, was perfect. The organization, traffic control, transportation to the start, volunteers, aid stations, numerous port-a-potties were all fist class. A very enjoyable marathon that I would recommend to all. The bridge limited the number of 'fans', but everyone along the way cheered and there were more as we got closer to civilization. There were several scenic and wooded places along the route which not only were shady, but peaceful. Thanks to all the race organizers, bus drivers, volunteers, City of Virginia Beach and of course the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel for allowing us such a wonderful opportunity.