Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon

This was my 10th marathon (9th state), and wow I was not expecting the race weekend to be THAT much fun! The expo was large-ish and had everything you need. So many hotel options near the start and finish, not to mention restaurants and things to do. The race was excellent - flat, good crowd support, numerous stations and porta potties. But really the afterparty steals the show! Being able to rest on the beach while you drink 4 (!!!) beers - yes please! Definitely take Monday off so you can enjoy!

Nice flat course. Wind can be a challenge. Hands down has the best post race party! I wish I had taken Monday off,

The organization was fantastic. Every two minutes a wave of about 100-200 runners started sorted by running pace. Aid stations every mile and a half. The course hid us from the wind for the first 6 miles and then we got a tailwind for about 13 miles. We had a strong headwind on the way back to the finish. This course is laid out for PRs, even with the wind. If you run it in a year without wind, lookout you will have a blazing fast time. Crowd support was generally good, but there were empty spots on the course. The best support came from what looked like new national guard recruits on their base. They were so enthusiastic. The after party was the best I have been to. The band was fun and everyone got 4 free beers, so the place was full of energy. Only downside was the headwind for the last 6 miles.