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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 131 to 141]
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T. H. from Washington, DC
(4/1/2007)
"Good PR course; good finish" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Very flat and pretty well-organized course, great medal, good beer and music at the finish. Expo was a bit disorganized, and the water stops were a little confusing, trying to figure out where the Gatorade was going to be (though maybe it was just me getting tired). Also, I didn't like the ankle strap timing chip (chafed and left a very slight bruise), but the problems were minor. Not the most interesting course, and one long stretch in particular was pretty dull and lonely. But I was surprised in general by the crowd support - I'd heard it didn't get many spectators, and I would have thought the cold weather would make things even worse, but the crowds weren't bad. Not huge (and completely missing for that one long stretch because of the course route), but very vocal and in good spirits. It helped that we had names on our bibs - I was surprised how much it helped hearing my name, especially the last stretch along the boardwalk. The only other downside, as everyone else mentioned, was the weather. It snowed briefly the day before, was in the 30s at the start, and was insanely windy for most of the middle part of the course. But making that turn at mile 20 and feeling the tailwind kick in, all the way to the end... that made up for everything. Not the most exciting town in the world, or the best food. Bring snacks and entertainment, and plan ahead (make reservations) for your pre-race dinner, as the restaurants filled up quickly. Probably wouldn't do this race again except for the speed of the course, but overall I thought the organizers did a good job creating a fast, fun race. | |
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C. J. from Wrightsville Beach, NC
(3/29/2007)
"Fast and Festive !!!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed the race !!! My running buddy and I dressed up with crazy outfits, and had planned on taking it somewhat easy, but the energy from the crowed carried us both to PRs. PROS -We dressed up as did a lot of others...made the energy real high. -Medals are great -Finishers hats were cool -Beer Tent and Stew were yummy (thanks for the tent) -Cheaper hotels than R&R Half -Less crowded than R&R Half -Course support was great (but, they kept on asking me to vote for their water stop, and I never saw where to do that). CONS -Expo, not that bad, but not the best. Need more Shamrock gear. -I actually saw Marathon leaders having to make their way through the Half Marathon's final finishers on the course. I wouldn't have liked that. -Wind - but what can you do about that? -Didn't like the timing chip on the ankle. -Would have liked a little more music on the course (not live, just speakers) | |
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C. L. from Cleveland, OH
(3/27/2007)
"RUNNING OUT OF SHIRTS IS INEXCUSABLE!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Overall they did a good job, DESPITE the organizers! Definitely worth coming back to or if you need the state, then this is the one to do. CONS 1. FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT! I may be overreacting; but when you drive 10+ hours, your first impression when you arrive is important. They had run out of shirts which I cannot understand. Whats the point in pre-registering? 2. The expo was very poor for a race this size. 3. The water stations were very chaotic. Some were definitely overwhelmed and undermanned (though I thank and admire anyone who was out there). 4. Mile markers were off! On a qualifying course it can be a problem. 5. They advertise as having the best swag. Unless they are talking about the beer then they are truly out to lunch! It was as bad as any! Having said that, I really enjoyed the Shamrock overall: PROS 1. I was really looking forward to this one as I had heard about the post race party. It did not disappoint! 2. The course was as advertised, flat and fast despite the wind (which you have no control over). 3. Having the 1/2 marathon go earlier and on the second half of the course was a great idea. No problems with the 1/2 marathoners at all. It also helped running the opposite way alongside them. 4. Spectators were great. After reading previous comments I was expecting very few. Boy, was I wrong! Those people complaining should try some of the smaller marathons (Hatfield McCoy comes to mind. When I must have seen maybe 5 the whole course; but it was still a GREAT race!) As mentioned it was cold, yet there were plenty out there. IN ANY MARATHON you are going to get points where there are no spectators. It makes you appreciate them more. THANK YOU TO ALL! 5. Hotels were some of the cheapest I have been to for races! Overall Great JOB! | |
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m. b. from New York, NY
(3/26/2007)
"Windy and quiet, but nice event" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Man, was this a windy marathon. From miles 5.5 to 19.5, a steady headwind really tore me up. While I don't need a lot of spectators to keep me going, I was surprised how few there were... almost none! The course runs through two military bases, and it was disappointing that no one was out cheering us on. Course fairly boring and uneventful. Nice finish though. Nice expo for size of the event. Post-race was top-notch, though. Huge tent with ample beer and stew. That was nice. Great t-shirt, finisher hat, and medal. | |
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M. F. from Herndon, VA
(3/24/2007)
"Loved the atmosphere" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 My first time at the Shamrock Marathon. Well planned out - I see why it has continued for 35 years. I was warned about the wind, so I was prepared for it, and it was not as bad as I was expecting. The volunteers were great, as was the post-race party. I will be back. | |
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M. T. from Hopkinton,Massachusetts
(3/24/2007)
"GREAT PR COURSE!!!!!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 6th marathon. I've run 4 Boston Marathons and one Cape Cod Marathon. I PR'd by 24 minutes in Shamrock!! I've never run under 4 hours for a marathon and here I did it in 3:46, which I never imagined. The flat course made a HUGE difference in my time and recovery. Small field - under 2,000. The only time it's crowded is during the first 2 miles, but it's not as crowded as Boston. Yes, it was extremely windy, but I was warned by reading last year's comments and I'll take the wind any day to hills. I stayed at the Holiday Inn SunSpree where they were very nice; and it was close to the start and finish. Also there is a 7-11 across the street to get coffee that morning. The marathon finisher's hat was nice and the finisher's medal was great too. My only complaint is that I got to the expo at 4 p.m. on Saturday (due to my flight from Boston being delayed for 24 hours in Pittsburgh because of a snow storm). I walked into the expo on Saturday afternoon to get my bib number, timing chip and shirt, only to find out they ran out of the marathon tech shirts. I was very disappointed, since the shirts were so nice and I'd traveled so far. They asked if I wanted a half marathon shirt instead or they would mail me a marathon shirt. I didn't want a half marathon shirt so I put my name on the mailing list and also e-mailed the race director, Amy, who was extremely nice and promised to mail me a shirt. Not to make a huge deal of it, but I flew there from Massachusetts and did a PR; and the shirt is nice. Hopefully they will actually mail me one. True, there weren't a ton of spectators from mile 16-23, but there were funny "deep thoughts/Jack Handy" signs that helped pass the time, and I was just so happy to run on a flat course that I didn't mind. There were a few radios out there, and DJ's. Another good thing is that all of the runners' first names were printed in big letters on the bib numbers, so many strangers did cheer for me, which was nice. They had "pace group" too, which helped me secure my finish time. I first ran ahead of the 4-hour guy carrying a sign, and then eventually the 3:50 guy. Other than the running out of the marathon tech shirts, this is a fantastic, flat race for anyone looking to PR. One thing I'd recommend to anyone flying down is to rent a car. We didn't and relied on taxis, which were fine from the airport, but once in VA Beach they would take forever to arrive. I needed one to go to the expo and back, and to dinner and back, and then to the airport. | |
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J. H. from Raleigh, NC
(3/24/2007)
"First-time marathoner - loved this event" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run a few 1/2 marathons including Country Music and Rock 'n Roll, and I thought Shamrock was a much better event. Expo was well organized and had everything you needed. There weren't a lot of spectators but the ones who did brave the cold/wind were very loud and provided great motivation. Our race numbers also had our first names on them, and it was great to hear spectators cheer people on by name. The first 1/2 of the course is very similar to the Rock 'n Roll - very flat and lots of space. DJ's and fans were cheering everyone on, there was plenty of water stations, and there were plenty of gels. Miles 16-19 were the most boring, with no DJ, and only a few spectators. Mile 22 had people handing out beer, if you were up for it. Finishing up on the boardwalk is a nice touch, with the wind at your back. Didn't go to the finisher's tent for the beer, but I heard they had plenty for everyone. Great medal, finisher's t-shirt and hat. I loved this race and will be back next year. | |
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t. m. from vienna, va
(3/23/2007)
"Good course; poor organization" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I loved the flat, fast course. The weather was cold at the start but warmed up. There was a headwind going south, but we had a tailwind heading home, so it all balanced out. What I did NOT like: when picking up the race packet on Saturday, there was a separate line to pick up the timing chip. There were TWO stations handing out chips for 8,000 marathoners and half-marathoners. The line was wrapped around and around. This is my third Shamrock and it was never disorganized like this before. | |
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Dave Arnold from North Carolina
(3/23/2007)
"A fun and friendly marathon" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I thoroughly enjoyed myself from well before the race until well after. It was chilly and brisk. But after all it was March. Everyone was friendly and supportive. I was surprised at how many fans braved the cold and how many volunteers were on the course. I have nothing but praise and admiration for all that the organizers and volunteers accomplished. It was fun and it was friendly. The post-race stuff was great, and my family and I had a very good time. Thanks. | |
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R. H. from Minnesota
(3/23/2007)
"Good Marathon" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The Virginia Beach Marathon this year had all the makings of a fast marathon. Flat and cool. What headwind we had from mile 13 to 19 turned into a great tailwind to the finish along the boardwalk, with the ocean on our left. The aid stations were well-manned - other than the first one, which was a bit overwhelmed with the runners still bunched up. Plenty of water, Gatorade and Gu were offered. Enjoyed the orange slices. The expo was good, except that the timing chips were not available on Saturday morning. I went out for lunch and returned for my chip. Having run 13 marathons, this one is definitely recommended. After completing the 50 states, I plan to return to Virginia Beach. If you're planning your first marathon, this one would be a good choice. If you need to feed off a mob of spectators, go with New York or Chicago. |
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