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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 141 to 151]
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D. S. from Raleigh, N.C.
(3/23/2007)
"A running experience to be forgotten" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This marathon was on my list because it was being promoted as flat and fast. I was disappointed by several things. The expo wasn't good; there weren't too many vendors. I was in and out in 15 minutes compared to many others that were much larger. In addition, there were no endurance drink sponsors of any kind. If you want something to drink, bring your own. The course itself was nice but it was a bit boring from miles 16-22 when there were no spectators at all. The town itself was dull. There was nothing to do and most stores were closed for the season. I guess there are parts that are great but I didn't feel like there was a whole lot to do. Some of the locals did not care at all that tourists were in town spending money. The shirt and hat provided at the expo and at the end of the race were nice. This race, however, will easily be forgotten. It's a shame; they really should look at Myrtle Beach.... Perhaps it can improve. | |
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C. B. from Toronto Ontario Canada
(3/22/2007)
"Great March Marathon" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The course was fast and flat and, although windy in spots, the wind was not as much an issue as I thought it would be. Great shirt, finisher's hat and medal. If I could ask for one improvement, I would like to see a 7 a.m. start time for the marathon, but think it was great that they separated the 1/2 and full starts. | |
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M. W. from Pennsylvania
(3/21/2007)
"Good First Marathon Location..." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Pros: -Great long-sleeve shirt -Finisher's hat -Finisher's medal -Expo (didn't buy anything though... though the expo center was brilliant) -Ease of organization -Free beer/beef stew -First 12.5 miles and last mile are perfect -Pacers (started at 4:30, passed 4:15 at mile 4, almost caught up to 4:00 at mile 17, but fell back to 4:15) -Spectators -Actual road closures (partial on main roads). Cons: -Seafood buffets are expensive and not worth it -Going through Fort Story was a major letdown to me (miles 20-22.5); something didn't feel right -Me not getting the time I wanted, but that was my own fault | |
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t. c. from staunton
(3/21/2007)
"Great first 1/2 marathon" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 What a blast! A flat and fast course. A little chilly first thing in the morning, but that has more to do with a time change than anything else. Organization seemed top-notch for the number of people in the race. Plenty of water stops, and plenty of volunteers. Thank you, Shamrock. | |
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D. R. from Raleigh, NC
(3/21/2007)
"Fast, Flat Boston Qualifier" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my 5th marathon and by far my favorite so far. This is a flat, fast course with small field, making it perfect for a Boston qualifier (3:14 finish time). Be prepared for the wind and find people you can work with for drafting purposes. Much thanks to the 5-6 people in the unofficial "3:10" pace group that helped block the wind for the 10 miles running north. The organization at chip pick-up could have been better. Nice touch of putting the first name on the bib; that led to many people calling me by name toward the end. Food at the end could be better. | |
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C. B. from Dover, DE
(3/20/2007)
"Awesome First Marathon" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon. What an amazing experience! It was so well organized. I ran the Philly Half Marathon and found this one to be much smoother as far as expo, water stops, porta-potties, etc... not to mention the wonderful after party! You will probably hear a lot about the headwinds during the middle of the race, and it was painful, but what can you do? It is at the beach, after all. Besides, it sure was nice to have the wind to my back during the last 6 miles! All in all, I have been bitten by the marathon "bug" and will definitely be back for more! | |
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Cheryl Scher from East Brunswick, NJ
(3/20/2007)
"Magical" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my 2nd year back for the half marathon and I'm signing up for number 3. All I can say is, "Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Shamrock Race committee. A bang up job!!!!!!!" I came with a plan to run a pace and beat it by almost 5 minutes.... Truly a magical experience. See you next year. | |
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A. S. from Chicago, IL
(3/20/2007)
"The flatness saved the course" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a nice mid-sized marathon with amazing volunteers (although I still have never found a volunteer I did not like). The course was boring for the most part, except for the couple of miles you get to run along the boardwalk. The GREAT: The 1/2 started on a different course and an hour before the marathon. No mingling of the 2 races. Best organization I have ever seen for this, and other race directors need to take notice of this! The GOOD: Plenty of water stops and fans. The course was flat. The race director was very helpful with questions. Finisher's hat - nice touch, and better than a finisher's shirt. The BAD: Ran out of shirts at the expo. The course is boring. Very windy too, although I would not expect the RD to do anything about that. Overall, a good experience, but I don't think I would return. | |
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E. W. from Central PA, USA
(3/20/2007)
"Beautiful Setting, Lacking Organization" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The theme for a St. Patrick's Day marathon was fun, and the ocean setting was beautiful; but organizationally, this race was lacking. The organizers ran out of t-shirts for pre-registered participants before the expo ended on Saturday. In addition, the ankle bands used for timing caused chafing for a lot of runners (especially those wearing shorts) and were dramatically inferior to chips you can wear on your shoes. Two days after the race, about half the runners are still missing from the results because of the poor organization with the same pace bands. For a marathon of this caliber in its 35th year, I expected better organization. | |
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E. A. from Chicago
(3/20/2007)
"Great marathon" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was our first marathon and we were impressed throughout. Signing up was a breeze and the website was continually updated with information and news. The race director sent out several emails with more information and the result was that we flew into Virginia Beach for our first marathon with a very good understanding of everything that was about to happen. The volunteers were great and they took care of us the entire time so we could focus on the run. The course was very flat except for two hills, and our pacer was a stud. The only gripe we have is we would have liked more spectators. The fans that were there were awesome, but the final stages of the run are on an expressway and an Army post, so the spectators are very few. Other than that, the course was beautiful, the race was well run, and the awards presented afterwards were top-notch. This was a great experience for our first marathon! |
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