Shamrock Marathon 2015: Route, Course Map, Times, Event Details
Marathon season gets a serious dose of green this weekend with the 2015 Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach.
Smack in the middle of March Madness, the weekend-long spectacle features a full-blown expo with speakers, vendors and more, as well as a half marathon and—of course—the 22.1-mile spectacle along the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
The event serves as a 2016 Boston Marathon qualifier and according to VirginiaBeach.com will feature 30,000 participants. A mixture of serious and casual runners alike along a scenic route make the event something sporting fans won't want to overlook.
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2015 Shamrock Marathon Information
Where: 31st Street and Atlantic, Virginia Beach, Virginia
When: Sunday, March 22
Start Time: Anthem Half Marathon starts at 7 a.m. ET, Yuengling Marathon starts at 8 a.m. ET
Route Type: Loop route along Virginia Beach oceanfront
Course Map and Preview
Sunday's main event begins at 31st Street and Atlantic and will take its thousands of participants up past notable landmarks such as the Rudee Bridge, Wyndham Hotel and Cape Henry Light House as the course loops.
The marathon's official website provides a detailed look at the exact course here, even going so far as to break down elevation levels throughout the race.
The website also notes due to street closures the course is open for seven hours starting at the opening gun. If participants don't reach the below checkpoints by the specified time they will be picked up and driven to the finish line:
| U-Turn by Prosperity Rd | 5.43 | 9:57am |
| Camp Pendleton Exit | 9.0 | 10:54am |
| 2nd Street | 10.32 | 11:15am |
| Half Marathon point | 13.1 | 12:00pm |
| West Gate of JEB Little Creek-Ft. Story | 19.0 | 1:34pm |
| East Gate of JEB Little Creek-Ft. Story | 22.1 | 2:25pm |
With temperatures sure to hover in the cool 40s, participants who wish to travel the entire length of the course should have plenty of time to do so—unlike the unexpected heat wave that struck the LA Marathon this past weekend.
As the marathon's official Twitter account points out, the weather, scenery and masses of participants are a sight to be behold:
All the above would help to explain why the marathon continues to be a staple of marathon season since its origin in 1973.
Also planned is a finish-line celebration on the beach for each participant. On a more competitive note, the top five men and women's competitors will receive rewards and prize money.
Going down the marathon checklist, the event offers holiday cheer, the competitive-casual balance, scenery and weather to be one of the year's best spectacles yet again.
Expect nothing less once the opening gun fires Sunday.
Info courtesy of ShamrockMarathon.com unless otherwise specified.
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