Shamrock Marathon
From WikiRun
| Shamrock Sportsfest | |
| Location | Virginia Beach, CA |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.shamrockmarathon.com |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Race Director | Jerry and Amy Frostick |
The Shamrock Sportsfest consists of a 26.2 mile marathon, a half marathon, an 8K, and a mile. The event also includes a "Middle School Challenge" which is a 9-week training program which concludes in the 8K, and the "Dolphin and Whale Challenge" which is a reduced entry fee for athletes who run in both the 8K or mile on Saturday and then the half or full marathon on Sunday.
History
In 1973, the Shamrock Marathon was born. Race Directors, and founders, Jerry and Lori Bocrie initiated the first annual event which included a marathon, one mile, two mile, and six mile race. The event began with 59 participants and concluded with 38 finishers. In 1982, the 10th annual Shamrock Marathon was named the Largest Sporting Event in Virginia. The event continued to grow and in 1984 the first annual post race party was held.
During the 1990's, the Shamrock Marathon continued to grow. In 1990, Runner's World ranked the Shamrock Marathon as the "Cream of the Crop, the Race to Run on St. Patrick's Day weekend." Then, in 1992 Shamrock was recognized again by Runner's World as one of the Top 20 Marathon's in the Country. Shamrock received its first segment on ESPN's Running and Racing and many world records were threatened during the mid 90's. In 1997, the Shamrock 8k made Runner's World's Top of the Line list on their "Exclusive Listing of 101 Great Road Races."
In 2003, Jerry and Amy Frostick took over the Shamrock Sportsfest in its 31st year. At that time, the event consisted of three races and close to 5,000 participants. Since then, the Frostick's have grown the Shamrock Sportsfest weekend to a world class event that includes five races and over 18,000 participants.[1]
External links
- Full Marathon Route (PDF)
References
- ↑ http://www.shamrockmarathon.com/Header_Navigation/About_Us.htm Retrieved 2009-03-15.