ASHEN GRAY seas and matching mists fill the skies, blending like the monochromatic opening scene of a low-budget film noir. Small waves lap the eroding beachline; the waves bear no hint of color saturation. Even the garish and usually gaudy storefronts shouting “Buy It Here!” are shrouded in dust as gray as fog. The 15th Street Fishing Pier protrudes into the Atlantic but is only faintly silhouetted and barely discernible from a mere four blocks away.

Mid-March is not a spot on the calendar designated for brightly dressed and tanned tourists seeking fun and sun on Virginia’s beaches. Around St. Patrick’s Day the Atlantic Ocean is anything but warm, and the beaches along the shoreline are about as crowded as those at St. Andrew’s in Scotland in the opening of Chariots of Fire if you removed the actors/athletes.

Not quite everything is the perfectly neutral 18-percent gray on the gray scale at Virginia Beach in mid-March. For the past 26 years runners from up and down the Eastern Seaboard have painted the city in shades of Shorter, Rodgers, Moss Brown, Sub 4, Nike, and Adidas on the third Saturday of the month. The 1998 edition was no different.

The Basics

Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon 2308 Maple Street Virginia Beach, VA 23451

PHONE: 757/481–5090

FAX: 757/481–2942

E-MAIL: Sportsfest@Juno.com

WEB SITE: pummnetwork.com/shamrocksportsfest.com

RACE DIRECTORS: Jerry and Lori Bocrie

YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1973

SANCTION: USATF

START TIME: 9:00 A.M.

RACE RECORD HOLDERS: Male open: Gary Gargasz, United States, 2:15:26 (1988) Female open: Roxi Erickson, United States, 2:38:47 (1994) Male masters: Brad Hawthorne, United States, 2:18:22 (1996) Female masters: Jeanne Kruger, United States, 3:06:19 (1996)

PRIZE MONEY: Top 5 open male/female: $1,000, $600, $400, $300, $200; Top 3 male/female masters: $300, $200, $100.

TIE-IN EVENTS: Open 8K, masters 8K, and a 5K walk

NO. VOLUNTEERS: 750

MARATHON FINISHERS IN ’98: 1,310

PROPORTION MALE/FEMALE FINISHERS: 75% male; 25% female

MILE MARKING: every mile

NO. AID STATIONS: 17 (start and finish, plus eight on course, seven of which are visited twice)

FUTURE RACE DATES: 20MAR99, 18MAR00, 17MAR01

ENTRY COST FOR 1999 EDITION: $25 until 19FEB99; $35 after 19FEB99

AREA HOTELS: Shamrock Housing Bureau is a free reservation service with discounts on area hotels; call 757/437–4706, fax 757/437–6039, or write Shamrock Housing Bureau, 2101 Park Ave., Suite 500, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. A flat deposit of $45 will be applied to the actual rate. Note: there is a 10 percent city/state lodging tax, plus a $1 tax.

FOR INFO ON VIRGINIA BEACH: 800/446–8038

GETTING THERE: From the north, take I-95 south, then take I-495 around Wilmington, Delaware; beyond Wilmington leave I-95 to take Routes 1 & 13 south down the Delmarva Peninsula; cross Chesapeake Bay using the bridge tunnel (one of the eight engineering marvels of the modern world) and go east on Route 60 (Shore Drive); tolls are $1 for the Dover bypass and $10 for the bridge tunnel. From Washington, D.C., take I-95 south to Richmond, then the I-295 beltway, then I-64 through Hampton and Norfolk. For those looking to fly, Newport News & Williamsburg International Airport is a half-hour north of Virginia Beach, while the Norfolk International Airport is just outside the I-64 beltway north of Virginia Beach.

Shamrock is one of those rare races that has enjoyed the services of the same race director for all the years of its existence. Jerry Bocrie first hatched the concept of a marathon in the middle of the nontourist season in 1972 and made it a reality in 1973 as a way to provide a convenient venue for local runners to qualify for Boston. In those days, it wasn’t like there were marathons available around every corner. You could count all the marathons in the United States on your fingers and toes and still have a few digits left.

Bocrie had formed the Tidewater Striders, and they were in the habit of putting on a race every weekend; the marathon was the next logical extension. Unfortunately, Bocrie and his dozen or so main cohorts have now painted themselves into a corner. They’ve done their job so well for so long that there’s nobody readily available to step forward and take their places. “We’ve been talking about retiring, taking a break from this for nearly a decade,” he said, “but nobody’ll let us do it. And besides, it’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve met so many wonderful people by being involved in the race.”

Some 1,700 brave souls bucked the late-winter doldrums of an extremely temperate El Niño East Coast engagement and tested their dedicated late-night and early-morning winter training against a pool-table flat oceanfront marathon course.

The Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon course begins on 19th Street in front of the Pavilion, a.k.a. the Virginia Beach Convention Center. This ultra-modern facility is truly Race Central. It houses race packet pick-up, a unique expo featuring great discounts on shoes and clothing, plenty of Mrs. T’s Pierogies, sports foods and drink, and an opportunity for generally upper-body-challenged marathoners to try their strength at an indoor climbing wall. Plenty of challengers burned off excess tapering-induced steam against the climbing wall while harnessed for safety. Nobody seemed prepared to say if this kind of fun would ever catch on among hyper marathoners. It served as an interesting diversion that drew a surprising number of runners.

AN INDOOR FINISH!

The Pavilion also doubles as a sheltered indoor finish area—a hedge against the prospect of foul weather—and the site of the awards ceremony. Postrace food, drink, first aid, massage, and clothing pick-up, as well as the awards presentation are held inside, away from the March winds and rain or whatever atrocities Mother Nature decides to thrown at runners who dare run near an unchecked ocean.

In the 1998 edition, Virginia Beach’s own Mike Harrison, an eight-time Shamrock Marathon vet, finally won the thing. Mike has weathered as many disappointments on his home course as has NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt at Daytona. One year he became sick at 18 miles while enjoying a comfortable lead; another year he had the lead at the 26-mile mark only to be outkicked entering the Pavilion.

This year Mike fought off a nervous condition at 23 miles by concentrating on the empty beaches and the mild, wind-free conditions. “I know this isn’t the Super Bowl,” he observed afterwards, “but it feels like it to me.”

The 9:00 A.M. marathon start is preceded by a masters 8K at 8:30, an open 8K at 9:30, and a 5K walk at 10:00. Award ceremonies are held at noon for the two 8K events and at 1:30 for the marathon. Prize money is equal for the three main events. The marathon features prizes in 11 male age groups and 9 female age groups, going 5 deep for all age groups up to 70-and-above for the men and 60-and-above for the women. The awards are exclusive custom-designed, cultured marble.

THE COURSE

After leaving the start in front of the Pavilion/Convention Center, you travel down 19th Street toward the ocean. A hard right turn onto Atlantic Avenue puts you at the 1-mile mark. Atlantic Avenue is the main drag running through Virginia Beach. Shops and restaurants line both sides of the street so there is plenty to look at as you run, but there are very few spectators. Noise volume and fan support shrink to nil for the rest of the course. As you run into the gray day, it is almost like entering a huge sensory deprivation tank.

The 2-mile point south of 2nd Street sends runners back onto Atlantic Avenue, which they travel for nearly 4 miles north to 83rd Street. Water stops at 37th, 63rd, and another at 82nd hydrates runners on their way to the out-and-back loop from mile 8 to mile 21 on Shore Drive, which circles Fort Story.

Shore Drive is a tree-lined highway with a vegetated island separating a four-lane highway. There are

some beautiful colonial-style houses on either side of the highway, very worth looking for to break the monotony; unfortunately, most are set so far back from the road that it’s difficult to truly enjoy their splendor. Very few of the occupants bother to leave the comfort of their homes to come out and watch the procession of runners struggling past.

There are water stops every two miles on the out-and-back loop, and a first aid station at the West Gate of Fort Story. The turnaround is at mile 14 at the East Gate.

The out-and-back segment from West Gate to East Gate around Fort Story is considerably different from Shore Drive. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge can be seen at various points if the fog lifts; if—and when—the fog lifts, it is also possible to see the Bay itself and the Atlantic Ocean. Spectator support comes primarily from family and friends who drive out to the turnaround at East Gate, which is easily accessible from 83rd Street. Other than this point, runners are pretty much alone with whatever other runners are nearby.

Miles 21 to 24 bring the runners back down Atlantic Avenue, past residential neighborhoods on the far north, and hotels and restaurants as the runner approaches the Boardwalk.

The S-turn at mile 24 is a quick right followed by a quick left and the Boardwalk straightaway from 37th to 25th Streets, which puts the runners at mile 25. A hard right on 25th Street and a sweeping left onto Atlantic dumps the runners past empty T-shirt and surfboard shops. Ahead looms 19th Street. A right sends the runners back toward the Pavilion and the cheering crowd at the finish. Lord knows, by this time you really need the human contact. Family and friends warmly and enthusiastically greet all runners in this area, especially after they cross the 26-mile mark at Parks Avenue.

At this point, the Pavilion is very much in sight. A hard right and a quick left on the access road in front of the Convention Center prepares the runners for an exciting finish inside the building. The finish line and chutes are set up in front of packed bleachers. The crowd at this point is very enthusiastic, and if the spotters have sufficient time to pick up and research your number, your name and hometown is announced.

Medical attention, drinks, food, and massage tables are all to the left after the runners cross the finish. Sweatbag retrieval is smooth and easy, and a very short walk out of the building brings runners to the parking lot and their cars.

SHAMROCK SATURDAY PARTY BY THE BEACH

Unless you live in Virginia Beach, however, do not go home right away. One of the highlights—and something really different from all other marathons—is the Shamrock Saturday Party by the Beach. Large enclosed and heated tents are set up on 24th Street overlooking the ocean. The tents feature a great band, soft drinks, and barrels of Bud Light. Space is limited, and the cost is $10 per person, but dancing the night away is a great way to break up the lactic acid that has found shelter in every fiber of your body. The party is a must do.

Complete race results appear on the race’s Web site (individual results are also mailed). Five-color T-shirts are very well done, as is the finisher medal. The parchment certificate included in the race packet is a neat idea, and the food at the finish is more than adequate: bagels, loads of fresh fruit, and Bud Light beer.

Race spectator support is very much lacking, but you are not there for spectator approval. In some ways, and at several times, the isolation is very welcome. The finish area celebration and the indoor finish line will last in your memory for a very, very long time. The flat and fast course will really test your winter race prep.

Give Shamrock a try; you might like it. If not, come back in July when the tourists have taken over. You won’t recognize the place.

Runner’s High/Runner’s Low

HIGHS

• Flat, fast course
• Neat T-shirts, medals, and certificate
• Party by the Beach after the race—a must do
• Indoor finish at Convention Center
• Very unusual Virginia Beach in the off season
• Outstanding race organization
• Unique etched marble awards
• Rock climbing at the expo

LOWS

• Headwinds
• Out-and-back loop for miles 8 to 21

Must See/Must Avoid

Every major city in the world features an array of attractions that make it unique and that enlighten and entertain visitors. And, because of its very size, every major city is saddled with areas it would rather have vanish in a puff of smoke. Virginia Beach isn’t exactly a big city, but it does have a few of the characteristics.

GO SEE IT

Captain George’s Original World Famous Seafood Buffet. You’ll find everything from Alaskan snow crab legs and She-Crab Soup to prime rib, barbecue ribs, broiled chicken, manicotti, and fresh-baked bread. Two locations in Virginia Beach. The best $20’s worth of food you’ll ever spend.

Virginia Beach in March. There is 2.9 miles of Boardwalk filled with park benches, landscaped block entrances, sculptures (beach balls, swimming fish, sandcastles), all without the noise and bustle of mid-summer. A walk on the beach with no one else around is very calming before or after the marathon.

Virginia Marine Science Museum. Sharks, schooling fish, 300,000 gallon aquarium, giant-screen IMAX 3-D theater, river otters, and an outdoor marsh bird aviary. A recently-completed $35 million expansion program makes this one of the finest marine science and aquarium facilities in the country. A must-see any time of the year. 757/425–FISH.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. An engineering marvel connects Virginia Beach/Norfolk and Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The 17.6-mile link is the world’s largest bridge/tunnel complex. Complete with a restaurant, gift shop, and a fishing pier, it also includes four manmade islands.

AVOID IT

T-shirt shops, tattoo parlors, and arcades. Something is missing without the smell of suntan lotion and sandy bathing suits.

Countryside Shops Since 1981. Just off Dam Neck Road. An open farmers’ market may help, but overpriced knickknacks and ornaments leaves a great deal to be desired. Walk the beach instead.

The 19th Street Oceanside McDonald’s on race morning. A small orange juice, black coffee, and an Egg McMuffin zinged $7.32. The ex-marine waiting for five orders may still be standing in line.

The Bottom Line

We have weighed various aspects of a marathon within a 1,000-point scoring grid. Besides the author of the article, a dozen runners at the race were randomly chosen to score the race for us. (SSM = Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon.) The results follow:

1. HISTORY/TRADITION

Evaluate the race’s sense of history and tradition.
[Possible points: 30   SSM score: 28]

2. Entry Form

Is the race entry form clear, concise, attractive, complete, and easy to fill out?
[Possible points: 20   SSM score: 18]

3. Entry Cost

For most races, the entry fee covers between 30 and 50 percent of the cost of putting on the event. Rate the value of your dollar relative to this race.
[Possible points: 30   SSM score: 29]

4. Locale/Scenics

Is the race held in an area that is easy to get to and scenic, offers adequate food and housing services, and nonrace activities for family and friends?
[Possible points: 50   SSM score: 39]

5. Registration

Is registration well-organized and efficient? Does it bog down unnecessarily?
[Possible points: 20   SSM score: 16]

6. Prerace Activities

Evaluate activities such as pasta feeds, parties, and so on, during the days before the race.
[Possible points: 50   SSM score: 47]

7. Expo

Does the expo offer a fair number and variety of booths relative to the race’s size? Are there quality exhibitors and good guest speaker(s)?
[Possible points: 50   SSM score: 45]

8. Course

Take into consideration the following: degree of difficulty, certified, sanctioned, quality of road or trail surface, adequate mileage and directional markers, aid stations, medical coverage, race communications, accessibility to course for friends and family, typical weather, and so on.
[Possible points: 400   SSM score: 325]

9. Race Amenities

This category includes race T-shirt, finisher’s medal, finisher’s certificate, adequate and efficient finish area, ease of sweatbag retrieval, showers, postrace refreshments, awards ceremony, raffles, results postcard, results book, and so on.
[Possible points: 250   SSM score: 240]

10. Volunteers

Are the volunteers experienced and adequate in number?
[Possible points: 100   SSM score: 79]

Total Score for Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon:

866 points (out of 1,000)