Nearly 30,000 runners come out to run the streets of Virginia Beach every year around St. Patrick’s Day at the annual Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Anthem Half Marathon, and TowneBank 8K race, which follows a point-to-point route that starts on Pacific Avenue and finishes on the oceanfront, in front of Neptune’s Park along the beach.

The course for the half marathon features an elevation that changes by only about 20 feet over the course of the race. Though there are some rolling hills here and there, overall the course is fast and flat thanks largely to its location near the oceanfront here at Virginia Beach.

From the starting line at Pacific Avenue and 42nd Street near Cavalier Park, runners head north along Atlantic Avenue for the first few miles, until they make their way into Fort Story, now known as the Navy’s Joint Expeditionary Base East.

03-19-2023, 07:30 am - 03:00 pm