This year was the 50th Anniversary for the annual Virginia Beach Shamrock Weekend. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Virginia Beach was ready to finally celebrate their 50th Anniversary with a weekend full of fun activities and races. There is something for everyone, including everything from a one-mile dash to a full, 26.2 mile  marathon, and if running isn’t you’re thing, the fan base that shows out for these events is incredible. These races are a St. Patrick’s Day tradition in Virginia Beach, Virginia. According to Run Guides, you’ll “experience the best conditions,” with the flat and scenic course of Coastal Virginia and you’ll cross the finish line looking out at the beautiful Atlantic Ocean along the long stretch of sandy beaches. It doesn’t matter whether or not you are walking or running, there is a race or activity for everyone.

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year on March 17th, and this race is always the weekend following this green-filled holiday. There were over 25,000 runners this past weekend, and thousands more with posters cheering on the sidelines. Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin were also in attendance, cheering on everyone at the start line.

According to 3WTKR, the first place finisher for the half-marathon was Harrison Toney of Richmond, with a time of 1:06:43, and the first woman to cross the finish line was Kate Sanborn of Raleigh with a time of 1:13:29.

For the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, Luke Rovenstine of Reading, Pennsylvania finished first, breaking the tape with a time of 2:25:58. Catherine Medvene of Washinton, DC was the first female to cross to line at 2:49:34.

3WTKR had the honor of speaking with the founder of Shamrock Weekend, Jerry Bocrie, and his plans to celebrate a 50-year-old vision. “We could not have had a better weekend to celebrate 50 years,” said Jerry Frostick, race director and co-owner of J&A Racing. “To see the sunshine, smiles and joy that this event brought to thousands of participants- that is what it is all about. We have been patiently waiting for this weekend to arrive, so to be treated to amazing weather, incredible community support and partnerships that have grown to friendships, it really was the perfect way to celebrate our Golden year.” It truly was a spectacular weekend, cloudy in the morning with temperatures in the low 60’s, and sunny in the afternoon with temperatures in the high 60’s.

Believe it or not, Shamrock Weekend dates are already set for next year during the weekend of March 17-19, 2023, with registration already open, which can be found here. If you’re thinking about participating, sign up soon because demand for places to race had been rapidly increasing over the last couple of years, and hotels fill up quickly, even a year in advance. Hope you all had a great St. Patrick’s Day and continue to have an amazing spring season.