Li Ann Butterfield's Staging Area

After weeks and weeks of googling “best first marathon”, I picked Shamrock as my first race, and I’m so glad I did. The atmosphere was so encouraging and lively, and everyone (staff, runners, spectators) was enthusiastic. There was music playing at certain spots along the course, a couple of signs with some excellent/terrible puns, and Gel packets, water and Nuun were consistently plentiful, predictably spaced and very efficiently handed out. Fair warning, the bathrooms tend to have a bit of a line (even early on in the course) and involve some stopping to wait.

As a wannabe runner with a pace of “slow but steady still gets the medal at the end”, it was really nice to have a celebration at the finish line regardless of finishing time – people still hanging out cheering for you to finish and the announcer calling out as you come in. And everyone handing you swag left and right! A comfortable, nice quality shirt, a versatile hat, a soft colorful blanket, and a bag to put it all in – what more could you ask for? (But if you are asking – bananas, chips, etc. were also offered up).

The course is genuinely, sincerely, as flat as a pancake. As someone who complains at the slightest incline and googled “flattest marathons” before picking one, I could not have asked for a flatter course (except, of course, for the one bridge that you cross in both directions – startling if you, like me, read the map wrong until two days before the race, but in reality, a very short not-that-big up and down.) What was more difficult for me was temperature changes – between stretches of no shade along the military bases and the wild headwinds along the boardwalk, I alternated between too hot and a little bit freezing at points. The wind was the hardest part of the course for me. That, and watching the half marathoners split off, while simultaneously watching the fast marathoners coming in to finish as well, while you’re just heading out to run the second 13.1 stretch, is a bit disheartening. Not that either of these things reflect poorly on the race or organization – just something I’ll be prepared for next time.

Locals come out for a huge portion of the race with signs and extra beverages – even a bloody mary if that happens to be your mid-race fuel of choice – which really helped with keeping energy up. And again, as a slow runner, I really appreciated the groups who hung out along the course to cheer even though the majority of runners had already passed. The military base stretches and overall the second half of the run are much more deserted and we missed the crowds there. For people bringing friends and family to watch, we were able to see our friends at four different points because of the course layout, which was great (near the start, near the half, near the 25, and at the finish).

I’ve heard that some races feel very unfriendly to runners not going at Boston-speeds (ie. water tables taken down early, finish line disassembled, no medals left). None of that was the case here. All in all, really glad I chose this one!