VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Thousands of runners converged on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon weekend.
This year marked the 51st running of the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. Officials say every race for this year’s marathon sold out. The annual St. Patrick’s Day tradition has a race distance for every goal: Marathon, Half Marathon, 8K, and challenges.
10 On Your Side digital reporter Sarah Goode hit the streets for the 8K. Despite the mist and cold Saturday morning, run buddies from Raleigh pushed to the finish line.
“It wasn’t my best run. My knee had a little issue but this one kept pushing me and got me to the finish line. I would have crawled away, but she kept me going,” said Kelley Averette, Shamrock 8K runner from Raleigh.
On Sunday, Kristen Perry and Rashida Williams drove down from Richmond for the half marathon. Perry started training for the race back in November. She said it was “windy and cold.” Perry finished in about 2 hours.
“It was challenging. I had to dig deep but I feel really proud and accomplished,” said Perry. “It was the best to hear your name being called and then to look over and see someone so happy to see you so close. It just made me want to sprint faster!”
Williams was waiting at the finish like with a handwritten sign saying ‘you did it, you made it, you conquered.’
“I’m so proud of her, “said Rashida Williams. “I know some of the hurdles mentally she had to cross, so seeing her almost at the point of the finish line. I knew she had it in her to finish strong!”
Perry hopes to run the Shamrock Marathon next year.
Oceanfront businesses said they feel lucky with the high number of customers coming through their doors.
“We’re seeing more and more employees come out, more people are applying for jobs, more people are actually showing up for interviews and showing up for work. So it’s been a nice change, we’re seeing a huge improvement.”
It wasn’t only busy for her business, but for others on the oceanfront including Chix on the Beach. General Manager Victoria Kelly said the restaurant had been welcoming tons of customers with events like Shamrock weekend and March Madness.
“Everything’s been really awesome. We get a lot of traveling teams in here especially on the weekend; spring break we just had for the past couple of weeks, especially shamrock weekend this weekend,” she said, “It just gets the whole entire team and staff pumped up for a great summer hopefully.”
City officials posted road closures during the weekend events.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
