This year's Shamrock Sportsfest added a Half Marathon; Virginia Beach is now one of few cities offering two half marathons

Is a four-leaf clover likely to help the runners of the 2006 Killian's Irish Red Shamrock Marathon? They might want to catch a leprechaun to find a wee bit o' luck of the Irish instead! Virginia Beach invites you to the 34th annual Killian's Irish Red Shamrock Sportsfest, presenting the grand addition of the Shamrock Half Marathon.

From March 17-19, 2006, the Killian's Irish Red Shamrock Sportsfest will feature the traditional annual marathon, 8K, a boardwalk one-mile run and a children's marathon. In addition, a half marathon has been added to the 2006 festivities. This 13.1 mile test of endurance will begin at the same time and location as the full marathon and will complete a fast flat loop course starting at the historic Cavalier hotel on 42nd street and ending on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk at 31st Street. The half marathon registration is limited to 5000 runners. The 2006 Shamrock Sportsfest Marathon Run is a qualifier for the 2007 Boston Marathon.

Prize money for the 2006 Killian's Irish Red Shamrock Sportfest races total over $25,000. This year's marathon course is guaranteed to be fast and festive as it takes runners by the beautiful resort area of Virginia Beach and continues though Fort Story and past the Cape Henry Lighthouse. The 8K is geared toward shorter distance participants and runs through the beautiful Virginia Beach oceanfront and along the paved boardwalk. All races welcome walkers in addition to our runners. The ShoreBreak Boardwalk One Mile Run is open to young runners ages 7-13. Children ages 6 months to 6 years old are invited to make the mad dash to the official finish line in the Shamrock Sportfest Children's Marathon. The Children's Marathon registration is limited to the first 300 participants.

The fun begins Friday, March 17 at the Killian's Irish Red Shamrock Sportsfest expo. Held in the new $202.5 million Virginia Beach Convention Center, the Sportsfest Expo is one of the largest on the East coast. The venders at the expo will offer a wide variety of equipment, apparel, footwear, and accessories for the whole family, as well as official Killian's Irish Red Shamrock Sportsfest gear at the race store. The Expo is free and open to everyone on March 17 from 1-9 p.m. and March 18 from 10 a.m. 6 p.m. Those interested in exhibiting can contact the race organizers at expo@shamrockmarathon.com.

March 18 is when the racing begins. The 8K, boardwalk one mile run, and children's marathon will all take place Saturday, starting at staggering times between 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The Marathon and Half Marathon will be run on Sunday, starting at 7 a.m. Murphy's Finish Line Celebrations for the participants will be held both days in tents on the beach!

There are two ways to register for this year's race. Both the online and mail-in applications can be found at www.shamrockmarathon.com/registration.php. Mailed entries must be postmarked by March 10, and must be in the Shamrock office by March 14 to be official. If runners miss this date, they can still register at the Sports and Fitness Expo on March 18. For more information, visit www.shamrockmarathon.com.

The Shamrock Sportsfest Half Marathon is the second half marathon Virginia Beach offers runners. The Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon is a popular Labor Day Weekend event, presented by Elite Racing, Inc. The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon features more than 20,000 participants each year. Bands play at every mile along the 13.1-mile course, to provide continuous entertainment. The half marathon has attracted some of the fastest runners in the world, vying for more than $80,000 in cash and prizes making this the largest half marathon purse in the U.S. Visit Elite Racing Web site at www.RnRHalf.com for more information.

Located in the southeastern corner of the state where Virginia meets the sea, Virginia Beach is four hours southeast of Washington, D.C. by car, and within a day's drive or less from one-third of the U.S. population. For travel information to Virginia Beach, visit the website www.vbfun.com or call 1-800-VA- BEACH (800-822-3224). For media information and digital images, click on www.vbpressroom.com.

Race report and Full Results from the 2005 race.