VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Celebrating half a century, it's the return of one of Virginia Beach’s biggest events of the year.
“Ready to run, eager to get back to some normalcy," Amy Frostick said.
The Yuengling Shamrock Marathon Weekend began Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a sports and fitness expo at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
In addition to the 50th running of the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, other races for the weekend include the Towne Bank Shamrock 8K and the Anthem Shamrock Half Marathon. There also are events geared towards children.
Frostick, the co-owner of J&A Racing, says there are more than 20,000 registered runners across all the races this year, a large spike compared to last year when the events were still virtual.
"Last year we had about 4,500 people total," Frostick said.
All races will happen at the Oceanfront.
As the race returns to more normal, pre-pandemic conditions, some tourism leaders warned that not everything is completely back to normal.
“Everybody’s pulling their weight to make sure all these visitors have a great experience," said John Zirkle, president of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association and general manager at Double Tree by Hilton.
For Zirkle, the good news is that this go-around he is finally seeing business comparable to levels in 2019.
“With restaurants in Virginia Beach we’re set to thrive, but we’re still facing a staffing shortage," said Martha Davenport, executive director of the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association.
Frostick said based on a small sample size, many of the city's restaurants are still dealing with staffing challenges.
“Locally just to give you a snapshot, we have 20 restaurants that have 250 positions open," Davenport said.
The 20 restaurants are within the VBRA system, encompassing small and larger size restaurants. Davenport said staffing in general is better than it was this time last year, but that the restaurant industry as a whole has still not made a full recovery.
No matter how many open jobs there are, it won't stop the hungry customers flocking to the Oceanfront this weekend.
At bar and restaurant CP Shuckers, General Manager Brandon Fitzgerald told 13News Now they are prepared.
“We’ll be running specials all weekend and just working with J&A [Racing] to contribute everything we can to help with the race," Fitzgerald said.
In business at the Oceanfront for two years now, this year will be their first experiencing a Shamrock crowd in full effect.
“Just ready to get the ball rolling, ready for Memorial Day, Labor Day, the season, everything, it’s just a great start for all of us," Fitzgerald added. “The locals kept up going throughout the winter and have been really helpful with COVID and everything else. So, we’re really excited to get all these faces back to the Oceanfront.”
Runners and walkers can pick up packets with race bibs and participant shirts between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday. You also will be able to pick up other official Shamrock Marathon gear or sign up for the race, if you haven't already done so.
Packets also will be available for pick-up from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Event information and more details are available on the Shamrock Marathon's website.
This marks the true return of the marathon since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was canceled entirely in 2020 and consisted of a smaller, timed course with various restrictions in 2021.