Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon
| Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon | |
|---|---|
The course traces a path along the oceanfront boardwalk
|
|
| Date | September |
| Location | Virginia Beach, Virginia United States |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Half marathon |
| Established | 2001 |
| Official site | Virginia Beach Half Marathon |
The Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon is an annual half marathon road running event which takes place in Virginia Beach, United States, on the first Sunday of September.
The event was inaugurated in 2001 as part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series which began with the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon three years earlier.[1] Almost 11,000 people completed the race at the first event, over half of whom were women. The elite race attracted high calibre American and international athletes, with Deena Drossin and Shadrack Hoff taking the first elite titles.[2] Around 16,000 runners participated in the 2004 event.[3]
The 21.0975-kilometer (13.1-mile) course begins at the Virginia Beach Convention Center within the city, moving on to follow Pacific Avenue and Atlantic Avenue towards the oceanfront. The course then heads south on General Booth Boulevard, looping back north along Prosperity Road near Red Wing Lake Golf Course just after the halfway point. Passing Lake Christine, the route runs back onto General Booth Boulevard at the tenth mile. The course continues north for three miles until the finishing point in the middle of Virginia Beach Boardwalk.[4]
The elite race frequently features world class runners from East Africa and Asia. The men's race has been won by a Kenyan every year since 2002, with champions including former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat and New York Marathon winner Martin Lel. The men's course record of 60:42 minutes was set by James Mwangi Macharia in 2005. On the women's side, six nationalities have reached the top of the podium. These include three-time World Cross Country Champion Edith Masai, World Championships track medalist Werknesh Kidane and New York Marathon winner Adriana Fernández. Edna Kiplagat became the first person to take back-to-back victories at the event in 2007. Werknesh Kidane is the women's course record holder with her time of 1:09:48 hours set in 2005.
Past winners
Key: Course record
| Edition | Year | Men's winner | Time (h:m:s) | Women's winner | Time (h:m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2001 |  Shadrack Hoff (RSA) |
1:02:19 | Deena Drossin (USA) |
1:10:07 |
| 2nd | 2002 |  Paul Tergat (KEN) |
1:01:59 |  Adriana Fernández (MEX) |
1:10:21 |
| 3rd | 2003 | Martin Lel (KEN) |
1:01:27 | Mercedes Gil (USA) |
1:22:07 |
| 4th | 2004 | Haron Toroitich (KEN) |
1:01:55 |  Nuța Olaru (ROM) |
1:10:50 |
| 5th | 2005 | James Mwangi Macharia (KEN) |
1:00:42 |  Werknesh Kidane (ETH) |
1:09:48 |
| 6th | 2006 | James Kwambai (KEN) |
1:03:30 | Edna Kiplagat (KEN) |
1:11:08 |
| 7th | 2007 | Haron Toroitich (KEN) |
1:02:20 | Edna Kiplagat (KEN) |
1:11:14 |
| 8th | 2008 | James Kwambai (KEN) |
1:02:11 | Edith Masai (KEN) |
1:12:54 |
| 9th | 2009 | William Chebon Chebor (KEN) |
1:01:29 | Abebu Gelan (ETH) |
1:13:43 |
| 10th | 2010 | Yusuf Songoka (KEN) |
1:02:46 |  Madoka Ogi (JPN) |
1:14:17 |
| 11th | 2011 | Benson Barus (KEN) |
1:02:21 | Yoko Miyauchi (JPN) |
1:11:48 |
| 12th | 2012 | Nicholas Kurgat (KEN) |
1:04:45 | Rei Ohara (JPN) |
1:13:50 |
| 13th | 2013 | Henry Rutto (KEN) |
1:04:21 | Noriko Higuchi (JPN) |
1:15:28 |
| 14th | 2014 | Jeffrey Eggleston (USA) |
1:05:28 | Lilian Marita (KEN) |
1:15:30 |
| 15th | 2015 | Elkanah Kibet (USA) |
1:05:22 | Laura Thweatt (USA) |
1:12:59 |
References
- ↑ Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Brings Music to Virginia Beach. Running USA (2002-08-09). Retrieved on 2012-04-23.
- ↑ Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon - Virginia Beach - Half Marathon Searchable Results September 2, 2001. Active. Retrieved on 2012-04-23.
- ↑ Fleming, Audra (2004-09-06). Kenyan and Romanian success in Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-04-23.
- ↑ 2012 Virginia Beach Half Marathon Course. Competitor. Retrieved on 2012-04-23.
- Results
- Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, Virginia. Retrieved on 2012-04-23.
External links
- Official website
- Race reports from IAAF: 2006, 2009
