This year's half-marathon finish line won't feel like a mirage

By Amber Kuehn

His legs burning, Ray Johnson was relieved to spot the finish line as he turned onto the boardwalk at the first Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach.

He soon realized the finish line was not as close as he thought.

"The concrete was hard on the legs," recalled Johnson, 41, from Virginia Beach, who has run the race every year. "You would turn from 37th Street onto the boardwalk and the finish line appeared to be very close, which was psychologically deceptive. I would think 'almost there' and then I'd be thinking, 'this is a long way to go.' "

For seven years, the boardwalk stretch - a 2-mile scenic straightaway - has fooled runners by appearing deceptively short. This year that will change, as a number of adjustments were made to a course that had gone untouched since the race's beginning.

"People didn't like running the full length of the boardwalk because it was too hot," said Erin Gaul, the event's general manager. "They could see the finish line but felt like they'd never get there. It was like a mirage, and they'd just have to keep running. Now it will be a true sprint to the finish line."

The 13.1-mile course is still fast and flat, but the redesigned route shortens the boardwalk stint to 11 blocks and adds turns and more time in Camp Pendleton. To accommodate a field that has grown to 22,000, the finish area also was expanded, and shuttles will run earlier than ever the morning of this Sunday's race.

Peter Douglass, operations director for EliteRacing, said the new layout addresses problems from past years and eliminates concerns about safety and congestion.

"The course redesign idea has been brewing for a few years," Douglass said. "It was clear that we had some crowding and access issues in the finish area."

Whoever crosses the finish line first will set a course record. Old course records will remain intact, but Gaul said a time standard will be set as a bonus so people have something to break.

"We're hoping that the appeal of holding a new record will draw a lot of new faces out to the track," she said.

For those who have run in the race every year, the new layout is a nice change of pace. Johnson said he was excited about the redesign.

"They had a lot of factors to address in designing a new course, and I appreciate that they took the athletes into consideration," he said.

Buddy Wheeler, sports marketing director for the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitor's Bureau, helped design the new course. Wheeler used the Web site mapmyrun.com for ideas and worked closely with Elite

Racing to put the plans on paper. He said the number of hills will remain the same, but he expects the race will be more enjoyable for runners and spectators.

"It's nice because in the area from 10th to 14th Street they will have the opportunity to see runners a number of times," Wheeler said.

Runners who skip postrace festivities also will find it easier to escape the finish area, a portion that was difficult to navigate because of congestion.

The Virginia Beach race offers runners a chance at a $68,500 purse - and a beach party atmosphere. But 2008 offers something previous races lacked - variety.

"After a while you want to change things up, and it's been the same for seven years," Gaul said. "There will be a million benefits to having this new course."

Amber Kuehn, (757) 446-2522, amber.kuehn@pilotonline.com