VIRGINIA BEACH The horizon was an early morning mix of pink and blue as Glenda Dennison pulled her little red truck into the parking lot of an Oceanfront grocery store. The Nissan Frontier has been a dependable partner in Dennison's journey of change. Sunday was just another leg on that trip.

VIRGINIA BEACH | Hillary Dietz crossed the finish line at Sunday's 38th Shamrock Marathon, raised her hands toward the sky and screamed for all she was worth. "Take that, you stroke," she yelled. She had refused to let a recent stroke beat her.

VIRGINIA BEACH Thousands of runners have completed the half and full portions of the 38th Shamrock Marathon at the Oceanfront.. Mike Morgan of Michigan and Anzhelika Averocova of the Ukraine won the men's and women's divisions of the 13.1-mile half marathon. Morgan finished in 1:04:56, while Avercova took 1:15:23 to complete the run.

By John Streit
Correspondent
According to Shamrock Marathon directors Jerry Frostick and Amy Frostick, their goal was never to have the biggest running event, but the best.
When it comes to their Operation Smile Final Mile, they can now stake their claim for the latter.

By Carrie White
Correspondent
“Hallmark holiday” or not, Valentine’s Day has nestled itself into the hearts of many. It’s easy to feel a little pressure as Sunday’s holiday arrives and you want to impress someone important. To help you generate ideas, we’ve asked some Hampton Roads celebrities to share their ideal Valentine’s Days.
JANET ROACH

The workouts start at 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. That's when the kids of the New Energy Youth Program take over Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach. Dozens of them criss-cross the hills, their baggy singlets and short, skinny legs silhouettes in the dying light.

By JOHN STREIT VIRGINIA BEACH

A novice to long-distance running, Rick Reyes is usually a few strides behind girlfriend Michelle Fortuno, a cross country veteran.

But while running the Shamrock Half Marathon on Sunday, Reyes had an unusual pep in his step.

VIRGINIA BEACH

Portions of the Oceanfront will be closed to traffic beginning early Saturday morning for the Shamrock Marathon events this weekend.

On Saturday, Atlantic Avenue, between 30th and 34th streets will be closed from 5:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and between 2nd to 42nd streets from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the 8K race, which begins at 8 a.m.

By Mike Connors

Centered around St. Patrick's Day, the Virginia Beach-based Shamrock Marathon always has displayed a fair share of green. This year, the 36th of the race, the event is going green in another way - by becoming environmentally friendly.