Running News Daily

Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon leaving Virginia Beach after this year

After 20 years of live music serenading runners through the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series is leaving the city.

The series, which debuted in Hampton Roads in 2001 and includes a half-marathon, 5-kilometer race and 1-mile sprint, will take place for the final time the weekend of Sept. 4, the event runners announced in a statement on its Facebook page.

“After thoughtful consideration and conversations with local officials, the difficult decision has been made that after 20 wonderful years, the 2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Virginia Beach will be the final edition of the race,” the statement read.

“...We have had a tremendous relationship with the City of Virginia Beach over the years and will continue to stay engaged with the city and all of our local partners to explore potential opportunities that may arise in the future.”

Virginia Beach is host to one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s 17 events listed on its website, boasting it as “the largest outdoor music festival on the East Coast.”

The departure leaves the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon and Half Marathon in March as Virginia Beach’s sole premier running event.