Owned and organized by the IRONMAN Group, part of Wanda Sports Holdings, 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.

The course then headed 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.

[4] The elite race frequently featured world class runners from East Africa and Asia.

Lower registration figures and a higher percentage of runners who local residents rather than visitors traveling from afar to the event led to disfavor with the hotel owners in Virginia Beach as reservations of rooms dropped over Labor Day.Why Virginia Beach's Rock n Roll Half Marathon is Running Out Of Town Key: Course record NOTE: Race was not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.