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☰
Air Force Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Air Force Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.6
Number of comments: 344 [displaying comments 151 to 161]
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E. W. from Michigan
(9/20/2008)
"Enjoyable race" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran the 2008 half marathon. It is a worthwhile event. The organization is very good and the course is challenging. Nice medal and t-shirt as well. I recommend people taking the time to visit the Air Force Museum. | |
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G. R. from Atlanta, GA
(9/20/2008)
"Well organized, but needs a little fine-tuning..." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Pluses: * Email updates regarding the event throughout the entire registration process * Fluids on the course were over abundant (seemed like there was a water/Gatorade stop every 800 meters - seriously) * GU was provided twice (that I recall) during the course - and oranges, bananas, and cold sponges were also provided several times& * Volunteers were great; they had big smiles and were overly helpful * The course itself is not bad - a couple of inclines, but nothing crazy. You can definitely set a PB * The long-sleeve cotton shirt was nice, with a clean design (perhaps a technical shirt in the future would make it ideal) * The finisher's medal is very nice - very detailed and of good quality * The fighter pilot air show at the start was pretty darn cool, and talk about a buzz to get you going * The expo was easy to access and park&small, but relative to the size of the venue * Half-marathon starts 30 minutes after the marathon (a good thing that alleviates crowding at the start - see the minus below) * Having the finisher's medal put around your neck by a high-ranking Air Force officer was great; they seemed genuine about your efforts The Minus: * As I said, there was not much to complain about at this marathon. HOWEVER, there was one issue that was probably overlooked. The marathoners converge with the half marathoners during the last few miles. I had to expend too much energy dodging lots of slow runners and walkers as a result. I'd rather have a congested start that thins out a mile or two into a race than run the last 3-4 miles of a marathon with walkers and very slow runners - especially when they don't adhere to generally accepted racing protocol (staying to the right side of the course). Bottom Line: I would recommend this marathon. By the way, given that 80% of this course is inside a military base, this marathon will not be a huge spectator marathon, if you are looking for that sort of thing. | |
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D. H. from Southfield, MI
(9/20/2008)
"Very Good Marathon" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Air Force Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I was a little concerned about parking this year based upon last year's comments. Parking was a breeze (2008). Not a lot of spectators, but that was to be expected because it is a base. I actually PRed thanks to the 3:50 pace-setter, who was excellent. She had us well ahead of pace for the majority of the race, plus running with this group helped since there isn't a lot of spectators. Not the most scenic course and the rolling hills at the end were somewhat of challenging (though most of the true hills were earlier). The Air Force jets at the beginning and at the end are a very nice touch - very motivating. Organization was excellent. Medal is an A. Probably won't do this course again, but I highly recommend doing it once. | |
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C. S. from Indiana
(1/8/2008)
"Great small race and the best finisher's medal!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first time running the Air Force Marathon. The expo was a good size considering this was a smaller marathon and the long-sleeve cotton t-shirt with the marathon logo wasn't bad either. Regarding parking, I personally didn't have any issue parking prior to the race. For those complaining about parking, I don't think they read the parking instructions completely or got there late. There were 3 entrances to the parking area and it appears that the majority of cars were using the main gate (RED) off Springfield Pike. Two other entrances on Wright Brothers Pkwy (GREEN) and Airway Road/Spinning Road (BLUE) were available and well marked. As for the exit, yes, they could've open up more gates to speed up the process. The sky was blue and temps were in the middle 40s at the start. Conditions were ideal. Prior to the start they even had an F-15 flyover! The first 6 miles is through the southern part of the base plus parts of Wright State University with the first hill just towards the end of mile 1. The start of mile 3 had a nice descent, but be aware since this will be the hill on your return trip. Miles 7 through 19 takes you through the northern part of the base and was fairly flat with most of the spectators around 7 and again around 9. Keep in mind that this race is almost completely run within an air base with little fan support. But the very enthusiastic volunteers at the 20+ hydration stations made up for it. Personally, I thought the race course was somewhat scenic after mile 11. It felt like a nice weekend morning long run. After mile 19, you climb a long over-pass and this was an unexpected hill, but at least you have a nice descent on the other end just before mile 21. Save your energy during the rolling inclines between miles 21 and 22 since you need it for the hill just before mile 23. Rest up on the descent to mile 25 and the long straightaway to mile 26 for the big finish. The last 0.2 has you running underneath the wings of vintage airplanes. That was so awesome! Post-race food was plentiful and the towel was a really nice touch. This race had pretty much everything you want. Plenty of well stocked aid stations along the course staffed with very enthusiastic volunteers. Organization was topnotch. The detailed marathon finisher's medal is well worth it since it's by far the biggest, heaviest and coolest hunk of metal I have seen so far. I would highly recommend this race! | |
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Gretchen Bowers from Grayslake, IL
(12/28/2007)
"The best marathon I have ever run!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Air Force Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course was nice, the water stops were filled with enthusiastic people and it was my PR. It helps that my pace leader, Nancy, was wonderful. I highly recommend this marathon! | |
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D. M. from Canton, MI
(10/25/2007)
"Great Race - Highly Recommend" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Air Force Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great race, lots of fun. As her 5th marathon my running partner set a PR by 17 minutes! Hills, schmills, they are not that bad. The 5K was fun too. Arrive early and parking was not a problem at all. Great medals however they do need tech shirts and different shirts for the 5K (You get the same cotton long sleeve shirt and towel if you run the 5K, half or full) and tech shirts for the marathon. I'll wear mine with pride and will run this race again! | |
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Shannon Poindexter from USA
(10/10/2007)
"Parking was Horrible" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Air Force Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 This race was great. Best medal out there! Had plenty of fluids, gels, and food at the stops. Yet, the parking was very very very unorganized. For 5,000 people, they only had one entrance and exist. Could have been planned better. Other than that, awesome race. Miles 12-19 are lonesome due the rules. People cannot be cheering in the base. Crowd support was outside the base, but not allowed in. Overall, I would do again! | |
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d. k. from Illnois
(9/28/2007)
"The organization was great." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The course was great, with plenty of aid stations. The expo was good. I ran the 1/2 marathon and got the same shirt as the marathon, and the medal said "marathon" on it when it should have said "13.1." I got a shirt and medal that I did not earn. | |
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N. B. from Rootstown, Ohio
(9/23/2007)
"Excellent organization, closed course to public" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Air Force Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my 16th marathon and with 3 spring races fresh in my mind, I feel I can offer an objective review. From the organization standpoint, they were superb. "Excellent," "small," "simple," and "quality" are words to describe the expo. The course is closed to the public except for a small exit into the neighboring town of Fairborn for less than a mile. The spectators there were 95% family members of runners. That is around the 9-mile mark. Once back in the base, you head out to the flat area containing the runways and it gets very lonely and quiet. The flyovers by air force aircraft were happening at the start/finish line, not over the course. The course was very accurate, well-marked, and the fluid stations were the best EVER that I've seen. Each stop was preceded by a sign that was color-coded to what was provided and was in the order it was provided. Sponges, water, Gatorade, gel, medical. Well stocked and enthusiastic describe the stops... plenty of portable toilets, too. Finish line was superb, the medal is the heaviest and most detailed in all my previous marathons, and the finish line support was also excellent. Parking was horrible. We waited in traffic for a half-hour just to park. Getting out after the race was even worse. Read others comments to get the full picture. I definitely recommend this race... but don't run it for the crowd support because there isn't any. I loved the fighter jet flyover at the starting gun at 7 a.m.! | |
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SEAN LILLIS from FLORIDA
(9/22/2007)
"Great race overall - A++++" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Air Force Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 11th marathon and by far my best overall experience! Not too big; not too small. Weather was perfect - and the course was pretty much flat except for the hill at mile 2 and the bigger hill at mile 23. Not many spectators, but who really cares when you are "in the zone"? Medal was the best by far and the expo had awesome gear for great prices (windbreaker - $20). Aircraft flying overhead throughout race were terrific! I would recommend this race to all, especially airmen. |
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