This was my 5th time running this marathon,and it gets better every year. Its held mostly on an Active Air Force Base,with a trip into Fairborn, Ohio, which goes all out for the marathon. The start,with a B-1B bomber flying over is amazing. The support along the course is the best anywhere. The aid stations go all out to cheer you on,and the themes,such as ALIENS with a flying saucer are awesome. The staff is the best,they listen to compliments and suggestions and make this event better each year. This was the second year in a row that ALL the runs sold out.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this event.

5th year running the AF marathon. Great organization! More porta johns than any other race I've been too. Medal is top notch. Liked the improved technical shirt; will actually wear this one as well as the hat. Love the Fairborne crowd; wish it was closer to mile 20 when I really need it. Becasue it is on an active/restricted base, there is no other crowd support if you like that. Half and full merge together late in the race, but that isn't a big deal to me. I'm just glad to see people running. Don't know about you, but I ran a half marathon prior to running marathons. Go run this and show your support for the United States Air Force and this GREAT COUNTRY. See you next year!!!

I have participated in either the half or full for the last six years. This event grows each year. The growing pains from last year have all been addressed. The expo was very organized, getting into the base went smoothly, parking was efficient. Course support was excellent. This year, I ran the half. They have been changing the course each year and this year is my favorite...more time in neighborhood meant more fan support than usual. Pizza, chips, bananas and gatorade recovery at the end. Nice entertainment tent at the end with big screen of finish area. I love the medals that feature a different plane each year. I strongly recommend this event!

My 2nd Air Force Marathon. Even better than last year. Very well organized, great volunteers. Love this race, running through the base and being able to thank the soldiers at every corner is awesome.

If any marathon was going to respond to negative feedback and adjust I'm pleased it was this one. Last year I loved the course&but the logistics were clearly not thought through. Everything that was wrong last year (the 14th running) was fixed this year. Parking was a breeze. The Dayton police who stood around last year watching the traffic jam were engaged and on top of it this year. There was a greatly improved parking process&the field flags were a nice touch. Last year some of the top-20 finishers started 7-15 minutes after the gun (!!!) the parking was such a nightmare. I'll be surprised if there are any repeats this year. The course is well supported with water stops even and organized. There were many more marshals on the course directing traffic and as a result the merge of half and full marathon runners wasn't a problem. Finally the finishing tent was well placed and the medical tent was no longer in an area that runners were barred from returning too once they left (good thinking, since last year shock victims had to argue their way back to the medical tent). I waited by the finishing tent this year for a friend to finish and the kids that they had manning the re-entry point could not have been nicer or more professional. Kudos all around. This year was my I'll give them one more chance race and while my time was 20 minutes slower than last year, my experience was much better. Good job.
The one thing that my wife mentioned was that a SMS service notifying friends and family of runners status would be a good addition. It's fairly standard in many large races and for a couple of dollars at race registration it's a nice feature to add.

I'll start with the positives first:
Good expo; great medal and swag; the flyover at the start really amped me up; the aid stations were well stocked; the volunteers were great; but most of all, the people of Fairborn were awesome (I may have gotten a few extra cheers because I was carrying a small American flag). Great job, Fairborn!!! And, oh, by the way, the finish was unbelievable as well. The last quarter-mile was lined with spectators 2, 3,and 4 deep in front of, beside, and around all of the planes, and you could see the finish from a mile away, which helps keep you moving when you're on your last leg.

Now to the negatives (sorry, USAF):
Not much USAF Marathon merchandise at the expo; packet pick-up lines were quite long; entry fee was a little pricier then comparable marathons; and traffic was pretty backed up before the race. I got there early as suggested and had very few problems, but all I could see was headlights for miles by the time I got parked, so take the RD's advice and get there EARLY!! And although I liked it, there is about a mile walk to and from the start/finish line, which some might not like, but it is a good warm-up/cool-down. Having to deal with the half marathoners after mile 18 was a struggle to keep your pace around slower runners and walkers in your road but it was manageable. Lastly, although Fairborn was awesome, if you need crowd support, you're in trouble because this is an active Air Force base and crowds are nonexistent almost.

Although it's not my least liked marathon that I've run, it is in my bottom 3 (I've run 8), but it's still worth supporting our troops and the USAF. Thanks for all that you do for us!!! I almost forgot... this was my second fastest time, and I was using this race as a tune-up for another marathon in mid-October, so it could be a PR course for you.

The 10K was my first event ever, and I could not have asked for a better introduction. The race was well organized, and the fly-overs were awesome. The volunteers were great. Regarding parking - with the number of vehicles to accommodate, plus security concerns, I thought they did well. Thanks, USAF Marathon, for making my first experience memorable!

A good course. The hill at the beginning was gradual, and a non-issue. The one at the end is even smaller. Beginning the race with a flyover was a lot of fun. We were advised to arrive early for parking. I did, followed their instructions, and had no trouble. The aid stations and volunteers were the best I've seen in my 6 marathons. There was never any question of being taken care of, and of being strongly supported. The town of Fairborn pulls out all the stops as you go through miles 8 - 10. It's fantastic. As you run in and out of the base gates, the guards are there watching. It's a special feeling having them open up to the runners. I appreciated the extra work they went through to allow us to see the base that many of us wouldn't get to see otherwise. The finishing chute is lined with aircraft and cheering crowds. A senior Air Force officer presents you with your medal. The shirts are fantastic, with a great cut and fit, and the expo and packet pick up were goo, and well organized. Swag is great, medal fantastic. We even got a B-52 patch and a towel. My only complaint would be the line to pick up baggage was long.

I'm a local runner and love running the USAF Marathon every year, but they need to address the parking and merge issues.

To address the parking issues, they need to hire professional event parking services and should seriously consider dropping the 10K. This year, the parking bottleneck occurred AFTER the cars made it through the gates, when the traffic flow reached the parking aisles, which were attended by 1 or 2 overwhelmed volunteers escorting 5-10 cars at a time into individual slots. Slow, slow, slow. The parking attendants and traffic flow directors were simply understaffed, inexperienced, and overwhelmed.

This year's new course and event schedule was disastrous when it came to the merge with the half marathoners at mile 18. I met a wall of half-marathon walkers occupying the entire road, including the shoulders of the road. This congestion lasted about 2.5 miles. I was running about three times the speed of the walkers and nearly knocked a few folks over. In my view, this merge presented a serious safety concern and the directors need to remedy this. At the very least, they should return to the previous year's course and starting schedule.

I strongly recommend running the full, half or 10K at USAF. I have run the full twice and the half three times and always have a great time! I love the medal, as it features a different plane every year. Medals for all the events are awesome with impressive detailing. The ribbon is well-designed as well!

The course support is superb and the start is organized (except getting into the base... allow a lot of time for this).