I really liked having the option to pick up my number and chip on race day! Saved me the expense of a hotel and I was not going to sleep before the race anyway. I could see the starting line from where I parked so I did not have to walk very far and the weather was just about perfect. Not many fans because we were running on the base but the people at the water stops gave you a nice boost. I am a runner that has to hit the rest rooms several times during the race (just how I work) and there were more placed to do this than any other race I have been in and there were no lines so this was fantastic for me! The hills were challenging but I trained exclusivly in hills so they were absolutly no problem. Lol. You do not have to fight crowds of runners like in Chicago so it is a good place to put the pedal to the medal and race. I got a PR shattering my old record by 22 minutes! Great race!

Before running this marathon, I had heard mainly about the hills. While the course has its share, they are doable with training. What I didn't hear was how scenic and serene the course is. Aid stations were plentiful. Highly appreciated all the nice amenities - gels, several fruit stops, cold sponges - WOW! The Air Force did a great job. Fighter jets overhead inspired us all. This is a great one with the organization you would expect.

Despite the lack of support for the expo and the after race activities, this continues to be a great race. This is certainly a "hilly" race and the hill by the Wright Brothers Memorial is similiar to Heart Break Hill. I would recommend the relay to get the lay of the land before trying the marathon. The half marathon has the quality of a marathon w/o all the miles. A challenging course -- second only to the Big Sur in California (at least of those I have run) for the most elevation.

Very well organized marathon. The finish medal was awesome. The airman, airwoman and civilian workers did a great, job supporting the runners along the course deserve a 3-day pass. The MP?s at the bottom of the hill at the 23.5 mile mark where very encouraging. The finish line was magnificent. I plan on doing this again in 2004. I will do more hill training. Weather was great. Post-race party was a blast.

From the first Air Force Marathon to the 8th, you will not find a better run or staffed marathon in the US.

This was a so-so race all around. The course was deserted, plenty of hills, and not much to see.

I thought this was going to be another small marathon, that was going to be boring, boring, boring. Guess what?! I was thrilled with it. The energy was high, the awesome fighter jets scoaring overhead to let us know we were being watched helped me make it to the finish line. Then at the finish line, there are all these huge planes, jets lined up, you run through them, then the airforce commanding officers shake your hand and give you a medal. They won't let you get by without shaking their hand, that is for sure. What a honor to be there with the Airforce, that makes me so proud to be American. I hope to run it again one day, even if I am so slow!! Great job, this marathon is on its way to being one of the best and biggest!!! Way to go !!!! The host hotel, Hope Hotel is great, the best bar in town. Check it out: great specials and drinks. I would not advise getting the pasta dinner through the marathon. Go to the bar; they have good food, and cheap!!

Having run several big marathons (Boston, New York, London, etc) I was extremely impressed with how well this race was organized. The course is not too tough (only two moderate-sized hills) but it was pleasant and enjoyable. The crowds were small (most of the course was off limits to them) but enthusiastic. I PR'ed with a 2:53 so that alone will make this marathon memorable for me, but even if I hadn't I would still highly recommend it. The medal is the nicest I have seen. My only complaint: there should be a retired military category.

As is typical of the military, the things they believe are important they do exceptionally well, while those things that aren't a high priority seem to be put on the wayside. Water stations were frequent and well stocked with plenty of excited volunteers, but if you were there to cheer on a special someone, forget trying to get to another location after the start, because non-military people were all but forgotten in the predominantly closed course. Runners were unable to review the course the day before because of base restrictions and volunteers weren't knowledgable to give you a major heads up on the brutal hill around mile 22 or 23. Flying in from New England and looking forward to meeting a Boston qualifying time, I was handicapped when I found that the mile markers in the last two miles were up to your imagination, while others back in the course were inconsistently laid out near volunteer stations. Couple this with the heavy fog around the airstrip that made reading your watch and keeping pace a difficult assignment (especially wearing glasses)... I missed my time goal by one minute!!

The finish line was great, running up through their plane exhibit and getting a bag of goodies along with the medal as you crossed the finish. Pre- and post-race parties were first-class, as were the patch, medal, and t-shirt. One last comment: I called to see how many time clocks were going to be on the course and I was told 15 (which meant one at every mile knowing the course back-tracked on itself). Actually there were only 4 or 5. Because of this I had my watch set on pacing instead of cumulative time... just another reason why I had no clue how I was doing out on the course. This would probably be a more enjoyable race the 2nd time through; if it's your first marathon understand its limitations and enjoy the race for what it offers. Oh well, on to my next marathon!!

Race day itself was well run. The aid stations, bathroom facilities, and overall runner support were more than adequate. I would recommend the packet pick-up and expo be longer on Fridays. Indiana and Ohio are on different time zones, meaning we have to be there by 7 our time in order to make the 8 closing time. It surely can't be that difficult to have packet pick-up go to 9 or even 10 on Friday evening. At the end of the run I had to pay for a drink... where was the drink at the end of the run?? The course was a challenging course that mentally can take one out of the race, but the course is not impossible. I expect to be back next year to conquer the last 4 miles, which beat me up this year.