Flat course, friendly people, just not many of them. As a Vietnam vet, this was a nice place to visit.

The Museum of Aviation Marathon is a lonely 2-loop stretch around Robins AFB. Weather in 2006 was windy and chilly. Organizational support is strong, food is great, fans are scarce, course is okay but lonely. I merely ran the relay (my team won), but that gave me a good sense of what the full race was like for the more courageous.

This course was mainly asphalt/concrete with some short stretches of pebbly grass which is what can be expected of a base. The inclines were gentle and/or short. Headwinds seemed to go on for 18 miles or so.... Any official word? I only noticed a few miles of tailwind but still got my PR. Didn't mind the double loop at all. The second time was less "social" but very enjoyable. I recommend this run to all levels. Runway area was very peaceful - the base seemed pretty calm which was perfect for us because only a handful of vehicles shared the roads.

Perhaps the restroom at Mile 6-7 could be around 4-5 where the runway is all there is, and leave the other where it is (10-11).

Also, more people might wait for awards if there were some more things to do in the finish hangar. Music, feedback with race coordinators, and more food would be nice. At FL Gulf Beaches last Jan. there was warm red beans & rice, which people raved about. The local running club could have a display, too.

It was great seeing a fellow runner complete his 50 states and it was also great playing cat-&-mouse with the one in the gray sweats (he helped me get that PR). That's the best part of marathons for me... all the dynamics of the people.

Overall, I sure enjoyed this run and look forward to the next time! (Maybe I'll hear those odd sounds by the yellow wooden bridge again....)

Apparently, there was a wind storm throughout the East Coast on Saturday, 1/14/06. Winds were 22 mph from the NW with gusts up to 40 mph.

The course is oriented in a NW-SE loop. The course is two 13-mile loops. Miles 0-6 (and 13-19) were NW into the wind; that slowed everybody down. Miles 7-9 (and 20-22) were SE and downwind. Those stretches were fast and enjoyable. The bad news was after mile 11 (and 24) where the wind felt like 40 mph in your face. The finish was also uphill and into the wind. My race time was slow, but the race was enjoyable.

Organization was great: "Package pick-up on race day only" worked out quite well - there was no problems with that. Indoor bathroom facilities with running water before the race - a big plus. No lines if you knew where to go.

Since it's on an air force base, there're more volunteers than spectators. I felt sorry for that poor volunteer out there by himself on mile 7. Because it's a small race, there are no digital timers. Volunteers at each mile (or 2) read off your time as you pass. Water, Powerade, and oranges every 2nd mile.

Small field - I saw no other runner between miles 16-19. The only spectators were at mile 13 and 26.

Finally, the cities of Macon and Warner Robins are very friendly, and they treated the runners very well.

I've run this marathon twice and it has captured my heart. The small field and unique setting make it seem like a training run with a couple hundred of your closest friends.

The volunteers are wonderful.

Uniformed service members (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA) will feel right at home here. All the basics are covered very well, from registration through race through post-race awards. Similarly, there are not many "extras" along the way with regard to comforts, fans, etc. But if your goal is to succeed on your mission (oops, I mean RACE), this is a great one to do.

Pros:
1. Efficient organization.
2. Flat course.
3. Great volunteers.
4. Awards (beyond the medal) for just about everyone, it seemed.
5. No 'mob scene' at any point in the event - this is a very small race.
6. Town businesses are very supportive.

Cons:
1. It really is small - be prepared to run much of it without fans or even other runners.
2. I've been on many, many bases, and Robins is one of the least attractive. This is particularly surprising, since it is Air Force (they usually have the fanciest bases of any of the services).
3. Wind! Of course, this will be different each year, but in 2006 we had steady winds of 25 mph with gusts over 40. Smaller runners had to attach weights to themselves to keep them on the ground.

Bottom line: Small, flat but exposed (to wind) course, good organization, very plain setting. Good for the self-motivated; also good for uniformed service members wanting to feel "at home."

This was my first half-marathon, having done nothing but 5K's and 10K's prior. Was not sure what to expect of myself. I had done 10-mile runs, but was not sure I could do a half. Estimated my finish time to be about 2 hours (that's what I told my wife, so she waited inside the warm hanger area). Well I finished in 1h 50m. In fact my wife did not see me cross the line as she was still inside thinking I would be 2 hours. Great medal, good food before and after. Great organization. The course is flat, single lap around the base for the half, 2 laps for the full. Only spectators are at the start. Good water stations and fruit on the route. Great race for a first-timer to run. It was after finishing this run that I realized that I was hooked on running.

This was a very nice but very small marathon. Just be prepared to have no spectators except when you come back to the museum at the 13 mile point only to head back out for another loop exactly the same as you just did. Just a few hills but it was windy. Very hard to motivate myself the last 6 miles because I was out there completely by myself. Wouldn't necessarily do it again but overall it was a very organized and enjoyable race.

I hate huge races. I wanted something as anti-Chicago as I could get. Happily I found it here. The course is super. Not too much to look at, but I was gunning for a PR, so that was secondary. I made my PR easily and now am going to Boston! This is the place to do an 'off-season' race, folks. Very well organized and really a pleasure to be a part of.

Not bad for a double loop course although the hills seemed to have gotten steeper the second time around. A little windy in places, but warm temperatures even at the start. We were able to wait inside part of the museum up until it was time to start. Food and refreshments after the run. Very enjoyable and would do it again.