This was the most boring course I have ever run. There was nothing to look at, very few fans, just UGLY! I realize it was an Air force base, but man.

It started by feeling like we had to walk a mile from where we had to park to the start line. It finished by having to weave my way through all of the half-marathoner who were walking! That was really bad. People I know running the full marathon were sent on the wrong path which of course ruined their race. I am very skeptical that the race was 26.2; I had almost 26.5.

I had a good race, the weather was nice but, I would never run this race again.

This is the 3rd year running the half. It all started at the corner of Hebble Creek and Skeel Ave. Everyone ahead of me crossed the median, and I followed.

When I saw the 3 mile clock on the other side of the road, I thought? This won't be good, we're going the wrong way. I ended up doing about 14 to 14.25 miles. I still finished at 1:51, so I was happy, and I got my half marathon moneys worth by doing an extra mile or so. HEY, I caulk it up as a mistake, and an easy fix for the organizers, either a race official on the corner, or orange cones routing you around the corner and not over the median.

I've run 25 full marathons so far and have heard worse horror stories than this. Moral of the story, if you want to compete... know the course. I thought maybe the course changed ? I'll look at the map next year to see. This mistake will not keep me from coming back. I enjoy this race too much ! I'll be back next year AND stay on the correct side of the road !!! Air Force does a wonderful job, and I will be back !!!

I went to the Air Force marathon in 2011 and came back in 2012 with four friends this time. I was hoping to run a 1:23:00 and qualify for New York but not once but twice we were directed off course. I ended up running 15.4 miles. Not sure I would have made the 1:23:00 but I would have placed in my age group. I emailed the marathon the next day just asking what happended and what their plans were. I never received a response. I understand mistakes can happen but after this same thing happened the year before I would think it would be a priority. The 5K and the rest of the race I really enjoyed. I'm sure they will fix this issue and would recommend the race. I spent a lot of time and travel expense for this goal race and the disappointment will not bring me back again.

This is my 12th marathon and it was awesome! I've run NYC a bunch of times, and it of course is a very different experience, but I really enjoyed myself. Beginning and ending among the planes was super cool. There weren't a ton of spectators (obviously, since it's partially on a military base) but the ones that are there are great and enthusiastic. I wasn't bored at all in the quieter parts. It was peaceful. I LOVED the volunteers. They were sooo encouraging and supportive. I really liked how they made it clear who had water and who had Gatorade. There were plenty of fuel stops, too, which was much appreciated. The flyover at the beginning was really cool. Though I am never hungry at the end of a race, I thought it was nice that they had pizza at the finish.

I only have one complaint- people participating in the half need to be told more clearly to stay on their side of the road when the half meets up with the full. Having already run ~22 miles, it was really annoying to have to go around people walking 5 abreast. It didn't bother me that much, though, and is literally my ONLY complaint. Overall, this race is great and I am sure that I will be back!

Air Force Marathon
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Dayton, Ohio

The first Air Force Marathon was held on 9.20.1997, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force & since then it has been held on the 3rd Saturday in September. Each year, one aircraft is featured & this year's was the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber which was displayed on all official marathon gear. The flyover by one at the start of the marathon was eye-catching indeed.

The packet pickup at Wright State University's Nutter Center was very efficient. Each runner received a nice short-sleeved technical shirt, a runner's cap, & a few other goodies.

Race morning temperature ranged from high 40s to low 70s. It was sunny & wind was not a factor. The start & finish lines were at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. There were 3 entrances into the two parking lots; be prepared for a long walk to start/finish area. Marathon & 10K started at 7:30 AM; half marathon at 8:30 AM. The scenic course was within the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. There were a couple of hilly sections around miles 1 & 21. There were sufficient water/sports drinks stations, sports gels, food items, & wet sponges throughout the course, as well as musicians who entertained us. There were pace teams. Splits were displayed digitally. Finisher's medal was really nice. There were plenty of recovery food items & drinks (beer too!) at the finish area. In short, it was a first class running event .

There were 3298 (2233 males, 1065 females) finishers in the average time of 4:46:14. The winning times were 2:28:58 (overall male), 2:37:45 (masters male), 3:01:09 (overall female), & 3:17:07 (masters female). There were 5449 (2991 females, 2458 males) half marathon finishers. There were 1233 (711 females, 522 males) 10K finishers. There were 1443 (813 females, 612 males) 5K finishers.

This was my 95th marathon & I liked it a lot!

I was among the unfortunate mass that ran longer than the advertised 13.1 miles for the half marathon-according to my GPS I logged 14.6! I suffered 2 u-turns after following the crowd (and being directed the wrong way by volunteers) causing abrupt changes in pace and abundant frustration as each inversion forced me behind slower runners. The winner of the men's half, and personal friend, was somehow able to break his own former course record but even he was impacted as the sheer volume of the wrong-way crowd forced the pace car to divert leaving him and the other front runners yelling to clear a path as they struggled to weave their way upstream. (How much faster could he have run unimpeded?) I understand that this was the result of an unfortunate mistake, but a similar mix-up occured during last year's event when the pace car inadvertantly led the elite runners the wrong way extending their race by nearly a mile.

I register for races in order to gauge my ability against that of other runners-I like to compete! Last year I had a great experience and was even honored as the fastest military female in the 10K. While I had no illusions that I'd even come close to winning this event, I have no way of knowing how I faired. For me, this race fell horribly short of all expectations.

I do recognize and appreciate all of the hard work that was obviously put into hosting this event. The logistics supporting the parking plan alone were impressive and the events surrounding the race were a lot of fun! However, it cannot be ignored that there is a recurring problem with the half marathon that needs to be fixed!

I ran this as my Ohio marathon on my quest to be a 50-stater. Overall it was a great experience.

Pros:
1. Hydration stops were frequent, with gels at 3 places, and sponges at 2 places, and bananas at a couple.
2. Volunteers were awesome and plentiful.
3. Crowd support in Fairborn from miles 8-10 was great.
4. The course was mostly flat.
5. The baggage check was easy and efficient.
6. The flyover of the B-2 stealth bomber was awesome.
7. T-shirt and medal were nice (also got baseball cap).
8. Several bands along the course provided motivation.

Cons:
1. There was very little shade on the course. If it was a hot day, the sun would have been brutal.
2. Parts of the course are desolate, not attractive and with no spectators, especially miles 13-20.
3. Getting out of the parking lot took nearly an hour. It seems there was one open gate (not enough).
4. Had to park a mile from the start, which was okay in the morning, but not a pleasant walk after running the marathon.
5. We had to get food and beverages immediately after finishing, without the option of going back. After running a marathon, I need to let my stomach settle a little before eating.

I suggest checking out the Air Force Museum during your visit to Dayton. It was excellent and it is where the race starts and ends.

Organization was good. Course was pretty but very boring. Since most is on a military installation, there are very few spectators. Much of the course is running the 'perimeter road'. Start and finish at the AF museum (and the pre-race fly by) is excellent. Unless you live close, this is a race to do once, just to say you did it.

Thumbs up to a fun event put on by the Air Force! I would run it again.

Pros:
Flyover of the B2 Bomber at start.
Excellent medal.
Good medium sized expo.
Very nice tech shirt.
Runners cap and Air Force Marathon patch
Plenty of water stations
Plenty of porta-potties
Around Miles 9 - 11 going through a very fun and patriotic town
Good overall course.

Cons
1) After finishing they asked us to keep moving which I did thinking I'll come back for food since I wasn't ready to eat yet. However once away from the area I was not allowed back to get food. My daughtor did the same thing and ended up buying pizza from a vender near the finish line since they wouldn't let her back to get food.
2) Long walk to/from parking area
3) Photos have the half marathon gun time in them which started after the marathon.
4) Some logistics of the race could have been helped with more signs. I saw in the news that 500 - 1000 half marathoners ran around 2+ extra miles because of the lack of good signs. The race director has apologized for that on the marathon site and stated they will fix that issue next year. Also a sign letting you know that either you get your food now or lose access to it once you cross a certain threshold would be helpful.

Ok, brutally honest review coming up.

I'm active duty Air Force, and I was really excited run this race. Unfortunately, a few key details spoiled it for me. Number 1, the parking was confusing. There were numerous lots with the same numbers used for the rows, but with different colored backgrounds. At six a.m. it's difficult to distinguish the colors, and I lost my car. For two hours. AFTER running the marathon. 2nd, the journey from the parking to the start line was a good 30 minute walk, and I don't walk slow. My hubby walked me to the start, and planned to go back to the car because his half marathon didn't start for another hour. He ended up running there, looking for the car for a half hour, then running back without any of his gear. Good thing there is plentiful water, Gatorade and gel on the course.

Photo support is pretty minimal, and the run tracking was the same. There isn't staggered corral starting, so the beginning was a mess. The course was pretty, but a large portion of the roads were canted and my ankles were killing me. Oh, and BIG overpass hills. It seemed like about four of them. Fairborn at mile 10 was cool, but the last half of the race was kind of boring. Zero spectators... how about volun-telling some Airmen to come out and cheer? :-D

I had so much fun in the Rock-N-Roll series marathons, and this was a let down in comparison. Bummer. :( I wanted it to be more.