Museum of Aviation Foundation Marathon - Race Reviews

Great small marathon. Fast course. It's two laps on the AFB so there are no spectators.

The race was delayed due to getting volunteers in place and it was hot for this time of year. They needed more water in the last few miles. The volunteers and staff was very nice. The unseasonable weather just made it a difficult day. Glad they had medical attention for those in need. Many cramped up and had issues. The is very little shade so it heated up quickly on the pavement. Spectators were sparse but greatly appreciated!

I gave the spectators a 5 but there are no spectators because it's on a military base. However, the many number of volunteers make up for no spectators. We are marathon runners. We don't need spectators. If you do, you should only run 5K's. The packet pickup on race morning is in a huge plane hanger where they have lots of chairs setup so you can stay warm prior to race start. They had a men's choral group singing and a great military National Anthem. The race started on time and the marathon starts 15 minutes earlier to the start of the half. While we were on the course, there was a C130 plane revving the engines that you could hear over the whole course. Nice medal and shirt and plenty of food and drink at the finish. I will be back and you should run this race too!

Very nice race. well-run, very good double loop course. Run on air base. not meant for spectators - helps build mental toughness, great! In past years you could get some soup, hot chocolate or coffee at the end of the course. This year we were asked to pay a small fee at the end of the race for something hot to drink!!! That's crazy! So many people were shocked! We don't have money on our persons. It gets cold in Georgia, there has been some ice on the edge of the course in past years. You are cold after a marathon anyway. Who expects runners to have money on them as they finish the course. All we want is to warm up. Provide some hot drink as a courtesy to the runners!

I droved about 5 hrs for the run. Great atmosphere, well organized, great weather. I know there were 3 runners who were running a marathon for the first time and that is always exciting. One of the best things about running a marathon are the runners you run with and I was fortunate to run with some great folks. The volunteers were great, willing to help in any way. The RD was great in responding to my emails. Heard several jets fly over. I qualified as a maniac in this one, so it will always be special. Main con was the post race food. Not sure I will run it again, but it was a nice marathon and the weather was good. I stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites, right across the road from the museum. The folks at the hotel were great and tried to help each runner every way possible. The hotel opened up the breakfast area early and that was greatly appreciated. We were blessed to run the Aviation Museum Marathon. It was a great day in the neighborhood.

This is one of my favorite races; it is run 90 minutes from my home and this was my 7th running of either the full or the half-marathon. This a great small mid-winter race and it gets better each year. It is two loops around the Air Force base. Not much spectator support. The lat 4 miles of each loop are the best as you run through the wetlands and may see an alligator, you go by the golf course, and by the horse stables. This race is highly recommended.

I picked this marathon for my first crack at running one, based on location, course and time of year. What a well run event. Loads of volunteers, great on course water stations and a flat fast track. It does get lonely running alone, as the field is small. Tough for any spectators who are not military credentialed to view the race. Overall, since I did a BQ, it was a excellent fun marathon. Nice medals and trophies as well.

Not overly impressed with this course but it is flat so a person could definitely PR. The first ten miles were extremely boring with one or two spectators sprinkled in every mile or so. The event is very organized and they had numerous awards. The selection of post race food could be improved. I loved that the museum allowed us to keep warm and have clean restrooms before the event.

I did this race after reading all of the good reviews. It's a (mostly) flat course with the best air show along the flight line that you will ever see. I told one pretty volunteer 'I can't decide whether to look at you or the planes.' :-) I ran my best time in years and wasn't even feeling that well when I started. This one and Albany are two of Georgia's best. Highly recommended!

I completed the half for the sixth consecutive year. This is one of my favorite races and agree with all the excellent reviews.

Growing up on Air Force bases, I knew what to expect. Basically, the course runs a double loop around the flight line. There are fellow runners in the first loop, with the half marathoners. In the second loop, the run is largely by oneself. Good or bad - depends on what you like. Good: 1. Nice staging area. The museum means you don't have to stand around in the cold. 2. Surprisingly (but subtle) variety in scenery. 3. Great medal and t-shirt. Needs work: 1. It would be nice to have more frequent aid stations in the late miles. I seemed to be parched the whole time. 2. The oranges and bananas were nice. The pickles? Okay, to be fair, I didn't try them. I tend to like sugar late - M&Ms, Oreos, etc. Just a thought. 3. Make sure the course is well marked. In the first loop, no problem - there are enough runners that have run the course before to follow. Second loop, I missed a turn - no marking, no volunteers - and ran an extra mile. Ugh. Sentimental event for me - I lived in Perry, GA for three years. My mom died on Warner Robins AFB in '65. My dad re-married - the wedding was on Warner Robins AFB. There just wasn't any other GA choice for me in my 50 state quest.

This is a great (little) marathon on Robins AFB in Georgia. You leave from the Museum of Aviation and do two complete loops around the flightline. If you need crowds to cheer you on, this is not your event - but if you like a quiet / flat course you will be very satisfied. BONUS-You don't have to wait outside in the January cold before the marathon start. Everyone gathers in a big display hangar (for packet pickup, announcements, etc) and then troops outside to the start line when it is 5 minutes to race start.

The Museum of Aviation Foundation Marathon is a great race. They have LOTS of trophies, the course is mostly flat, and before and after the marathon you can tour the museum (and stay warm inside!). I liked the new exhibit they added on the Tuskegee Airmen, as well as the growing collection of military planes, both inside and outside. There is LOTS of food after the race: and there was still plenty left after the ½ marathon folks had their fill and left. With the relatively small field, flat course, and plenty of trophies, I was really motivated to push a little harder to place in my age group. They also have special trophies for the top male and female active duty military, which is a nice touch. As an Air Force veteran, running on base alongside an active flightline brought back some nice memories. Although some of the course goes through the not-so-exciting complex of military buildings, the section by the hangars and runway are unique, and the sections along base housing and the horse stables and the golf course are very pretty. I learned yesterday from a fellow runner that the area through the swamp is off limits to pedestrians (other than during the marathon) because of the chance for alligator and bear attacks! What a great motivator to run faster. I will be back again next year.

Best race ever! Private air show tops any on-course bands any course could come up with! You hear the music for a minute, but the planes you get to see anywhere on course! This was just an all around great race. I got there about 45 min. before race start, and had no problems getting parked... went to the hanger, got my t-shirt, took it back to my car, and then went back to the hanger to stay warm and use the restroom (shortest lines ever)! Heads up: you do have to turn in your photo ID since you're running on an active base - they had preprinted personalized envelopes with all our race info on 'em, so your ID is safe and sound until you finish. They had a shadow-race scheduled too, and we got to Skype/video conference with a couple of the service members overseas who were running - really neat touch! About 5-10 min. before the start, we all went outside to the start, and were off. About mile 4 I saw my first aircraft! The thing was shooting up at a 90-degree angle, then did a u-turn way up in the air, came shooting back to earth - it was AMAZING! By the time you get to mile 7-8 you're right by the runway, so you get to watch it hovering along the runway, take off again, do some loop-de-loops, and land again... seriously one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed in my life! There was also a fighter jet-type of aircraft, and I think some sort of transport plane - my only suggestion to the race director is to have a PPT with "what you saw flying today" at the post-race so those of us not familiar with them can speak a bit more intelligently about what we saw! I loved all of it, and feel bad I know I'm not using the correct names for the planes! After you cross the runway, you run through some great pastures with horses watching you, a lake, and some of the base housing... a very nice variety. Then you loop around, say goodbye to the half marathoners, and do it again. My mental-block is always mile 17, and right on cue, an aircraft shot up, just to take my mind off my quads! I had never run a double loop, but really found it fun to do - I liked knowing what was coming. There aren't a lot of spectators, as it's on-base, but there were some great ones, and the hydration stations and traffic control (what little was needed) were great. This is not an event race in the way of Chicago, so if you need spectators to stay motivated, it's not for you. For a small-town race, it had the most exciting on-course entertainment I've ever seen! Who needs spectators when you can look up and see aircraft acrobatics? Easy to run tangents, no crowd dodging, but big enough you're never running completely alone. I absolutely adored it - with 13 full marathons and 11 halves, this is so far my top favorite! Plus, even though I was just running for fun, the course is so time-friendly I set my 2nd best marathon time ever. :)

Only about 200 ran the full marathon and a bit more than that ran the half marathon. It was  well organized and on a nice, flat course. And where else can you run along and watch an F-15 do touch-'n'-go's??? That part was great and perfect timing for us.

After having run the NYC Marathon this past November, running the stillness and beauty of this course was a welcome contrast. The course was stunning (especially the horses). The jets flying over us gave me goosebumps. The organizers and volunteers were some of the nicest folks I have ever come across at a race. The warmth of the museum before and after the race was a huge plus. Thank you ever so much for putting this race on. Everything from the shirts, to the food, to the medals was perfect. We will be back.

Great marathon. The Air Force overseas was a nice touch. The volunteers on the course were great, since no spectators are allowed on the base. Great job of snacks and support at the aid stations. The museum visit is worth the trip. Several flyovers of a variety of planes made for an enjoyable view. The hosts were great.

Course was very flat with just one or two small exceptions. It was a beautiful and varied course: along the airfield, a wooded area, a lake, a residential area - all within the base. Very enjoyable. If you were going for a PR, it could be tough being so isolated. Although the spectators were enthusiastic and wonderful, there weren't many. Aid stations were generally well organized and very plentiful. However at mile 6 there was an incident where I had to wait for a cup of water to be filled for me. Wasn't a big deal for me, but I wasn't running this one for time. Great time of year for a nice cool but not too cool run.

The race is run on an Air Force base and crowd support is limited. Overall, it is an outstanding event - well organized and stress-free. The course is boring at times on the base, but it runs through a lovely wetlands area and is mostly flat. I would highly recommend this race.

Other than a small traffic jam getting into the AFB, this was a pleasant, low-key event. No lines at packet pickup, no crowd at the start, evenly-spaced and well-manned water stops, and a very flat course. One of my worries going in was that we'd have to hear loud planes taking off and landing. But they were all grounded (it was MLK Weekend), so it was actually the quietest race I'd ever experienced. Which was just fine for me!

This is a top-notch marathon. The course is two loops, making you mentally prepared for the second lap. There were bicycle riders that were a big help on the base. The museum made a great place for family members (children) to wait. The staff were excellent, and very patient.

Running on an Air Force base was different. Some of it was very boring (military buildings), but some of it was quite interesting and surprising (golf course, woods, ponds). Few spectators, but they were very enthusiastic. Two loops allow you to know where the hills are and where aid stations are. The museum was great, particularly for getting out of the rain and getting warm afterwards. They definitely need traffic control at the entrance to the museum as the traffic made for a very hectic start for my group. We drove 2 hours from Atlanta and got near the museum at 7 a.m. as planned, but sitting in traffic for about 20 minutes almost made us late to the start (after getting a number, etc.). Starting late helped us as we were still walking to the start at 8 a.m. But, overall a good race.

This was marathon #40 for me and my first in Georgia. The town of Warner Robins and the adjacent Robins AFB are about 90 miles southeast of Atlanta. There are plenty of reasonably priced motels, and if you are in government, you can stay on-base very inexpensively. Logistically, this race is a snap. A little bit of traffic getting on base to the museum, but aside from that, you can park a couple hundred feet from the museum and the start line. There was some traffic this year and the race director delayed the race 15 minutes so everyone could get their bibs. There were a few less than 200 marathoners, about 400 for the half, and also about 400 for the 5K. Sometimes a two-loop course can be boring, but this one was not because it goes through some visually interesting parts of Robins Air Force Base and you see more stuff the second time. This is a PR course. It is flat except for a small hill at about miles 10/20. The Finish line is at the front of the museum, which is nice for pictures, but it is uphill at the very end of the race! I would have liked that part to end on the flat side of the museum property, maybe in front of the WWII hanger. You are running on streets open to traffic but there were few cars and they all stayed well away from the runners. The turnaround for the second loop for the full marathoners is one the final stretch of the course for the half marathoners. It is difficult mentally to keep going when the pack of half marathoners is finishing, so I think it would be an improvement if the turnaround was eliminated and the second loop started along the straight-away of the street someplace. I think a couple of hundred feet could be added to the full marathon finish very easily to make up for omitting that turnaround. Packet pickup went very smoothly and it was inside of the museum where it was warm and comfortable. If I had to change anything about that, it would be to be able to pick up the packet the day before the race. I am fussy about being ready on race day and worrying about packet pickup and pinning on the bib just before the race is something I would want to avoid in the future. I gave high marks for spectators because those who were there were very enthusiastic. It is however on a military base and there just are not going to be cheering hoards of fans. However, those who did get on-base were great, so I gave this 5 stars. Plenty of food at the finish and a nice finisher's medal. The weather was not within anyone's control, but it was perfect for running - 45 degrees at the start, going up to the low 50s. The start was overcast with light rain starting about 3 hours into the race. That is my kind of running weather, so I liked it.

What a great race this was. In 17 marathons, I've never seen a better support group than the volunteers from the air force base at this marathon. They stood in the rain with us; most had no umbrellas. They were enthusiastic. They staffed ALL of the aid stations until the last runner finished. Thanks for a great job Warner Robins, GA!!! Mostly flat course - only three relatively small hills. Very well organized.

The organization is excellent and the people are even better. A small spectator base, but very supportive. This race is a great value, and I plan on returning. Good, fast, two-loop course!

The marathon is a 2-loop course around the air force base. Peaceful, with almost no car traffic, and scenic in most places. There were staffers at mini-aid stations roughly every quarter- to half-mile, and they were all very friendly and supportive and made up for the lack of any huge crowds. The folks manning the water stops were friendly and helpful, and they knew what they were doing. The weather was darn near perfect for the first 20 miles. It started out in the upper 40's with a faint drizzle, then the rain picked up about 4 hours into the race. For those who don't mind the rain, it was perfect. For those who do mind, well, it probably sucked for them. A couple things to be aware of: (1) There is no packet pickup in advance. Packet pickup is race-day only, and it takes place inside the aviation museum, which is a pretty nice place to warm up and wait. (2) Non-military folks will need to present their ID's for packet pickup, and LEAVE their ID's with them for the duration of the race. Not a problem; just be aware. Two things the organizers could tweak just to make a great race even better: (1) Offer a little more traffic control in the hours prior to the race. There was a bit of a traffic jam entering the base. (2) Position the aid stations about 25 to 50 yards beyond the mile markers, just so it's easier to hit your splits without having to juggle cups of water and energy gels. Other than those two minor things, I recommend this race. It's quiet, peaceful, convenient for most Georgians, and a nice place to visit.

I got an award and it is a huge trophy! It is generous - organizers prepared very nice awards (trophy) even for the age categories. There were no group of crowds on the course but the race organized "cheering station" every half mile. So, there were one or two people (including kids) on the course and it was very much encouraging. I did enjoy the race very much! Thank you again.

Loved this race. Although the weather was not great - windy and rainy - it was nice knowing what was up ahead, as the marathon is a two-loop course. I didn't think I would like this aspect, but it was great. I couldn't give the organization 5 stars because it started 15 minutes late, BUT the people were really friendly and offered to let people start early. The BEST part was the colors ceremony and our National Anthem being sung! Awesome start to the day!

Loved, loved, loved this course. Nice scenery and just enough hills to change gears, but not slow you down. The hangar was a fabulous place to be before the race start - nice and warm. My only complaint is there was some confusion with the 2 different race start times. Should be more signage to indicate where to go for the start. I had difficulty getting out of the bathroom and to the start in time (and actually missed the start because of that!). Because this is entirely on a military base, no spectators are allowed out on the course. Didn't bother me any, though. I have not run a double loop marathon before, and was worried about this one. Come to find out, I actually liked that better! This is a fabulous small marathon. I would recommend it to anyone! (Well, except those who depend on major crowd support.)

This was my third marathon in 12 weeks and my final attempt to qualify for Boston in 2009 (my first Boston Marathon). We lucked out with PERFECT weather and I really enjoyed the course. It wasn't crowded and there were plenty of open down hills where I could "plug-in" and enjoy a runner's "high." Obviously, you can't control the weather, but the 2009 race was SUNNY and COLD - my kind of running weather. All of the volunteers were also very friendly and helpful. This was a well-run race.

The day started off really cold (20 degrees) but we were all allowed to stay inside a very comfortable hanger until start time. Not many spectators but the ones there were great! Plenty of water and aid stations. Mile markers were very well marked. It's a two-loop course and there is a long downhill during miles 6/19, then uphills to get to 7/20 and 10/23 mile marks. None of them are very bad. Very nice to course on which to set a PR!

This was my first marathon. I picked it because it was close to home, the date fit my training schedule and the course was flat. I give high marks to the course. The scenery is very interesting if you are in to military bases and aircraft. It is relatively flat. There are a few inclines, but they are not difficult. There were a lot of half marathoners, but after they finished, the course became very isolated. The only spectators are the great volunteers at the aid stations. At times, it reminded me of my long training runs. My ONLY suggestion is the need to break out the fruit a little bit earlier. The first time it was availible was at mile 17, and every 4 miles thereafter. The Comfort Inn is across the street and the manager was nice about the late check out. I got back later than I thought I would, and he still let me shower. A very pleasant suprise. All in all, this is a small, well run race on a good course.

Although spectators were few and far between, the course was great. It was very flat with a couple of hills that you'll never forget!! Aid stations were great, with very energetic volunteers. Very cold day, but outstanding race....

I am sorry to all of the other runners that I did not chat too much. I was a little ill during race day. I hope to see you all on the road somewhere soon. See you next year, 2009. You did a fine job of making the race family-friendly. I love being able to bring the family - rain, sun, snow as long as I can bring the family I can run. Nice town; new, clean hotels.

Nice course, and well organized; weather was a severe challenge, but I enjoyed the museum. I must have asked a dozen folks in town where Gu could be found. I recommend that a good sports store be located and request that recommended hotels be agreeable for late check-outs.

This is my 4th marathon/half marathon in the last 4 months, and for the overall experience I would say it isn't quite a must-do yet, but could be with a bit more support. The aid stations were well placed, and staffed with enthusiastic volunteers - even with the horrible weather. But I would like to have had gel/Gu provided. Course was well marked, and flat with the exception of a fairly steep but short climb at around the 11 mile-mark. The surface was in good shape and overall a course where a PR is within reach. The few spectators that were there were great, and maybe would have been better if the weather would have cooperated. I look forward to running this event again next year.

Weather dampened this year's marathon. A light rain had begun during the night. Just before the 8 a.m. start, the rain stopped. Temperature was about 39 degrees with little or no wind. But soon after, steady rain continued for the rest of the day. During the morning, the temperature dropped a couple of degrees and the wind picked up to about 10-15 degrees. At noon, the wind chill was below 32 degrees. The volunteers did a great job, especially the ones in the rain/cold at the aid stations. Someone had mentioned last year that PowerAde was only at every other station. There were fluids every two miles, but two or more of the stations had water only. Orange slices were available at one or more of the stations. After the race, I was told another food product was available, but I never saw it. The loop around the base was flat except three minor hills. The hills were a little more noticeable on the second loop. The course was asphalt except three stretches of concrete about the width of a taxiway. Mile markers were easy to find, as were water puddles, and some of the volunteers were giving time checks. Pay attention to the course on the first loop. I was alone most of the second loop. The back side of the course had a little scenery. The rest looked like an airbase. There were plenty of restrooms at the museum for the start/finish and on the course. For post race, they had bananas, oranges, pies, cakes, PowerAde, water and coffee. Next year, if it is cold, have some hot chocolate. I would not hesitate to run this marathon again, but only if the weather is good.