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☰
Air Force Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Air Force Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.6
Number of comments: 344 [displaying comments 291 to 301]
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John Richeson from Indianapolis IN
(3/22/2004)
"Great Marathon" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Air Force Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 From the first Air Force Marathon to the 8th, you will not find a better run or staffed marathon in the US. | |
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Frank Leggio from Atlanta, GA
(12/10/2003)
"Nice finish line" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was a so-so race all around. The course was deserted, plenty of hills, and not much to see. | |
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D. K. from Lilburn, GA
(10/15/2003)
"This was a great course, great weather!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 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!! | |
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John Sovocool from Cooperstown, New York
(10/15/2003)
"Terrific race, first-rate organization, BEST medal" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 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. | |
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D. S. from Andover, MA.
(10/13/2003)
"Does some things really well, others not so well" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 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!! | |
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R. T. from Kokomo, Indiana
(10/4/2003)
"Worth Participating In" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 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. | |
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T. S. from Oak Ridge, Tennessee
(10/1/2003)
"Couldn't have been better!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I'm used to the USAF being top-notch, but this was even better than I expected. There was more frequent water, Gatorade, portalets and other aid than I could possibly have needed. The volunteers were exceptional. The course was most pleasant. The Air Force had their top brass out there giving out the gorgeous metals. Organization was impressive, from signing in all the way through recovery. Running through the two rows of airplanes on the finish line was exciting. The fly-overs were exhilarating. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the Museum (it's free!) while I was running. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this, my first marathon, a very special day for me. | |
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David Malin from Asheboro, NC
(9/29/2003)
"Best Medal, No Traffic, Good Support: A Winner" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The best thing is the medal, the T-shirt isn't bad either, and the expo is small, but I found great deals on running tights. The course has a hill from mile 1 to 2 but it isn't too bad. The nice thing about the course is that there's absolutely NO traffic! The scenery isn't great, but for the first 14 miles it was fogged in, which I enjoyed. There are no spectators, which I think is great (and why I gave 4 stars). Don't you hate it when all the spectators crowd you into a narrow corridor? The support was good but not as good as Chicago as one responder said. A couple more water/Gatorade stops would be good - especially at the end. They were not every mile and only half had both water and Gatorade. Still there was only 1,275 runners in the marathon, so it was enough to keep up with people, but not so crowded that you can't get your stride going. The only negative is parking. There is plenty, but they funnel you in single file through two gates. Traffic was at a standstill. It took 25 minutes to go less than a mile to park. I almost thought I was going to have to jump out of the car and catch the start. Luckily parking and the start line are only 300 feet apart. Nice grab bag of bagel, fruit, etc at the end. Do it for the medal if nothing else. One of my favorite runs and I have run over 20 marathons | |
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C. T. from Keller, Texas
(9/29/2003)
"Great organization, tough course" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Now that the blisters have subsided somewhat, I want to add my comments about the great organization of this race. I think everyone involved did everything that could be done, from the expo to the finish area. The course is a bit tough, but to me they all are! The medals are great. I do wish they could do a bit more with the website and keeping it up to date. If you go, get there really early! Thanks to everyone involved, it was an unforgettable experience. | |
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B. R. from KY
(9/29/2003)
"Must Run" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The volunteers were fantastic and stations plentiful. There is a climb near the end (same hill going out near the start), but overall this is a relatively flat course. Most of the spectators were near the finish, but I expected that at a military facility. The finish is a 'pick me up', as you run between aircraft lining both sides. The finisher's medal is the best. No complaints... well done! |
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