Air Force Marathon a Premier Running Event
MONDAY, 30 APRIL 2007
If you think you have one good reason for not running the U.S. Air Force Marathon Sept. 15, here are five excellent reasons why you should.
For starters, it's the only marathon in the world where runners receive inspiration and encouragement from the skies above, as Air Force aircraft fly overhead continuously throughout the race.
Second, it's the premier Air Force participatory athletic event recognized by the service's 60th Anniversary committee. Next, the race itself is only one of a plethora of marathon events that have grown into three days of festivities.
Additionally, the course is being recertified so that spectators will have more access to the marathon route. Finally, for Air Force Airmen, a new service-wide competition is debuting to determine which major command has the best long-distance runners.
In essence, the USAF Marathon, run in the heart of the birthplace of aviation -- Dayton, Ohio -- is the premier running event for the service.
Air power demonstrations for runners
Since the inaugural Air Force Marathon in 1997, each one has distinguished itself from the others by designating an aircraft as the featured "star of the show." Thus, the marathon's "look" changes annually.
The C-5 Galaxy, a mainstay in transporting cargo to troops in support of the war on terrorism, carries the honor of representing the 2007 Marathon.
With the exception of the first marathon, where the featured plane was the Wright 1909 Military Flyer, all representative aircraft have been those in the modern-day Air Force arsenal.
Part of the distinction for an aircraft's crew, once the plane is identified to represent the marathon, is to fly it throughout the race to demonstrate its flying capabilities to ground spectators. The exception to this concept was the 1998 marathon, when the F-22 Raptor did not fly as it was still in production.
"We figured out then that in future races we would choose aircraft that were an active part of the (Air Force) inventory and could fly throughout the day," said Molly Louden, Air Force Marathon director. "We realized this was a key building block to making our marathon stand out from the others."
Not including 2001, when the marathon was cancelled due to the 9/11 terrorist attack, featured fighter, bomber and airlift aircraft have inspired runners from the air each year as those runners challenged a tough and historic course on the ground.
This year, however, the marathon is going one step further to secure its place in marathon uniqueness. In addition to watching the massive C-5 Galaxy, which can hold an eight-lane bowling alley, marathon runners will witness a bevy of other planes flying, as well.
Both marathon and Air Force Materiel Command officials intend for the smaller-scale air power demonstrations to build in future years. So far, other aircraft scheduled to fly this year include the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
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