Air Force Marathon

The Air Force Marathon is an annual USATF-certified, Boston-qualifying marathon held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, organized by the U.S. Air Force since 1997 to commemorate the Air Force's founding; 2026 marks the 30th running. The flat, fast course starts and finishes at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, climbing one of the route's only two hills right from the start before flattening out for 17 miles along the historic flight line, passing through downtown Fairborn and historic base quarters before finishing under the wingtips of vintage aircraft in the museum's Air Park. Race weekend also includes a Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and the Tailwind Trot 1K Kids' Run, drawing roughly 8,500 total athletes from all 50 states and 18 countries, supported by about 1,500 volunteers. Top finishers are recognized in Overall, Active Duty Military, and Wheeled Division categories, plus 14 age-group brackets; 2026 introduces a new Ruck category for the 10K and Half Marathon. A health and fitness expo and pasta dinner precede Saturday's race morning, and the museum's finish line festival is free and open to the public.