Races Marathon · Dayton, USA
Air Force Marathon
Air Force Marathon is a flat marathon in Dayton, USA, held each September. A mostly flat loop from the National Museum of the US Air Force around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with hills at the start and from about mile 21 to 25. Can be warm and humid, around 14 to 25°C. The Air Force Marathon's flat profile means your pacing discipline, not the terrain, decides the day.
Page rebuilt 2026-11-14 · race facts not independently verified — confirm dates and entries on the official race site
When
September
next: Saturday 18 September 2027
Course
flat
Marathon
Conditions
Can be warm and humid, around 14 to 25°C.
Racing this course well
A mostly flat loop from the National Museum of the US Air Force around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with hills at the start and from about mile 21 to 25.
The Air Force Marathon's flat profile means your pacing discipline, not the terrain, decides the day.
Getting a place
- How you get in
- Open entry: first come, first served
- Price
- From $90 at launch, rising to $135 by mid July; $150 at the expo (2027 race)
Official Air Force Marathon site →Checked November 2026
Race day
- Next race
- Saturday 18 September 2027
- Start time
- 06:30
- Time limit
- 8 hours
- Pacers
- Running groups from 3:00 to 4:45 and run/walk groups from 5:00 to 6:30
- Also on the day
- half-marathon, 10k, 5k
The course in numbers
The course starts with a hill, drops onto Huffman Flying Field and runs flat around the flight line, then finishes in the Air Park at the museum.
- Layout
- Loop
- Surface
- Roads on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- Men's course record
- 2:20:57 (Josh Cox, 2007)
- Women's course record
- 2:52:15 (Ann Alyanak, 2019)
- Course status
- USATF certified
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
Worth knowing
- First run in 1997.
- One aircraft is featured each year on the course and on the finisher medal.
- Twenty-one runners have completed all 30 editions to 2026.
Pick your goal for Dayton
Pace charts, weekly structure and timelines for the most common marathon goals:
The date shown is the one the organiser has announced. Change it if yours differs.
Build your training around Air Force Marathon.
RunV works backwards from race day to today. Your plan adapts when life interrupts, and you approve every change. It does not adapt to this specific course — the pacing guidance above is where the course knowledge is.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
Asked often
- When is the Air Force Marathon?
- The next Air Force Marathon is on Saturday 18 September 2027 in Dayton, USA. It is held each September.
- Is the Air Force Marathon course flat?
- A mostly flat loop from the National Museum of the US Air Force around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with hills at the start and from about mile 21 to 25.
- How do I enter the Air Force Marathon?
- Open entry: first come, first served. Price: From $90 at launch, rising to $135 by mid July; $150 at the expo (2027 race).
- Is the Air Force Marathon a Boston qualifier?
- Yes. The Air Force Marathon is run on a certified course, so a time set here can be used to apply for the Boston Marathon.
- How should I train for the Air Force Marathon?
- Build for the course you'll actually race at the Air Force Marathon: flat terrain, September conditions. RunV Premium builds a training plan around your goal time and race date, and lets you adapt it when life interrupts the Dayton build.
Not sure what to target? Predict your marathon time from a recent race →
More marathon races
Supplements research for this distance
Build for Dayton — around your actual life
RunV engineers your block backwards from race day in September — and adapts it when training doesn't go to script. You approve every change.
