Sports Commentary
Editor's note: This article was originally published in the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base newspaper, the Skywrighter, in 1999.
Officer finds a unique marathon in backyard
By Lt. Col. Louis Johnson
C-17 Systems Program Office, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
I have been pondering for quite some time now how to categorize the Air Force Marathon, held annually in September for the past three years at Wright-Patterson. I've run each event, progressively getting somewhat better but always finding the course difficult to master.
Having run more than 40 marathons, I have found there are a number of ways to categorize a 26.2-mile race. The Air Force is certainly not the fastest course, like a Chicago, nor the slowest, like a Big Sur. It is not the biggest, like New York, but it is not small-time either, like the George Washington Birthday Marathon in Maryland. It doesn't have the greatest crowd participation, like Boston, nor is it out in the boonies, like Saint George.
Legendary? No, only three years old. Best organized? Lots of well-organized marathons out there. Best prize? Certainly one of the best medals, but no money for the fast guys. Best finish? Definitely unique running through a gauntlet of retired aircraft, but compared to crossing the finish line in Boston... Best start? Not bad starting with the Air Force band and a modern aircraft fly-by.
But how do I categorize the marathon itself? Many call it challenging, and that has had a tendency to scare off the elite and avid runners - not to mention the fact that there is no prize money.
The hills and the Indian summer temperature can indeed knock a few minutes off the good runner's time, but it's not that hard (check out the mean temperature in the world's third largest marathon in Honolulu). Perhaps a better definition would be "all-purpose," or "all-around," or "all-encompassing."
Here's why. If you take a look at the course, it really has three basic and defining characteristics found in the midwestern United States: steep, challenging hills; gently rolling hills; and a long, flat, prairie-like, mid-section. Figuring out how to attack those terrains in the order they are presented to you is what makes this race unique and requires a strategy that will determine your success in this marathon.
The signature part of the course are those Area B hills, starting with a long, winding hill between miles 1 and 2 and a steep downhill at mile 3 by the Wright Memorial.
You duplicate this section in reverse at miles 23 (hardest part of the course) and between 24 and 25 (a nice reward for mile 23). With this Area B section at the beginning and end of the race, no marathon I know of forces your hand at both ends of the race as does this one.
Without a doubt, this is the hardest part of the course, but also the most interesting, requiring some sort of strategy for any level of runner.
Try and tackle that first hill too fast and you're asking for disaster. Take it too slow and it will take you five miles to develop your pace. On the way back, the Wright Memorial hill and subsequent climb up to the Air Force Institute of Technology will drain you and then, once you've reached the crest, you'll discover those burning thighs as you head downhill for a full mile.
The 26th mile is long and flat and never seems to end, as you can see the finish line from mile 25.
The rolling hills section of the race - you could call it the "Wright State" section as it borders Wright State University - is exactly as described, covering miles 3-5 and 21-23 coming back.
There is no real challenge to this section of the race, but it differs significantly in terrain from the other two sections in that at no point are you running on flat ground - you're either going slightly uphill or slightly downhill. It is my favorite section of the race because it causes you to concentrate on the hills, and the miles tend to fly by.
The mid-section of the course, "the Prairie," is as easy and flat as any marathon in the country. Traversing miles 6-20, it covers more than half the race, and winds a large circle around the "Patterson Field" flight line, through the heart of the air base and the surrounding wooded Huffman Dam and Huffman Prairie area where the Wright brothers perfected their flying machine.
If you've managed not to exert too much energy in the first six miles of the race, this section can set you up for an outstanding marathon, especially if you run strong on the long, straight shaded sections between miles 15 and 18.
Contrary to most big city marathons, you're effectively out in the country for half the race and won't see a single skyscraper or run-down tenement building on your path - nothing but fresh air and sunshine.
Given this course layout, you essentially run five different races at the Air Force Marathon. If you manage not to tire yourself out at the start, run strong on "the prairie," coast through "Wright State," and keep a little for mile 23, you can master what I think is a classic marathon.
How?
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Endure Area B's three miles of challenging hills both up and down.
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Concentrate on your pace on Wright State's rolling hills for miles 3-5.
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Settle in for the long, easy, flat "Huffman Prairie" run around the "Patterson Field" flight line and run the fastest half marathon of your life.
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Lose yourself in Wright State's rolling hills instead of thinking about "the wall."
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See what you're made of on the most challenging last three miles of any marathon you'll ever run, and finish proud through Air Force history at the National Museum of the United State Air Force.
Are you training to run your first marathon, looking for a great tune-up for the big October and November marathons, or just want to run one good marathon this year?
In either case, you won't find any better than the Air Force Marathon - a true "classic" course that tests not only your endurance over 26.2 miles, but your ability to develop and execute a long-distance course strategy.