Your plan in four answers
Air Force Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated September. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- 5K, 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Field
- More than 9,000 people registered across the 2026 race weekend
Course
The Air Force Marathon course
The marathon starts at 6:30 AM at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and finishes in the museum's Air Park, under the wingtips of historic aircraft.
Read the full course notes
It opens with one solid hill, then drops to the historic Huffman Prairie Flying Field around mile 3 and runs flat along the flight line toward Fairborn at mile 15. The return passes historic brick base housing and the golf course, then crosses Wright State University's athletic grounds, where you meet a few gentle rolling hills and one downhill. The final mile is flat, and the course has an 8-hour limit (18:18 per mile) with a Mile 21 cutoff.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- 5K, 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Field
- More than 9,000 people registered across the 2026 race weekend
- Weather on race day
- Mid-September in Dayton usually means a start in the mid 50s to low 60s °F, with highs near 80 °F and moderate humidity. The long flat stretch along the flight line is open and exposed to sun and wind, so start hydrating early and expect the last hour to be warmer than the first. Cooler years are excellent for fast times.
What to train for
The Air Force Marathon is mostly flat with hills at the start and late around Wright State, so train to stay relaxed early and finish strong on tired legs.
Put a hill or two in the last 3 to 5 miles of your long runs, and practise long stretches at marathon pace on open, exposed roads.
Summer training means you will do most of your peak weeks in heat, so practise drinking on the run every 20 minutes. A steady first hill and patience on the long flat stretch toward Fairborn set up a strong finish.
Sample week
A sample Air Force Marathon training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 5 × 1 mile at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6–7 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 10 mi with 6 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–18 mi, the last 4 mi at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the Air Force Marathon
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the Air Force Marathon in September. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Air Force Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Air Force Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Air Force Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. The marathon starts at 6:30 AM at the National Museum of the U.S.
What is the weather usually like at the Air Force Marathon?
Mid-September in Dayton usually means a start in the mid 50s to low 60s °F, with highs near 80 °F and moderate humidity. The long flat stretch along the flight line is open and exposed to sun and wind, so start hydrating early and expect the last hour to be warmer than the first. Cooler years are excellent for fast times.
When should I start tapering for the Air Force Marathon?
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week.
Do I need an account to get a Air Force Marathon training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.