FAIRBORN — It is Air Force Marathon weekend in the Miami Valley, which means people will be spending their money.
This is one of our area’s biggest moneymakers of the year.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
News Center 7’s Ava Petrosky talked with city and county leaders about the runners’ spending habits.
Businesses are already starting to prepare for the marathon Saturday morning.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Holy Dough! Online ordering mistake leaves local Dunkin with thousands of donuts
- Man pleads not guilty to murder charge in killing of 17-year-old Antoine Gillespie
- Tyler Perry says he’s moving to Puerto Rico, ‘pulling back a whole lot’ from work
“There’s two miles actually that are off base, where spectators can come and see their runners twice. It’s called the Fairborn Fly Zone,” said Emily Gay, Communication Manager for the city of Fairborn
Which is why the city is preparing for more than a thousand spectators. Out of the 30 years of the Air Force Marathon, this is the 20th year of the Fairborn Fly Zone.
It also gives the city of Fairborn an economic boost, bringing in about $10 million per year.
“Outsiders are coming into Greene County, filling our hotels, eating at our local restaurants, shopping at our businesses, and filling up gas if they’re driving, so it’s that economic driver for the surrounding region,” said Luke Driskell, Sports Marketing and Sales Manager with Greene County.
Local businesses are also getting ready to serve the community tomorrow, like the 55 Rivers Barge.
Lynne Mowery is the co-owner and vice president for 55 Rivers Cold Brew. She is excited to bring her truck to the Fly Zone for the first time.
“We’ll be sharing our Colbert coffee, our teas, our lemonades, our apple ciders, now that it’s fall season,” Mowery said. “We are excited that we’re going to be able to meet a whole new crew of customers that have never had us before.”
This year, enrollment for the races is up 15% with representation from all 50 states and some other countries around the world.
“It’s important because it creates visibility and that’s for the surrounding residents of Greene County to see too,” said Driskell. “So, then they become more attracted to these local businesses and shop there too.”
The runners take off at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning from the Air Force Museum.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
