W.P.A.F.B. — A large crowd watched thousands of racers participate in this year’s Air Force Marathon.
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As reported on News Center at 11, over 9,000 people registered from all 50 states for the 2026 Air Force Marathon.
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City and business leaders said this event is big for the area economy.
News Center 7’s Ava Petrosky spoke with people who cheered the runners on. The manager of Foys Costume Store in Fairborn said his store was filled with customers on Saturday.
They were lined up down Main Street to watch the marathon.
The race attracted participants from all 50 states and 18 countries. They raced in the Air Force 5K, 10K, half, and full marathons.
Lt. Nicholas McKenzie won the men’s full marathon.
“At about mile 21, they have a line of all the fallen soldiers and airmen and sailors,” he said. “It almost kind of brought a tear to my eye to go through there. So really a pretty neat thing to see and be able to run for those people that you know gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
Kayla Rice won the women’s full marathon. She said it felt great to run a course so familiar to her.
“I’m actually a program manager on base,” she said. “It’s home to me and then getting to see, like, my co-workers and friends out there on the course and all that, and my teammates, so it’s like, it’s in my backyard, and I’ve got to be here.”
Over 1,000 spectators lined up the course to cheer on McKenzie, Rice, and all the other runners.
“I got here just before the first runner crossed. Cheer him on. Really proud of the runners today,” said Jacob Shulpz, an employee at Foys Costume Store.
He said that he loves watching the runners dash through the Fairborn fly zone. It is a two-mile zone through Downtown Fairborn. It marks the halfway points in both the half and full marathons.
“Everybody was just ecstatic to be there, really proud of the runners. We had a few active-duty runners today. It was just wonderful, wonderful energy,” he said.
Enrollment for the races was up 15 percent this year.
They bring in about $10 million to Greene County each year.
Local businesses love being part of the Air Force Marathon course.
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