Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Marine Corps Times

Marine Corps Marathon sells out

If you want to get in on one of the fall military road races, you’re going to have to go to Ohio instead of the nation’s capitol.

The last of the 26,000 spots in the Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C., was gone as of May 13, setting a new sellout record for the popular middle-distance race. The Marine Corps Marathon’s 30,000 spots sold out as of May 23, a little over two weeks after registration opened.

That leaves you just one option for a military race— the Air Force Marathon on Sept. 15.

Where the two D.C. races filled at a rapid clip, your odds of scoring a spot in the Air Force Marathon are still pretty good. By the middle of May, race registrations were pushing 1,000 for the 26.2-mile race at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Marathon officials are shooting for a field of 10,000 runners in this year’s race, nearly double the 5,027 who took part in last year’s event. Registration usually picks up speed about this time of the year, marathon officials said, but spots are typically still available all the way up to race day.

Along with the full marathon, the Air Force Marathon events on base include a half marathon, a four-person relay and a wheelchair marathon on Sept. 15, with a 5K planned for Sept. 14 at nearby Wright State University.

Like the Marine Corps Marathon, the Air Force Marathon course is certified by the USA Track and Field Association and is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon (for those ages 18-34, the men’s qualifying time is 3 hours, 10 minutes; the time for women is 3 hours, 40 minutes).

If you’re looking for a training tips to get you ready for 26.2 this fall, be sure to check out our 2007 Marathon Training Guide, which includes plans for three- and five-day cycles.