Overview The Department of the Air Force Endurance Races are the Air Force's and Space Force's own running events: the Air Force Marathon, run on and around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and the Space Force T-Minus 10-Miler, run entirely inside Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The marathon was founded in 1997 for the Air Force's 50th anniversary, runs on the third Saturday of September and reached its 30th running in 2026. The 10-Miler, on the second Saturday of December, first ran in 2022. Both are open to anyone, military or civilian. On site Marathon weekend runs three days and five distances: the marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and the Tailwind Trot, a 1K for kids, with a Health and Fitness Expo open to the public and a gourmet pasta dinner the night before. In 2025 the marathon started on the grounds of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, passed Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Institute of Technology, and finished in the Air Park under the wingtips of a KC-135 Stratotanker. One mile is a wear blue tribute mile for fallen service members, and finishers ring a bell when they cross. At the Cape, the 2024 course ran past an Atlas missile, the Apollo 1 memorial site and Launch Complex 19, where Titan II rockets launched the Gemini missions. Audience Active-duty service members run beside civilians, and the marathon adds wheeled hand-crank and push-rim divisions for adaptive athletes. The marathon has drawn runners from all 50 states and 18 other countries. Track record The first Air Force Marathon, in 1997, drew 2,750 runners; the field peaked at 15,424 in 2013, and more than 7,600 competed in 2025. The 2020 race was canceled for the pandemic. The marathon is a Boston qualifier. Brand presence Sponsor tiers are named by rank, from One Star up to a Four Star presenting sponsor, and one package runs across both races. Sponsors take booths at the expos and the finish lines, on-course tents and signage, and banner placement. For the 30th marathon in 2026 the race held its first Welcome Reception, an invitation-only evening for top-tier sponsors, senior military leaders and community partners.