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RIVERSIDE — Planners hope to pump up next year's Air Force Marathon by taking part of its course off Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a move that could spur local retail business.

The Air Force's official marathon race drew 5,000 runners on Sept. 16 — up from 3,500 in 2005 — and base officials said they hope to double the number in a few years.

The mandate comes from Gen. Bruce Carlson, chief of the Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Pat's base commander said last week.

"I've got a four-star who wants 10,000 (runners.) By gosh, I'm going to get it to 10,000," Col. Colleen Ryan, 88th Air Base Wing commander, told a Riverside business group.

Wright-Pat is the materiel command's headquarters base, and Ryan's wing operates it.

Although this year marked the marathon's 10th anniversary, next year will be a bigger deal because it will be an official Air Force 60th anniversary event.

"We're hoping to get the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds" here for the 2007 race, Ryan said, adding the service's precision jet team hasn't committed to the event.

Open to military and civilian contestants, the annual race draws runners, family members and supporters from across the country and U.S. military bases overseas.

Linda Smith, sales manager for the Greene County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she had no data on the race's local economic impact. But she said standard industry estimates indicate 5,000 racers would spend $225,000 on miscellaneous purchases and $147,500 on hotel rooms, assuming half the runners seek off-base lodging.

The rough estimate doesn't account for local runners, visiting family members or those who stay for more than one night.

Base spokeswoman Rachel Castle said plans to take part of the course off base are tentative, but a local race supporter gave the idea "two thumbs up."

Joe Sargent, owner of Endurance Sports in Sugarcreek Twp., said shifting part of the race course into neighborhoods around Wright-Pat would allow more people to watch — access to the base is restricted — and make the course more interesting to runners.

"I think they'd get more mental stimulation" running through neighborhoods than on the wide, flat stretches around the base flight line, he said.

Sargent said doubling the number of runners would give event sponsors more exposure. "From my perspective, that's significant," he said.

Beside the 26.2 mile marathon, the event includes a half-marathon, relay races, 5K run and a wheelchair race. A two-day sports and fitness exposition at Wright State University's Nutter Center precedes it.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390

or tgaffney@DaytonDailyNews.com.

What the race means

to the community

These estimates show the U.S. Air Force Marathon's economic impact.

$225,000

Amount racers spend on purchases.

$147,500

Amount racers spend on hotel rooms.