There is a wide variety of opportunities for volunteers to help at the Health and Fitness Expo on Sept. 17-18 and on race day, Sept. 19. Some of those volunteer opportunities are helping with runner shirt and packet pickup, pre-race set up, and distributing water to runners on race day.
“It takes an army of volunteers to help our team put on the Air Force Marathon year after year,” said Rachel Nipper, volunteer coordinator. “Our volunteers, also known as the Flight Crew, consist of military members, dependents, civilians, runners, local high school groups, and more from across Dayton and beyond. We are so lucky to have such a diverse group of individuals support our event and we could not do it without them.”
Nipper, who recently joined the marathon staff as the volunteer coordinator, said volunteers will see improvements to the volunteer experience this year.
“After every Air Force Marathon, we send surveys to volunteers asking for their feedback and we are looking forward to implementing some new changes after reviewing last year’s inputs,” said Nipper. “These improvements range from the volunteer t-shirts to improved communication and additional resources for the volunteers. We hope our volunteers continue to have great experiences with us year after year.”
Volunteer shifts vary dependent on the position, but most require a commitment of four hours or less and times range from early morning to evening. All volunteers will receive a complimentary Flight Crew T-shirt; complimentary refreshments at expo and race day; invitation to post race After Party at the Greene; invitation to volunteer reception.
The Air Force Marathon is also looking for volunteers to provide entertainment throughout the course. Nipper said that the entertainers on the course provides added fun and entertainment for the runners.
“If you are a solo act, band, dance group, high school marching band, choir, etc., please consider volunteering at the Air Force Marathon, we would love to have you!” said Nipper.
To register to become a volunteer, go to www.usafmarathon.com/volunteer/ to sign up. All available positions are listed on the marathon's website. Volunteer registration will run through Aug. 31, but volunteers should sign up quickly to reserve their preferred job.
Team-building opportunities are also available for organizations or groups of 10 or more to volunteer. To find out about volunteer opportunities for groups, e-mail the marathon office at usaf.marathon@us.af.mil for more information.
The Air Force Marathon, presented by Northrop Grumman, USAA and Boeing, is scheduled for Sept. 19. The Health & Fitness Expo is held at Wright State University’s Nutter Center and is scheduled for Sept. 17-18. The event will also feature a Breakfast of Champions and Gourmet Pasta Dinner scheduled for Sept. 18. The featured aircraft for 2020 will be the HH-60G Pave Hawk.
Get more information about the race at www.usafmarathon.com.
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