Museum of Aviation Foundation Half Marathon Recap

Rarely have I had so many second thoughts concerning a race.

Not second thoughts about the race itself. There are few races in this world that I enjoy more than the Museum of Aviation Foundation Half Marathon run on Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, GA. No, my concerns were about puppet running. Would it be appropriate to run with a puppet on a military base during this time of heightened foreign tension. I have deep respect for the people who serve our country in the armed forces. The last thing I wanted to do was be disrespectful in any way. So, I decided not to run with a puppet this week.

Then I asked folks who follow Puppet Runner on Facebook to weigh in on the question. The people who responded were overwhelmingly in favor of me bringing the puppet. I even had an active member of the military suggest that seeing me running with a puppet might be good for morale. I allowed myself to be convinced and tried to decide on a puppet.

Nothing in my collection seemed to fit this race. I have some bird puppets, but nothing with the grandeur of an eagle or anything else that would immediately suggest the air force. As my family and I puzzled over the selection, we remembered two stuffed Duffy the Disney Bears my boys had when they were younger - along with a large collection of outfits. One of the outfits was of a flying ace style aviator complete with hat, goggles, and aviator jacket. To my amusement, the outfit worked quite well on my Winnie the Pooh puppet. So, Aviator Pooh was appointed my running partner for the race.

I have run both the half and full marathon versions of this race many times over the years. The race starts at an amazing aviation museum that has numerous hangers full of beautifully restored vintage aircraft and grounds simply covered with more (and even larger) aircraft. I’m not even into planes and I find it endlessly fascinating.

As usual, the race was hosted at the Century of Flight Hanger in the middle of the complex. Because we would be running most of the race on an air force base, runners were required to turn in our driver’s licenses when picking up our bibs. These IDs would be kept until we completed the race and came back to pick them up - essentially insuring that we would either leave the base or the military would know we were still out there somewhere.

The museum facilities were amazing as usual. The center of the Century of Flight Hanger is full of chairs and a small stage. The national anthem and pre-race announcements were handled here in comfort and warmth. Additional exhibit hangers were also open to provide more restroom facilities.

The race itself started behind the hangers in the middle of numerous outside aircraft exhibits. Pooh was already getting me into conversations. Unlike Disney races where seeing Pooh is received warmly but without much surprise, here he was quite the unusual guest. Still, the runners and spectators I talked with seemed pleased by the concept of puppet running. The funniest reactions were from people who have known me for years. This race being only about 30 minutes from where I live, I saw many of the local running crew. They are just finding out about this whole Puppet Runner thing. To say they are bemused would be quite the understatement.

My favorite comment from the local running community came from FM Barron, a regular race director, runner, and perpetual volunteer. He asked me if running with Pooh would mess with my aerodynamics. I told him my chubby stomach was already messing with them, so Pooh shouldn’t be a problem. I also saw Deb Botkin, my fellow race director of the currently defunct Make It By Midnight Marathon. She was encouraging as always.

The weather was perfect for running - high 40s with cloud cover. I had chosen the unusual purple and red Half Fanatic gear for the race with a lightweight long-sleeved tech shirt and a glove for my non-puppet hand. It felt ideal for the weather - a touch cold at the starting line, ready to be just right when running.

I had the chance to meet several different people who have followed Puppet Runner online while I was waiting for the start of the race. I enjoyed hearing their stories of running and looked forward to sharing the course with them during the race.

Each different race distance starts at a different time, so the hand-crank wheelchairs and marathon set off before those of us running the half. With a very low key announcement, we were off.

The course led straight through the grounds of the museum onto Robins Air Force Base. I was shocked to be asked for numerous selfies in the first mile of the race. I had not expected that to happen at this race for some reason, but I enjoyed the interactions very much.

The course gave a very complete tour of the base. There was always something to look at: buildings, hangers, unusual equipment and vehicles, and the flightline itself. This race not only tours around the perimeter of the massive landing field area in the middle, one part of the course actually crosses the far end of the flightline. Very cool indeed, and not something I’ve ever experienced anywhere else. There is even a stretch that goes through a swamp, by a golf course, and then visits the horses at the base stables. This base has everything!

This was not a particularly large field for the half marathon - just under 300 people - so we were spread out across the course pretty quickly. While I did not have many chances to interact with other runners with Pooh after the first few miles, I enjoyed constantly waving at the aid station volunteers and the soldiers who were going about their business on base. I found that Pooh could perform a pretty solid salute and amused several airmen with his antics. In short, we both had a great time.

I ran very well. The perfect weather helped and my spirits flew almost as much as the aircraft on the base. I picked up my pace at the end and passed several runners - with cheerful waves from Pooh - as we came back onto the museum grounds to finish where we started. The finish line announcer was highly amused by Pooh and me pretending to fly across the finish line and called us over to the booth for a quick interview.

I managed to keep Pooh from claiming the beautiful medal that always features a different aircraft (the B-17 Flying Fortress this year!) and went back inside the hanger for refreshments (Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the win!) and to reclaim my license. After several pictures - including one with the cartoony plane mascot that was wandering around the museum - I was ready to head home. Pooh and I had a very successful adventure among the aircraft at the Museum of Aviation. I was glad I was encouraged to bring him with me for the fun.