tailwind (noun):

1: a wind having the same general direction as a course of movement (as of an aircraft)

2: a force or influence that advances progress toward an improved condition

I designed Tailwind to bring some new energy to the race. I made him an American bald eagle, the symbol of our country as a tie-in to the patriotic themes of the race and decked him out in Air Force Blue. He wears bib number 1997, the year of the inaugural Air Force Marathon. While he brings his big energy to all the events, he now has his own race focused on young runners: The Tailwind Trot.