Flying Pig Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Karen W.
Lilburn, GA

  (03-15-2010)

"Who knew swine flew? The Flying Pig Marathon in 3,000 words or less... It was a good one! It was not particularly easy or flat but a well organized race with great crowd support. Lots of fun. If you love pigs, love pink, or just love a fun, well organized race with great crowd support this one is for you.

The expo was an easy walk from the downtown hotels and was not too terribly crowded. Lots of cool vendors. Having been to several expos in the past year, seeing new vendors is always a treat. This race has great swag! In addition to the cool finishers medal and event shirt there was also a really nice messenger bag. Like any self respecting woman, I am a sucker for the gift with purchase!

The expo also had a Pump N Run contest where you could compete in bench presses and bicep curls prior to the race for extra fame and glory. Turns out I am not a bench press queen but more of a bicep curl diva. They combine your performance in the strength exercises with your race time. It turns out I actually won my AG! This part is completely optional but adds an unusual element to the race. So much fun, you should definitely try it. :)

I loved that the start line was in walking distance of the downtown hotels. No worries about parking or getting to the start. LOVE THAT. I stayed at the Millenium Hotel which was maybe 1/3 mile from the start and a block or two from the expo. If you are flying to Cincinnati, use the shuttle service from the airport. It was so easy and worry free. You do not need a car if you stay downtown as there are plenty of restaurants in the area within walking distance.

The race itself was a little hilly which I am used to but if you typically train in a flat area, you might be surprised. I thought it was a scenic race with great crowd support. We ran through several small towns in the area and there was a lot of cheering and music and those things you need sometimes to keep you going. There are a few stretches of quiet road but not more than any other races I have encountered. Plenty of water stops. Truly a well organized race.

At the finish, they had a nice vendor area set up with music and food and all sorts of things. I only wished it had not been so chilly that day or that my legs were exhausted from the 26 miles otherwise I would have stayed and checked it out.

The only minor downside to the race for me was that there was an area shortly after the start was not all that well marked. There is a split in the road where you go to the right or left and have a traffic island in the middle. No cones, no flags, no volunteers just the sound of several people tripping and falling. OUCH.

Would I do it again? ABSOLUTELY. The only difference is this time I am going to include bench presses in my training. Funny, Hal Higdon does not mention anything about pumping iron in his plans...




"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Diana R.
west Point, NY

  (09-14-2009)

"I wanted to add, this event has AWESOME kid races too! From a diaper dash to a kid's marathon. If you have children, this is a terrific family oriented event!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Gabrielle P.
Denver, CO

  (07-02-2009)

"A fun race, nearly all on roads, but with some metal bridges to cross in the first few miles. After the one big hill in the first half, the race flattens out and has only gentle ups and downs. A lot of enthusiastic spectators cheering--even during the first few miles at 6:30 AM--throughout most of the course. I enjoyed running this race a lot."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Paul G.
Belfair, WA

  (06-16-2009)

"Great marathon, the whole time you can interact, plenty of aid stations (one a mile) and one of the best medals in the U.S. It's slightly hilly but you don't even notice. If you run one midwest marathon, I'd strongly consider this one."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Dan B.
Atoka, TN

  (05-21-2009)

"This was a good race and a fun race. Starting with the Expo, which is a good enough size to be fun, but not so much that you're exhausted by the time you finish with it. The goody bag was decent, better than some I've been too, as well as the technical t-shirt. The course does have hills, but then Cincy is known as the "City of the 7 Hills", so that's to be expected. The course runs through some pretty areas with beautiful old architecture. The view from above the river was inspiring. As mentioned, there are a couple of not-so-pretty areas as well, but by that point in the race, I wasn't as focused on the scenery. The route had decent spectator turnout, not Chicago, but better than others I've run. The event seemed to be well run and the organization should be proud. The image of pigs surrounding the event always brought a smile. The medal is great, second only to the Tupelo, MS medal in my opinion. I enjoyed this race and I'll definitely run it again."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Samantha D.
Woodridge, IL

  (05-14-2009)

"Very well organized and the people at the end were AMAZING! Photography kind of sucked because it was only at mile 12 and then at the end. What's that about? The course itself was kind of ugly in parts - running through an industrial area or up a freeway ramp isn't great but you have to go where you can get a full course & you can't have it all.

Overall, it was a really well run race & the expo was great!! Also, I really liked the medal, it's cute and heavy."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Dan H.
Ada, OH

  (05-05-2009)

"For a race that witnessed 9,000 new participants in a single year, The Flying Pig definitely has things on lock. The expo/packet pickup was large, but not overwhelming--one could escape within an hour during the busiest period. It featured dozens of established vendors and almost all of the major running companies.

The course starts out wonderfully in downtown Cincy, then travels across the river, making a brief jog (no pun intended) through Covington. From then it travels through numerous suburbs and friendly neighborhoods. My only two complaints are for mile 18, a desolate stretch of gently rising highway with no shade and no crowd, and miles 22-24, which seemed to be a rougher part of town. Both of these places would have been fine during the first 16 miles, but they are real buzz kills during those crucial miles where heart becomes a bigger factor than legs.

Overall, though, a fun race (a bit hilly for some midwestern runners), with lots to do over the weekend. I would recommended it to anyone wanting either a trainer for Boston's hills or a fun race to carry your camera through."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009