Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

Love this marathon. I have ran 40+ marathons thru the United States. This has to be one the best organize races there is. It Ranks up there with Boston Chicago Marine Corps it’s just one of the better marathons out though. The expo was great the swag is great it has to be a must do on any marathoner list.

This is an updated review based on my experience in 2015.
The Flying Pig weekend is pretty much the best race experience I have ever been a part of. 2014 was great and so was 2015. This year I decided to challenge myself a bit by running the Flying Pig 3-​Way Challenge. This includes a 10k race, a 5k race, and a half marathon. The 4-​Way Challenge replaces the half for the full.
The 10 and 5k races take place on Saturday in the am, 8am and 10am. The half goes off with the full on the following Sunday morning.
I don’t need to go into much depth about everything as much of it carries over from my previous review.
The expo was different this year. It was not set up in a snake like pattern. It was an open floor plan, allowing you to go from booth to booth as you so choose. Plenty of vendors and free goodies. If you are running a challenge you get three of everything. Bag, shirt, poster etc. There is a separate area for you to pick up your bib which doesn’t require you to go to each race pickup spot.
Now on to the races.
The 10k and 5k start at pretty much the same place. These races have corral assignments but they are not strictly enforced. This could be good and bad. For me it was good during the 10k race as my bib listed the incorrect corral. I should have checked this at the expo but it wasn’t a problem as I simply went to the A corral I should of been in at the front.
This does create a bad side effect as for the 5k there were a lot of young children, walkers, and other slower runners right at the front with the Corral A runners. This is not only discouraging for some but a potential safety hazard. Runners must duck and dodge slower runners that should not be in front of them at the start of an intense 5k race.
All three races share the same finish line. Again, this can be a positive or negative thing. For me I found it mentally tough to see the finish line three separate times. By the third time it was difficult to run the same route and keep your confidence towards the finish. In general the courses are well laid out, there are going to be some serious hills, and there are plenty of water and aid stations placed throughout.
This is my single gripe that needs to be addressed. Course mile markings and time clocks need to be improved. There are mile markers but they can be difficult to locate at times. Second, they need to add more time clocks throughout the race. Perhaps I am spoiled from running races in Chicago but definitely for a half a full marathon it is pertinent that you know what your pace is compared to the official time. Through the last 3 – 4 miles of the half I was unaware of how far I had gone, how much further I needed to go, and what my relative time was.
Recovery items, food, drinks, etc., were better this year. There was a lot to choose from and you could easily fill up bags of stuff if they were provided. I think it was good that they did not give people bags and only allowed them to take what they could carry. Too often people take more than they should.
As a 3-​Way finisher I receive three medals, one for each race, and an additional fourth medal that signified completion of all three races. You pick up the challenge medal at the Skyline Chili booth after the half/​full marathon.
Finally, the Flying Pig weekend is the best race series I have been a part of and I look forward to many more to come.

The expo is amazing! I love the layout and vendors that come. It’s just overall incredibly organized. The race is hilly and fun. Definitely one of my most favorite races, done it 3 times! Crowd you run with is also super fun and friendly. Highly recommend this race!

Well run race with plenty of volunteers and sponsors. This was my first ½ marathon and it was a professional event staff and loads of volunteers. The only reason why it isn’t 5 stars is the photo company they use gouges you. Most races photos are free, it cost 17.00 for one photo at the Pig.

This is a very good marathon. I was initially drawn to it due to it’s low entry cost when you enter early. It was very well organized and well run event. I have zero complaints. The pre-​race expo was impressive. The post-​race food was great — yum, mandarin oranges! Water stops were well spaced and staffed.
I am docking it one star because many section of the course weren’t very scenic. In fact, the portions along highways got a bit long and there were very few spectators. It would be unfair to compare it to Boston, but the Detroit-​Windsor marathon comparison is appropriate and the Pig is a notch under that. For a city built on a river, we never seemed to get close to it until afterwards at Victory Park. That kind of surprised me.
One parting thought: If a Cincinnatian tells you your on the last hill, they’re probably not telling you the truth. It’s a hillier course than even the profile might suggest.

I have run the full marathon and the half marathon many times. Most years it’s been a pretty organized race. It is smaller than some other races I have done… by that I mean some years when I have been running I could at points have a good amount of distance between myself and another runner. That can be nice versus some bigger races where it’s hard to get to a water stop because it’s so crowded. The Flying Pig has grown though. it has finally sold out! It’s not my favorite race but that’s just because I have run the course so many times and done so many training runs on the same streets. It’s hard to compete with some race in a more exotic place. But for someone from somewhere else it could be more exciting! There are some hills but nothing as steep as in San Francisco. The Flying Pig has a good amount of crowd support along the course, which makes for a nice race.

I did the 10K and the Half Marathon this year! So well organized! On both days it was awesome! I can’t say enough about the festive atmosphere, friendliness, volunteers and thousands of spectators ! How can it get any better? My favorite !!!

Just finished /​survived the hills of the 16^th annual 2014 Cincinnati Flying Pig marathon on Sunday, May 4, 2014. This was lifetime# 69 and state #46 on my bid to rock 50 states marathons from Hawaii. I was told that there will be insane hills, but I didn’t listen. Didn’t think the hills were that bad, but in actuality, it was pretty killer. At least in the first half, it was basically non stop dose worth of hills and then some. It was pretty intense from the get go, but I have an extensive background already, so this is the same distance, just different city. It was my first time to Cincinnati, OH so it was a fun, but challenging time to rock the Cincinnati Flying Pig marathon for my bid to knock off 50 States marathons from Hawaii. The overall experience was personally challenging, but positive one, since I did finish officially, but barely and got lost along the way.
The Cincinnati Flying Pig marathon is one of the more popular road marathons and half marathons in Ohio. Everyone in the Cincinnati and surrounding areas in Kentucky embrace the race, as it can attract upwards of 30,000 runners in all race categories. With that said, the marathon expo this year 2014 is housed in 2 separate buildings. Packet pick up was held in a large ballroom in the host hotel, the Millennium. The actual expo is held at the Duke Energy convention center across the way. There is even a sky bridge linking the buildings together. There were many vendors, marathon, running, and non running vendors that would promote themselves to 30,000+ people, myself included. Race fees start at usually $ 75 and climbs to about $ 150 on race weekend, so if you want to run this one, get in early and try not to wait till its gets too expensive.
Cincinnati Flying Pig marathon attracts running celebrities from time to time. In 2014, I was privileged to find out that Olympian marathoner, Ryan Hall, was going to be there to sign autographs and take photos. Fortunately for me, I had friends who were there and helped me get a photo with him. Whatever distance you decide to undertake, the Cincinnati Flying Pig is one of the hyped road races that just keeps getting better. While I can’t really say that the course should be changed, the hills is what makes Cincinnati Flying Pig unique in its own way. The actual course runs through majority of Cincinnati on the Ohio side, but in the first half, the route goes on a bridge and into Kentucky for about a mile. It was smokin’! The first half of the course was basically non stop steep inclining hills through downtown Cincinnati. It was disappointing. It didn’t really stop till mile 10 when we crested a park area and in residential areas. From then onward, it increasingly got warm and it got challenging even more.
The last half of the course was more residential areas and eventually the marathon ended in downtown Cincinnati, next to the Cincinnati Reds stadium. It would be fun to catch a MLB game someday, but for now, running a marathon in Cincinnati was what I was here to do. New state and that’s always amazing! The course support was good and adequate. At mile 4, there were volunteers who dressed up with tacky Hawaiian shirts, plastic flower lei, and hula grass skirts. It was funny, yet weird at the same time. The aid stations were stocked full at every 2 miles, although I did get lost at one point, where the race officials started to pull materials off the course. It was disheartening, but I had help with knowledgable volunteers and marshals. I’m glad that they were there and helped me to the finish line.
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Packet pickup was hectic and a bit disorganized and the start was a bit disorganized but overall a really fun event. I ran the full and it kicked my butt. All hills but really a pretty course. What really made the race ware the volunteers (grunts). They were awesome. I thanked as many as I could. I will definitely be back, but probably for the half. Not sure I want the challenge of those hills again for 26.2.

2014 5k race review: I had such high hopes for this race considering everything I have heard from family and friends who have participated in all kinds of races in the past from the Flying Pig.
Packet pick up set the tone at the very beginning of arriving to Cincinnati. It took almost two hours from parking the car to finally picking up our t-​shirts in a separate location. We stood in not one but three different lines to figure out where to pick up our packets. Lines were crossed in and out and people were packed in a little room. Chaos was the result.
Volunteers had no idea what they were doing. I finally found out that this year they double booked the venue at the Duke. If you knew ahead of time, then you should have prepared for 36,161 participants from all over the world.
Parking was easy to find which was a plus but the parking station was out of paper so even the city wasn’t prepared with the amount of traffic coming to the city.
The race course was challenging and I enjoyed how many people actually participated in just the 5k since for most people, they are just learning to run!
The good news was I actually got my PR for this race! When I came to the end of it, I got my medal which I was surprised how very small it was… little bit bigger than a quarter.
They gave out cookies, bananas, water and they actually ran out of a lot of treats because so many people participated so there again… not prepared.
Overall I have to give this race a low 3 star rating. Maybe in the future I will try it again to give it a second chance.

After a slightly discouraging and hectic Saturday AM picking up my T-​shirt at the expo (which took way too long) and nearly missing my brother at the finish line after the 5K, I was concerned about how things were going to go Sunday AM. I had registered for the half.
It turns out I had nothing to worry about — except that lung-​busting, ass-​kicking 2 miles climb from downtown to Eden Park. Good Lord! Thankfully, the crowd really does help carry you. The course is challenging. But it’s also really fun and many parts of it are beautiful, especially the little detour by the overlook at Twin Lakes in Eden Park. Gorgeous!
So many things impressed me about this event that I cannot even name them all. But I have to give praise to the most incredible volunteer force I have personally experienced anywhere. Their presence, friendliness, and competence at 5:30 on a Sunday morning is unreal. Thanks a million to each and every one of you! The spectators are fun, engaged, and plentiful. Quite a few of them are also very funny. Thanks to the young lady with the Jesse Pinkman «Run Bitch» sign. The baggage check buses are a godsend. You find your bus near the starting line (which was super easy), hand them your bag, and forget about it! Then, magically, the buses are waiting for you at the finish line! Wow. I got my stuff back in less than a minute!
If I cannot participate as a runner next year, I will definitely pay it forward and volunteer. Again, I just can’t say enough wonderful things about the volunteer support.

This is a great group of events. I have participated in the 5k, 10k and half marathon. This is one challenging course. The hills of Cincinnati will defiantly affect your time so beware. That being said – the energy at this event from the expo to race day is insane! You can’t beat the Cincinnati pride you feel. If you’re from the area (and even if you’re not) this is one marathon you’ve got to check out!

This is a very well organized, very fun event. The crowd support especially is fantastic! This is a hilly route but I would highly recommend this as a first race because of the great organization and crowd support.

I suppose I haven’t done enough (half) marathons in my life to really be able to judge where the Flying Pig ranks on the scale of marathons. However, it is my (adopted) hometown and it is also mildly kitschy. Flying pigs are a weird theme for a marathon, and I like weird themes.
The course itself is really pretty and takes you through both Kentucky and Cincinnati. It also is more on the challenging side (this isn’t a flat course), which could be a plus or a minus, depending on how you feel about hills. Also (and again, not too much experience with this), I was very impressed with how organized it is: it starts on time, the different corrals are well-​organized, plenty of water/​Gatorade stations and tons of cheering people on the sidelines the whole race. People in Cincinnati really get into it, and I loved seeing people in Hyde Park getting ready on Saturday night to be out there to cheer on the runners. And of course, the most important part: GREAT t-​shirts and medals (because all runners know, we do it for the swag, right?)

Cincinnati, you impressed me! I would have never considered visiting the city had it not been for the 15^th anniversary of the Flying Pig Marathon. It came to no surprise for my friends and family when I told them I’d be running this race. After all, I AM a fan of the oinky animal!
Flights directly into Cincy were non-​existent from LA so I had to book a connector flight from Chicago into Cincy. That part sucked because I never actually got onto my flight. It was canceled! Good thing a car ride is only 4.5−5 hours away.
I participated in the inaugural 4-​way Challenge, which consisted of the 5K and 10K on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday. If you did the 3-​way, it would be the half marathon. So I guess these challenges are FP’s answer to Disney’s Goofy and Dumbo challenges.
Flying Pig had AMAZING communication with its participants and they did a great job of catching my mistake of ordering a men’s size shirt instead of a women’s size. They emailed me a few weeks before the race to ask for clarification. I mean, WHO ELSE DOES THAT?! I was super impressed to say the least. However, they also were confusing at times too. As a non-​native, I didn’t know how far certain landmarks were from one another. Their website had multiple locations for the Saturday early AM bib pick-​up and I couldn’t get a straight answer about the exact location or whether there would be bag checks. In light of the Boson Marathon bombing, FP took serious precautions by eliminating bag check on Saturday and beefed up security.
The 3 races through Cincy and part of Kentucky (yes we crossed state lines via bridges over rivers) was actually really pleasant and NOT FLAT. The hills weren’t terrible, but the sneaky ones towards the end of the race proved slightly challenging, which I can respect. Who wants a totally flat race all the time anyway? Anyway, we ran through many different neighborhoods with tons of spectators and entertainment. There were SO MANY Gatorade and water stations, way more than ANY other race I’ve ever done. LA Marathon should take note! And omg, the VOLUNTEERS (aka Grunts) were sooooo great. They really made the race fun!
The finisher medal and other swag are just great! The full marathon medal came on a nice, smooth lanyard and the medal itself is double-​sided with two designs. It’s quite heavy and can hurt someone. The 5K and 10K medals are smaller versions and could be used as keychains if you take them off the lanyard. I know this isn’t a big deal to some people, but you also get a participant tech tshirt, a bag (this year was a large cooler bag), and a poster. If you did the 3-​way or 4-​way, you get an additional long-​sleeved finisher shirt and a plaque with 3 hooks for your medals. I thought it was a nice touch and since I’ve never gotten a plaque for doing a race, it really stood out to me. Sure, I would have loved an additional medal, but this is just as good if not better!
I don’t really have any criticism for the race. I wish there were more photographers out there, but I understand that since it was raining, they were probably less likely to stick around for the slowpokes like myself! Speaking of which, when the gun goes off for the first corral, don’t expect there to be another announcement for the start of the subsequent corrals. I was late to the start and noticed that once Corral A crossed the start, Corral B went immediately afterward. At other races, there are 30 second to 1 minute pauses to clear the street, but not at FP, which I found interesting and a little distressing at first.
Overall, I’d do this race again if I could get myself to deal with the long flights and cost of the everything. The races themselves were relatively inexpensive ($ 130 for THREE races), but the travel costs just turn me off. Not the fault of FP, of course, but hopefully I can come back for their 20^th or even 25^th anniversary run!

One of the things I like most about racing is getting to experience new cities and towns that I wouldn’t normally. When would I ever plan a vacation to Cincinnati? (no offense ;)) But I was SO impressed with how the marathon was put together. and the ENTIRE town was involved. Most races I do, the locals have little to no knowledge that a race even happened. In Cincinnati, I think every person I saw asked me if we were here for the race. I had a fantastic time! No complaints about port o potties or aid stations. The course was SO HILLY and I did not PR like I hoped, but it was a blast. I love the pig theme which is evident at every turn and huge crowds for spectators. even in the rain! Would definitely recommend this race and may perhaps come back!

I finally was able to participate in what has become a Cincinnati tradition for thousands of people in the area. This year I walked the 10K with someone and the course was not really anything special or exciting. The weather was cool (on Saturday at least) which made for a pleasant experience. The «grunts» (volunteers) were plentiful and happy to help and had positive attitudes. I might run in this next year, who knows? I certainly love that it brings lots of notoriety to the city and gets people to get off the couch and get in shape. The CDC just released some projected stats that by the year 2030, 42% of U.S. adults will be clinically obese. Geesh! Anyways, congrats to anyone that participated or volunteered for this year’s race.

I’ve been running the flying pig half marathon since 2007. I love the energy the crowds brings, running for a cause, and how rewarding it is at the end of the race. I have fun every year! Also the volunteers are so helpful and positive! If you have not ran the pig and thinking about it, please do so. A great experience! I hope someday to run the full.
One last thing, I love the posters, tshirts, and bags that come with the package!

While I am still a bit in pain from the blisters I received from my soggy shoes, I would still walk the half-​marathon again, maybe not tomorrow, or a month from now, but next year, when the painful memories have subsided and I am left with the pride of having accomplished something I never thought I could do.
Some of the highlights of the race from May 1^st, 2011 for me were as follows, and are in no particular order:
1. Watching a bird attack a squirrel
2. The mile-​marker greeters with their cheers, signs, and overall encouragement.
3. Learning that for once, something did not need more cowbell, as pretty much every mile-​marker had folks ringing cowbells.
4. The kind ladies walking past me who offered me a Clif bar and words of encouragement when I confessed I wasn’t sure I would make it.
5. The kind ladies after that who offered me gummis and electrolyte gum and more nice words of encouragement.
6. Watching the marathon runners cross the finish line as I hobbled towards the half-​marathon finish line, as folks on the sideline cheered me on.
7. Elvis sighting
8. Spiderman sighting
9. The feel of the rain as it sprinkled in the early stages of the race.
10. awesome swag, including a race tee, a backpack, a poster, and other freebies.
and…
Turning this review up to 11. getting to do crime right in front of the law: completely permissible jaywalking and littering!
The kindness of my fellow walkers really impressed me, the way complete strangers looked out for me since I had told my friends ahead of time not to worry about my slipping behind them as I was certain I would. As it turns out, our fellow participants had my back, and I am so grateful for the help and encouragement I received from people I have never met before, and will probably never see again. So while I’m proud of me for finishing, I’m proud of my fellow walkers for looking out for each other, because honestly, I was not going to make it without that extra help.
I am not even going to lie, I noshed the free Ho-​hos they had at the end of a race like I’d been at fat camp for a month, and it was glorious. Maybe next year, I’ll even get my butt in better shape and actually run the half-​marathon, or at the very least, improve my time considerably.

When I made my decision to register to run in the 10^th annual Flying Pig Marathon I was thinking it was a huge event with tens of thousands of participants. It’s not that at all. In fact it is a race featuring about 5000 participants, but the course is shared by participants taking part in the half marathon as well as a marathon relay. That makes the marathon appear a lot larger than it is.
I’m not disappointed though because this is a well organized event with terrific people, fantastic community support, awesome race volunteers and as mentioned by Jenny A. some of the best race swag of any marathon. Our race registration not only got us the coveted 10^th anniversary finishers medal with its hot pink strap, but an Asics brand CoolMax t-​shirt, a quality race poster, a race towel and a multi compartment fabric duffel bag embroidered with the race’s official logo on it.
The race begins at the Paul Brown football stadium and ends near the Great American Ballpark baseball stadium. Included in the rolling course are two picturesque bridges that take you between Ohio and Kentucky, a few parts of Northern Kentucky and a wide area within the city of Cincinnati. Everything on the course was wonderfully scenic with lots of greenery and magnificent architecture. It’s a fairly tough course with lots of gradual hills both up and down. I’m a slower runner who likes to run easy and admire the surroundings of which race courses take me, and of the 18 marathons that I have completed this race ranks among the top in terms of spectacular scenery.
So many residents and whole communities came out to cheer on the participants and offer delicious treats like Starburst candies, fresh fruit, gummy bears and even cinnamon bread to help us replenish our energy and keep going.
Gatorade, water and portable toilets are available at nearly EVERY mile and the course entertainment is magnificent with live bands, recorded music and a senior men’s choir who helped to boost our energy with a motivational rendition of God Bless America as we ran past. As mentioned once before the volunteers were tremendous and full of vital energy. I like to show my appreciation and thank volunteers as I pass, and I can honestly say that this is the first race where volunteers returned my thank you by expressing gratitude for participating in their event.
Although the race had to alter its course at the very last minute due to a tragic fire at the 22^nd mile which resulted in a course longer than 26.2 miles I’m happy to be a finisher in this great race.
The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is certainly a unique race full of fun, beauty and genuine hospitality, and I am so honored to have taken part in this race that I would recommend it to all of my marathon-​running friends.