Kelli Jo Lowe's Staging Area

It was my first time at Flying Pig, and it did not disappoint! Download the app right after you register! Do it! Everything you want to know is there.

The expo was well laid out, with many vendors and loads of goodies; packet pickup was thought out! I loved the soft shirts and the unique backpack! Swapping out sizes was super easy. However, I was there early and heard maybe it was not so easy to swap once extras dwindled. I loved the flying pigs everywhere. There were lots of spaces to take photos to commemorate the event. There were free photos with green screens, State Farm made a bobblehead out of you, and P&G and Kroger showed out with goodies!

The 1-miler on Friday night was packed with runners, walkers, and strollers and gave a great preview of what the rest of the weekend would be like. We had to walk most of it due to the congestion, but it was just to be fun. Nothing serious! The finish for the miler had two beers, Hoist hydration, water, bananas, apples, and oranges, and Skyline chili dogs (if you are not from the area and don’t know what that is, it is Cincy’s version of a chili hot dog – only they put cinnamon in their chili – I couldn’t eat it, but that’s my personal taste – I swear it was like Christmas in my mouth). Oh, they also gave Skyline chili gift cards to runners at the expo! There was live music, lots of beautiful grass to sit on, and the finish was held along the river – very beautiful at night!

Saturday morning, the 10k was immediately followed by the 5k. There was plenty of time to walk the 10k and still make the 5k start. We finished before the start, and we had time to use one of the dozens of port-o-potties, grab water and a snack, and get back in a corral. The course(s) was good, with just one hill to speak of. The finish had snacks, including chips, pork rinds, non-dairy yogurt, water, apples, oranges, bananas, etc.

Sunday’s races had a challenge! Rain! It was not raining before, but it started shortly after we crossed the start. We were allowed to use the restrooms in the stadium and hang out there until it was time to run. That was great! We literally walked out of the stadium, took about 100 steps, and jumped in our corral. Once we crossed the first bridge, the sky opened up, and I saw a streak of lightning in the distance. At about mile 3, the rain was coming down so hard that there was lots of flooding in the streets – also, the lightning was getting closer. I had downloaded the app, so I was aware when the notice went out to shelter in place. With several others, I had already stopped to get out of the lightning, but many people did not get the notification. I don’t know if they did not have the app, did not have notifications turned on, or something else. Friends who were running behind me were shuffled off the course into a garage by an officer. There was not anyone near me that was doing that. I think that would be the only downside of the whole weekend. There should have been a better/easier/quicker way to get the shelter-in-place notice out to all runners. Someone on a bike, motorcycle, or police car would have been a good idea. I started running again once I felt safe, although the notice that it was safe did not come until later. I forgot to stop my watch! Ahhh! The course support was excellent, even in the pouring rain. There were lots of spectators when you consider that it was raining the whole time. There were water stops at every mile, which is something to be overjoyed with! The race signs were hilarious, Elvis showed up, and I saw dinosaurs and baby sharks!
The medals are beautiful and double-sided. The icing on the cake was the challenge medal with the “extra cheese” charm.
Do the race. I am considering doing it again, and I live 7 hours away. You won’t regret it.

There are rolling hills, and then there is a monster hill that you literally must lean forward to get up. With that being said, do this race. A good portion is on a wooded greenway, then through a neighborhood. You cross from SC into GA and back by crossing the river over the bridge – a flat bridge – perfect for photos. The shirt was a quart zip thermal tech, the finish was in the stadium, and the medal was gorgeous. Parking was easy, and we will do this one again to see just how bad that hill really is. Lots of water stops, vendors in the stadium before and after the race, and post-race beer in color-changing cups. It was a small race, and I hope that is only because it was so soon after covid. This race deserves to grow because of its uniqueness and charm.