Every good thing you’ve heard about The Flying Pig Marathon is true. The race is exceptionally well organized. Every detail is attended to. It’s not just obvious things like race … MORE
Every good thing you’ve heard about The Flying Pig Marathon is true.
The race is exceptionally well organized. Every detail is attended to. It’s not just obvious things like race route and communication and aid stations (though those things are excellent); it’s the little details, too, like a greeting committee at the airport, or a carefully organized gear drop bus brigade.
The city of Cincinnati is beautiful…far more charming than I expected. From the iconic bridges (can we please celebrate America’s builders?) to quaint neighborhoods to pockets of small town “Main Street” tucked along the race route, there wasn’t a mile of this race that passed without something to admire about Cincinnati.
A few notes to help other runners:
* Race started at the Bengals football stadium, which meant TONS of indoor restrooms…no waiting in long lines for a porta-potty
* The well-organized gear drop bus brigade made it easy to drop my belongings before the race and pick them up after. Super helpful, since I was headed to the airport after the event.
* Hydration stations at least every mile (a HUGE plus), and Gatorade AND water at every single one.
* The famous crowd support from the community is exactly as advertised. I don’t think I ran 100 yards without a cheering spectator all day. Maybe once. But still done. Well done, folks of Cincinnati.
* The medal is HEAVY…a high quality medal. The race shirt was kinda “meh,” but wah wah. I give the swag a B-.
* Can’t comment on mid-race porta-potties…didn’t need ‘em, so didn’t look for ‘em.
* Love the snacks at aid stations (official AND unofficial). Yes, I took the bacon at mile 15. When in Rome. Hard pass on Oreos, but love that it was an option. Saw gummy worms, orange slices, Swedish fish, Skittles, Girl Scout cookies, and more. Skipped the beer. Took the Jell-O shot. Because why not?
* Availed myself of the professional stretching. Good call. Made that flight home after the race tolerable.
* Note to self: Don’t rush out of the post-race recovery area. Get the free food. I wasn’t feeling great and just skipped it. Wish I had at least grabbed some pizza. The fruit cup and banana were fine, but I think there was more recovery nourishment available, and I just bypassed it.
* A few decent restaurants and bars within a few blocks of the race. Not a ton, but enough to tide you over if you don’t wanna travel far for grub and drinks. I recommend the Belgian place or the rooftop bar at The Blind Pig.
Okay, lots of words. Sorry. I had a great time in Cincinnati, and I highly recommend the race to ANY marathoner.
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As good as advertised
Every good thing you’ve heard about The Flying Pig Marathon is true. The race is exceptionally well organized. Every detail is attended to. It’s not just obvious things like race … MORE
Every good thing you’ve heard about The Flying Pig Marathon is true.
The race is exceptionally well organized. Every detail is attended to. It’s not just obvious things like race route and communication and aid stations (though those things are excellent); it’s the little details, too, like a greeting committee at the airport, or a carefully organized gear drop bus brigade.
The city of Cincinnati is beautiful…far more charming than I expected. From the iconic bridges (can we please celebrate America’s builders?) to quaint neighborhoods to pockets of small town “Main Street” tucked along the race route, there wasn’t a mile of this race that passed without something to admire about Cincinnati.
A few notes to help other runners:
* Race started at the Bengals football stadium, which meant TONS of indoor restrooms…no waiting in long lines for a porta-potty
* The well-organized gear drop bus brigade made it easy to drop my belongings before the race and pick them up after. Super helpful, since I was headed to the airport after the event.
* Hydration stations at least every mile (a HUGE plus), and Gatorade AND water at every single one.
* The famous crowd support from the community is exactly as advertised. I don’t think I ran 100 yards without a cheering spectator all day. Maybe once. But still done. Well done, folks of Cincinnati.
* The medal is HEAVY…a high quality medal. The race shirt was kinda “meh,” but wah wah. I give the swag a B-.
* Can’t comment on mid-race porta-potties…didn’t need ‘em, so didn’t look for ‘em.
* Love the snacks at aid stations (official AND unofficial). Yes, I took the bacon at mile 15. When in Rome. Hard pass on Oreos, but love that it was an option. Saw gummy worms, orange slices, Swedish fish, Skittles, Girl Scout cookies, and more. Skipped the beer. Took the Jell-O shot. Because why not?
* Availed myself of the professional stretching. Good call. Made that flight home after the race tolerable.
* Note to self: Don’t rush out of the post-race recovery area. Get the free food. I wasn’t feeling great and just skipped it. Wish I had at least grabbed some pizza. The fruit cup and banana were fine, but I think there was more recovery nourishment available, and I just bypassed it.
* A few decent restaurants and bars within a few blocks of the race. Not a ton, but enough to tide you over if you don’t wanna travel far for grub and drinks. I recommend the Belgian place or the rooftop bar at The Blind Pig.
Okay, lots of words. Sorry. I had a great time in Cincinnati, and I highly recommend the race to ANY marathoner.
Great First Race!
This was my first official 10K! I'm from Indy and we stayed the night in a nearby hotel. Everything was easy to get to and I love the commitment to … MORE
This was my first official 10K! I’m from Indy and we stayed the night in a nearby hotel. Everything was easy to get to and I love the commitment to the pig theme. Hilly race at times, but not too steep of an incline except for that last mammojamma!
So much fun and very well organized
I definitely recommend this race and would love to go again in future years, but with a longer distance. I loved the 5k as it was beautiful and challenging but … MORE
I definitely recommend this race and would love to go again in future years, but with a longer distance. I loved the 5k as it was beautiful and challenging but I was disappointed in the swag. I know I only participated in the 5k but I expected a little more swag in my packet than just my bib and t-shirt. I loved the expo and my medal too, but again the free swag at the expo was catered to men and I would have loved some more female friendly free swag too.
Cincinnati Flying Pig - So FUN!
I did the 3 way Challenge with extra cheese and boy it was a challenge! All of the courses involved hills but the half had the longest hill I have … MORE
I did the 3 way Challenge with extra cheese and boy it was a challenge! All of the courses involved hills but the half had the longest hill I have ever climbed in a race but the view at the top was amazing. I love that the course takes us into Kentucky and we cross many bridges over the Ohio River. This was such a fun weekend, the crowd support during the races are outstanding. The expo was top notch so much and a lot of freebies. With doing the challenge there was a lot of swag and I ended up with 5 medals. The After Party area and activities were awesome. Cincinnati is so picturesque and with so much to do we wished we had more time to explore. So yes, I am thinking about doing this again even though it did darn near eat me alive – ha! Would I do the challenge again? Not sure about that but if you are trying to decide I recommend you do it – the post race(s) high is immense!
When Pigs Fly
Because I live in California, this race was most likely a "one and done" for me. That being said, I HIGHLY recommend this race to anyone wanting to run a … MORE
Because I live in California, this race was most likely a “one and done” for me. That being said, I HIGHLY recommend this race to anyone wanting to run a marathon in Ohio. I have nothing but positive things to say from start to finish. If I lived closer, this would likely be a yearly event for me.
My friend and I easily found metered street parking right outside the convention center for the expo on Saturday. The expo was large with a nice variety of vendors. In addition to the race shirt, marathon participants received a nice travel bag (great for my return flight home). There were also free posters available that you could have signed by the artist. People running their first ever marathon received an additional shirt and a sign to pin to their back.
On race morning, we had no trouble getting to one of the designated parking lots. There were plenty of porta potties spread out around the entire venue. I loved that the corrals were referred to “pig pens.” There were even porta potties in each of the “pig pens.”
I highly enjoyed the course. There are a lot of hills, but they are long and gradual. None were steep enough to cause me to adjust my pace or run/walk ratios. The long gradual downhills felt great to run.
The course support was great. Although my friend and I did not partake in the bacon, we were highly amused by the infamous bacon aid station. At another station, participants were handed small toy balls and encouraged to try to throw them into a basket. My friend and I both missed, but enjoyed a good laugh at the experience. Later in the race, volunteers were handing out cool wet towels.
I loved that the Finish Line said Finish Swine. It helped me finish with a big smile on my face. Finishers were handed a bag with various snacks. There were also a variety of vendors selling food. The official beer at the finish was Michelob Ultra, but a local brewery brought out several kegs of their beer that participants could help themselves to. The finish venue was at a park overlooking the Ohio River which provided scenic photo opportunities.
My friend and I had no difficulty walking back to our car once we were ready to leave.
The medals featured a flying pig and were nice and heavy. A great addition to my 50 states display! When I got home, I dropped my medal onto the hard concreate causing a dent. I reached out to the race to inquire about purchasing a replacement for my display. They mailed me a replacement free of charge.
I can’t speak highly enough of this event. It is a “must run” for anyone who lives near Cincinnati or for anyone looking to run a marathon in Ohio.
Whole city turns out for the Flying Pig!
If the hills on this race course don't kill you, you will absolutely love the Flying Pig. Excellent crowd support, great atmosphere, lots of fun. That being said, I think … MORE
If the hills on this race course don’t kill you, you will absolutely love the Flying Pig. Excellent crowd support, great atmosphere, lots of fun. That being said, I think this is the toughest course I’ve run. It is not easy. But it was a blast and I plan to run it again for sure! I stayed in one of the suburban hotels overnight, but I’m not sure I will do that again. I will probably stay downtown next time. We thought we found good parking on race morning, but later received a bill in the mail for $80 for parking.
For how much it cost to park downtown, I think next time I will get a downtown hotel. But other than the parking, everything was great. Nice swag, too. Runners even get a frameable poster. The Flying Pig lived up to its reputation as a very fun race.
Best experience I could have asked for
This was my first marathon and it was an amazing experience. The whole city gets excited for this marathon weekend so there are a ton of fans, the expo and … MORE
This was my first marathon and it was an amazing experience. The whole city gets excited for this marathon weekend so there are a ton of fans, the expo and celebrations at the end are fun, and the race itself is hard but worth it. As a first-timer, everyone is cheering for you and supporting you.
Fantastic race!
If you want hills, then this race is for you! The crowds at all the mile markers (even Elvis) were always very helpful and very supportive. The swag and expo … MORE
If you want hills, then this race is for you! The crowds at all the mile markers (even Elvis) were always very helpful and very supportive. The swag and expo and after party is not bad at all. I hope to run the marathon there (2nd one) next year for the 25th anniversary.
Best crowds!
The crowds are just unreal! I have been on the sidelines cheering for years and finally got my own 13.1 under my belt! Crowds were supportive and energetic. I felt … MORE
The crowds are just unreal! I have been on the sidelines cheering for years and finally got my own 13.1 under my belt! Crowds were supportive and energetic. I felt it was a very well organized production and seemed to run so smoothly. Everyone is so friendly!
Great race!!!
Great but challenging course!! Lots of hills! Great expo and swag!!! Scenic views of Ohio river and downtown Cincinnati. Many different race lengths and options all weekend!!! MORE
Great but challenging course!! Lots of hills! Great expo and swag!!! Scenic views of Ohio river and downtown Cincinnati. Many different race lengths and options all weekend!!!
Loved Everthing about the Flying Pig
Great expo! Nice swag and shirt, I thought it would be pink, though. Nice signs around town about the race. I loved the course and the live entertainment, friendly volunteers … MORE
Great expo! Nice swag and shirt, I thought it would be pink, though. Nice signs around town about the race. I loved the course and the live entertainment, friendly volunteers and ample aid stations. Beautiful weather and scenery. I loved the hills because they gave my calfs a break from all the pounding on a flat course. Great start and finish line festivities and hot, delicious pizza at the end.
Oh the hills!
This was my 2nd half marathon of 2022. I knew the course would be hilly, and trained the best I could, but a few colds derailed me training some (thankfully … MORE
This was my 2nd half marathon of 2022. I knew the course would be hilly, and trained the best I could, but a few colds derailed me training some (thankfully not COVID). So my goal going into the race was to finish – no time goal.
I had registered back in November, so I’d been looking forward to this trip for a long time!
It was my first “normal” expo, and I really enjoyed it. The volunteers were super-friendly, great merchandise available to commemorate the event, and so much race swag! My suitcase was packed.
I was a little overwhelmed on Sunday morning trying to find the baggage check buses, but a few runners let me tag along and made sure I ended up in the right spot.
Lots of fears about rain on race day were taken over by the humidity. It was warm at the start, and I tried to be conservative in pace before I reached the hills. And well, the hills definitely disappoint. I just kept moving, and knew we’d eventually get to mile 10!
Course support was awesome, especially the cop who high-fived runners and blew his whistle everytime, and those handing out tissues and oranges.
I was on my own, so after finishing, grabbed my stuff, my celebratory beer, and then headed back to my hotel.
It was a great experience, and has me itching to travel for more races. And I’ll be back at the Pig again in a few years…gotta conquer those hills!
I also recommend joining the race’s Facebook group – so much good information was shared!
Very Good, But Didn't Quite Meet the Hyp
OK, so you've likely read about the hills. Yep - they are there - not the worst in the world but not easy. Parking, however, was by far the easiest … MORE
OK, so you’ve likely read about the hills. Yep – they are there – not the worst in the world but not easy. Parking, however, was by far the easiest of any big race I have done. Crowd support was good…with a lot of parties going on that didn’t seem to notice there were runners…but hey, whatever it takes to party on a Sunday morning…. best part for me was ample porta-potties before during and after – hey, some of us have to recon with that aspect of long runs. Yes, they did have bacon along the way as well as many other fun treats. Swag was disappointing….the shirt was very plain nothing special and probably not something I will ever wear…just grey with print on it. The extra swag was a zipper recycle grocery bag. Big deal….I’m guessing they are saving money for a big splash next year with the 25th – I hope that is why this year’s swag was B flat. It was a one and done for me, but there sure are loyal followers, so maybe I’m just a curmudgeon….and I’ll leave it at that!
Top Notch Race!
Man of man It felt wonderful to be a part of a large race again! The race production is top notch! There were plenty of aid stations with more than … MORE
Man of man It felt wonderful to be a part of a large race again! The race production is top notch! There were plenty of aid stations with more than just your usual Gatorade or water, tons of crowd support, and a fun atmosphere. You’ll need all of that at mile 6 when you climb, climb, climb! I loved the medal too (but not the shirt). I loved that the expo had fun photo props.
Train for this one. I completed it with a friend that didn’t train and we walked the last 4 miles; it was all she could do to finish.
Big crowd but very hilly
Pig works is unmatched with their ability to put on a race. The whole weekend was an absolute blast. There is no shortage of fans along the course. You almost … MORE
Pig works is unmatched with their ability to put on a race. The whole weekend was an absolute blast. There is no shortage of fans along the course. You almost don’t even need to bring headphones! The expo is absolutely amazing and I could have spent hours there. The after party is SO FUN and such a great community. Downtown Cincinnati so lots and lots of hotels and transportation options. But the course is HARD. I felt like I was going uphill the entire time. Miles 6-8 was a very steep and steady incline. But there was a lot to see along the way! You probably won’t PR but you’ll have fun and feel accomplished!
Earns a great reputation
Kudos to the people that put on the Flying Pig! I had heard great things about this race, and had originally been signed up to run the 2020 race. The … MORE
Kudos to the people that put on the Flying Pig! I had heard great things about this race, and had originally been signed up to run the 2020 race. The RDs allowed a deferral within three years (along with many other options to run). And I finally ran in in 2022.
Pre-race administration: Leading up to the race – not too much communication. It was fine. The week of were a couple emails with details, and logistics. The expo was just what you needed not too complicated, in and out pretty easily.
Race-day administration: plentiful water stops (I think 19 over the marathon), so many volunteers!! there have to be more volunteers for this race than any other race I’ve run. the course was well marked. Plenty of port-o-potties – and even port-o-potties in the corral! One demerit is that they are not strict about corral placement, and people were ALL OVER THE PLACE. seriously, walkers in corral B (I was in D). it just makes for a difficult first few miles.
Course: I thought this was a moderately difficult course. My strava reported about 1000 feet of elevation over the marathon, most of it in the first 9 miles, but not completely flat at the end either. Its scenic for a city – I enjoyed all the Cincinnati architecture, and the views of the Ohio River.
City: wow, I was surprised. I really liked Cincinnati. I found it interesting and inviting, great food and beer options. The city is friendly. We stayed at the far end of Over the Rhine – and that was still just a mile and a half from the river front.
All in – recommend!
Terrific race in a great city
While challenging as one would ever want this was a very well run race. But the thing that I though differentiated it was all of the support groups at the … MORE
While challenging as one would ever want this was a very well run race. But the thing that I though differentiated it was all of the support groups at the aid stations. My favorite was the bacon station and the kids handing out the cold towels were a godsend (if they were iced next time it would be even better!) The post party was one of the best I’ve ever seen and the city was a lot of fun. OTR, Skyline Chili and Sleepy Bee. Will definitely do again!
Fun, Tough Course
-Great view of the city -ran through many of the main streets of different neighborhood and over multiple bridges -lots of supporters out -People were everywhere and supporting the runners, … MORE
-Great view of the city
-ran through many of the main streets of different neighborhood and over multiple bridges
-lots of supporters out
-People were everywhere and supporting the runners, even the people at the end of the race
-lots of hills
– “they” say the hills end prior to the back half of the race… nope. Cincinnati is very hilly and that is part of this track…right until the end
– Mile 18 to 19 was rough
It is a great race but the hills!
The aid stations are great. There is always a lot of great volunteers and people cheering throughout the course. The course is well marked and everything is organized, which makes … MORE
The aid stations are great. There is always a lot of great volunteers and people cheering throughout the course. The course is well marked and everything is organized, which makes it easy to participant for new runners.
There is something for everyone.
This is an amazing event. I have participated multiple times and I will will keep coming back. There is great community Support, great swag, and it is very well organized. MORE
This is an amazing event. I have participated multiple times and I will will keep coming back. There is great community Support, great swag, and it is very well organized.