It’s the largest weekend party in town, and you can be part of it! Whether you’re a runner or walker, whether you want to volunteer or cheer, whether you want to participate for charity, or just for your own satisfaction, we’d love for you to join us. Sign up today …
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It’s the largest weekend party in town, and you can be part of it! Whether you’re a runner or walker, whether you want to volunteer or cheer, whether you want to participate for charity, or just for your own satisfaction, we’d love for you to join us. Sign up today and be part of the Pig Party!
The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is a beautiful course, which “flies” along the streets of Cincinnati, Covington, Newport, Mariemont, Fairfax and Columbia Township. Our course presents a well-balanced, diverse tour of some the best neighborhoods in the area.
The half marathon starts with the full marathon and relay field and goes through Cincinnati, Newport and Covington. The two groups will run together for approximately nine miles, then the half marathon field will turn back toward downtown and end at the Marathon finish line.
In the celebration of the city of Cincinnati and the Flying Pig Marathon, Skyline Chili is proud to present the 3-Way and 4-Way Challenge in the Flying Pig Marathon weekend of events. (The events’ namesakes are the Skyline 3-Way, a Cincinnati signature dish crafted from chili, spaghetti and cheese; and the Skyline 4-Way, crafted from chili, spaghetti, cheese and onions.) To complete the 3-Way Challenge, a single runner must complete Saturday’s 5K and 10K events, as well as Sunday’s Half Marathon. To complete the 4-Way Challenge, a single runner must complete Saturday’s 5K and 10K events, as well as Sunday’s Full Marathon.
Skyline Chili 3-Way and 4-Way Challenge Finishers will receive an additional 3-Way/4-Way Challenge finisher’s medal and other to be determined premiums. Are you up for the Challenge?
Add some “extra cheese” to your 3-Way or 4-Way by completing the Fifty West Mile on Friday!
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Not as great as previous years
It's been a while since I ran this race. However, I ran the sister race, the Queen Bee, in the fall and loved it! I was expecting the same, if … MORE
It’s been a while since I ran this race. However, I ran the sister race, the Queen Bee, in the fall and loved it! I was expecting the same, if not better experience and was really disappointed. My daughter came in to do her first full marathon and I had talked it up A LOT.
First off, the expo. SO disappointing. They said it was because they had to move the venue, however, the Queen Bee expo was in the same spot and it was awesome. There was no excuse for there being bare bones there. I like to buy stuff and there was nothing to buy. We were told later there was stuff on the second floor however we missed that as there were no signs or indication of anything else. In addition, you had to sign up for slots to go to the expo (which was silly) and by the time we got there and found a place to park, the person on the loud speaker told us repeatedly that we have FIFTEEN MINUTES until the expo closed. So disappointing. The swag was really disappointing, ugly red cotton shirt and I honestly cannot remember the other stuff, it was that bad. The vibe at the expo was just bad. I found the volunteers to be on the grumpy side, with several just lying on the floor looking at their phones. They seemed worn out. No one was pleasant and pretty much just threw your stuff at you.
We were dropped off at the race. It was raining a bit, but no big deal, helped cool things off. Dropping off and picking up at the drop station was easy. It’s a huge race, so getting it started takes a bit and can be confusing.
As always the people of Cincinnati come out to support this race very well (but not as well as the Queen Bee). There are tons of stations to get snacks, water, gatorade, gels, beer! The course does a great job of highlighting Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati neighborhoods. It’s hilly, it’s Cincinnati. My friend and I just took it easy and enjoyed taking it all in which was fun.
The after party had a ton of potential – free pizza, beer etc. However, it was a mug bog with all the rain. My shoes were ruined. It’s also very crowded but there are tons of tents and food options.
The race communications are confusing to me. There is a website, app, emails, etc. But it seems the basic information you need is lacking at times.
Overall, I was disappointed at this race, as I had hyped it up so much for my daughter and wanted her first marathon to be an amazing experience. She had fun and was glad she did it, but it wasn’t everything I said it would be, starting off with the expo. They need to bring their game back if they want this to be called the number one marathon again.
Flying Pig rocks!
This was my first half marathon. I was extremely nervous and trained for 5 months. Hard work paid off though. I grew up going to this race to watch my … MORE
This was my first half marathon. I was extremely nervous and trained for 5 months. Hard work paid off though. I grew up going to this race to watch my dad run and we finally got to run it together in 2025. Parked in fountain square garage easily and walked a couple blocks down to the start. They had plenty of bathrooms and there were a lot of volunteers to help people get in their correct corral. Luckily the rain held off until mile 10ish. I was extremely nervous about Gilbert hill around mile 5 but it was much more manageable than I anticipated. I did all of my long runs on rolling hill route and I did multiple days of hill repeats on Gilbert. If you’re local I’d recommend hill reps on Gilbert, makes running up it once for race day a breeze. I was shocked by the amount of runners as well as spectators. There really wasn’t many dead points for the crowd on the entire course. The sheer amount of people who come out to support the runners was incredible and made me cry tears of joy during the race. I think Cincinnati is beautiful so the course for me was super lovely. When you run back across the bridge from KY you get a nice view of the skyline. I wish they still gave out dry fit shirts for race swag. They used to but the past few years have been cotton t shirts instead. Which is eh, I just wish we got race shirts we can run in often, I don’t prefer cotton for running. I understand that beer companies sponsor the race, however I wished that the Mic Ultra after party offered vendors with non alcoholic beverages. I only saw beer and liquor tents. It would’ve been nice to have a nice bevvie after finishing, for I do not drink. They had ice cream but it was a bit chilly for me to want that. Overall I loved this race. Amazing crowd, well organized, high energy, fun course. 10/10 I will be running this race again. Train on hills in your training block and the Gilbert/ Eden park drive section will not seem as bad as you thought it would be. Oink oink!
When Pigs Fly
This is a great race! So many positives but the best are production and crowd support. The course is challenging including a 2 mile stretch uphill starting at mile 6 … MORE
This is a great race! So many positives but the best are production and crowd support. The course is challenging including a 2 mile stretch uphill starting at mile 6 to the top where you are treated to great views of the city. It’s also were the Cincinnati Art Museum is located.
Everything from the race expo to the start line was superb. Lots of volunteers to help, answer questions and manage crowds. It is a big race. The crowd support on course is outstanding and all of the little snack stations are fun.
The medal is a cute themed double sided pig design and the shirt was a comfy t-shirt as opposed to a techinal shirt. My only complaint was the finish line area. The food options were meh – mostly Kroger snacks and a small piece of local pizza. The bad part was trying to get out of the chute. it was very congested and you could barely move and it took forever. Just not the way you want to end a race if you are a little tired, sore and getting cold.
Even with the negative finish chute, I would do this race again. Cincinnati is a really fun city to visit. SO MUCH to do and see plus if you want to double up on races – the Mini Indy in Indianpolis is the day before and less than 2 hrs away. That is another great race that has 2.5 miles on the Indianapolis speedway.
One of the best half marathon races
No matter the distance you do (I've done all of them including the challenges), you will be treated to one of the best run races that I have experienced. The … MORE
No matter the distance you do (I’ve done all of them including the challenges), you will be treated to one of the best run races that I have experienced. The crowd support is top notch even if the weather is iffy. In addition to frequent water stops, there are other stops along the way to get goodies (orange slices, mimosas, cold towels, etc).
Pure ENERGY Start to Finish Swine!!
This race is a joy to experience!! With the Health & Fitness Expo to get you in the spirit, hydration stations at every mile, and a huge party afterwards, Cinci … MORE
This race is a joy to experience!! With the Health & Fitness Expo to get you in the spirit, hydration stations at every mile, and a huge party afterwards, Cinci takes amazing care of runners all weekend long! After sleeping maaaaaaybe 3 hrs due to nerves and excitement to run my first half, the adrenaline certainly kicked in and saw me through strong. It wasn’t hard to stay energized, though~ the support, cheer, smiles, costumes, and energy of celebration all along the route was a contagious driving force. I’m a massage therapist and I’d given massages to many of the runners pre/post race day. Excitement over the Flying Pig created another way for us to connect. They were so excited for me, and I see why this race is so beloved and favorited. I was smiling like a lunatic the entire time~ can’t wait to do it again!!
Flying Pig 🐽
This race has been on our radar for a while and we pulled the trigger on doing it this year. They go all out on the pig theme - from … MORE
This race has been on our radar for a while and we pulled the trigger on doing it this year. They go all out on the pig theme – from the volunteers (“grunts”) to the finish “swine.”
This year the expo had to be moved to the Northern Kentucky Convention Center and it was pretty chaotic, but still organized well.
First race I’ve ever seen put porta-potties in the starting corrals. Genius!
It’s a very fun atmosphere and great crowd support along the way. Lots of signs and cheer zones. It was very hilly miles 7-10, but has some great downhill the rest of the way.
We just ran this for fun and really loved our experience.
Best Half in US? Maybe When Pigs Fly
Okay that title was kind of mean but I love a good pun. Don't get me wrong I did think this was an excellent race but I was expecting it … MORE
Okay that title was kind of mean but I love a good pun. Don’t get me wrong I did think this was an excellent race but I was expecting it to be the best race ever after seeing it winning the most votes in the Race Raves poll and hearing multiple runners say it was their favorite race ever and it did not quite meet my lofty expectations though it was still excellent. I decided to do this as a double with Indy Mini the day before though if you are just doing the Flying Pig there are some fun challenges with shorter races on Friday and Saturday. Cincinnati is a little under a 2 hour drive from Indianapolis so there is plenty of time to get there after Indy Mini and make packet pick-up. There was good pre race communication. For the expo they had you sign up for a time slot to help with crowds but they did not seem strict. I went between 4-5pm on Saturday. This year is was at the Northern Kentucky Expo Center across the River. I stayed at voco the Clair (formerly Holiday Inn) in downtown Cincinnati which was about 1.5 miles from the expo center but they had shuttles from downtown to the expo. Even though I had a car parking at the hotel was cheaper if you only parked once as opposed to in and out parking so I took the shuttle to the expo. The expo was pretty big and has a lot of cool pig themed stuff which is great for selfies and social media. I heard the expo is even bigger normal years. Packet included bib, a polyblend short sleeved shirt, a race poster, and an extra swag item which was a big bag. Overall swag was quite good though shirt was average. After the expo we went to the Cincinnati Reds game which was right inbetween the expo and hotel so we walked to the game and then walked to the hotel. It was expensive to stay in downtown Cincinnati but I had enough points with IHG to cover the room. Race morning was smooth. It was about 3/4 mile walk to the race start. It was fine for the start but a bit painful walking back. This is a huge race with lots of “pig pens” which is the name for the corrals. There were a lot of volunteers with signs that told you were to go so while it could’ve been confusing I found my “pig pen” rather easily. I knew this would be a slower race than yesterday given my tired legs and the hills. I expected to finish between 3:15 and 3:30. My game plan was to stick with the 3:15 pacer until the hills and then use the 3:30 pacer to make sure I didn’t fall behind them. Though this race is very back of the pack friendly so you do not need to worry if you are walking or over 3:30. While the start was pretty smooth, one thing I wish is that there was a predicted start time. I had no idea how long the corrals would take so it was hard to plan race morning and check out. The race started at 6:30 so if I left within 15 to 20 minutes I wouldn’t need late check out but since it was so big I erred on the side of requesting late check out which was the right call as it took about 40-45 minutes for me to cross the start line after 6:30. The course is pretty cool as you go over the bridge to Kentucky so you to run in 2 states (though it starts and finishes in Ohio so would only count for Ohio). The beginning is nice and flat and not hilly and I kept the 3:15 pace I wanted to. There are some crowds in Kentucky but it is quite early. It was also a bit rainy the day of the race. Nothing like the “Floating Pig” 2 years ago but enough rain to deter a few spectators. After you cross back to Cincinnati you go a bit through downtown including right in front of my hotel. I would definitely recommend my hotel if you are traveling with a spectator who wants to watch the race but not leave the hotel. I thought about running up to my room to use the restroom as the porta potty lines seems longed (in retrospect I probably should have lol but I was too paranoid about someone thinking I was cheating and just joining the race from my room). There are a lot of spectators downtown. After about mile 4-5 comes the hills. They are pretty brutal. The total elevation gain isn’t terrible. About 800 feet. It’s not enough to discourage you from doing the race but enough to discourage you from using the race to PR or BQ. The worst part of the hills is they are pretty much all from miles 5-10. I would prefer more rolling hills and not flat for 5 miles, uphill for 5 miles, downhill for 3 but it is what it is. One hill I really didn’t like since there wasn’t much spectators. The hill near Eden Park was annoying but was scenic and led to nice views. Even with the hills I was keeping with the 3:15 pacers until I had to use the porta potty and then I lost like 5-10 minutes and by then the 3:30 pacers just about caught up to me so I stuck with them up the hills and then went faster than them on the downhill. After Eden park you go through other interesting neighborhoods. It was a nice course despite the hills. There was very good spectator support although I’ve heard this race is one long party and there were definitely a few sections with no spectators but maybe it was the rain. The race was very well produced with adequate aid stations along with some unofficial aid stations and additional snacks, closed roads, mile markers and clear signage. No real production issues at all during the race except the long porta potty lines. . I finished right where I expected. The medal is adorable with a double sided pig but is a bit small compared to some of my other half marathon medals. The finish line is really exciting with a big party. They had typical post race food and also pizza. It was all cheese pizza which just makes sense. One of my pet peeves is when races only have pepperoni pizzas since I don’t eat meat. I didn’t stay too long at the party as I wanted to get out of the rain and needed to check out. Of note flights from Cincinnati were crazy expensive Sunday afternoon/evening between this race and the nearby Kentucky Derby so we actually flew out of Columbus which is about 1.5 hours away as it was like 1/3 the price. Overall I thought this was an excellent race, well produced, fun theme and a nice tour of the city. However I did not like the elevation profile very much and I’m not sure it lived up to the expectations of “best half in the US” but those are pretty high expectations. I still would definitely recommend this race for Ohio. I’ve done a few in Ohio and this was definitely the best I’ve done there though I still rank the Pro-Football HOF half in Canton, OH as the best bling in the USA. It also works great as a double with Indy Mini.
OMG!
This race was so much fun! Packet pickup was a breeze, the volunteers were amazing and the crowd support was tops. Thank you to the volunteers handing out tissues and … MORE
This race was so much fun! Packet pickup was a breeze, the volunteers were amazing and the crowd support was tops. Thank you to the volunteers handing out tissues and the cold beer shot on the course. I did the 3 way with cheese. If you do this race train for the hills.
Very rewarding races!
The 3-way w/ cheese is so rewarding and very worth it. Each day is exciting and so much to see. Crowds are great all three days! We did the half … MORE
The 3-way w/ cheese is so rewarding and very worth it. Each day is exciting and so much to see. Crowds are great all three days! We did the half marathon on Sunday and there isn’t a spot were you don’t have someone cheering you on. It even rained the whole weekend and there were tons of people! I can’t imagine what the crowd is like in nice weather if this many showed up in the rain! Just an all around amazing experience and we will continue to join these races in the future! Next year we want our children to experience it too!
Theming & # events: great
https://runroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/flying-pig-marathon-weekend-part-3-race.html?m=1 https://runroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/flying-pig-marathon-weekend-part-2.html?m=1 https://runroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/flying-pig-marathon-weekend-part-1-expo.html?m=1 MORE
https://runroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/flying-pig-marathon-weekend-part-3-race.html?m=1
https://runroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/flying-pig-marathon-weekend-part-2.html?m=1
https://runroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/flying-pig-marathon-weekend-part-1-expo.html?m=1
The first time won't be the last time.
The crowd was energetic. Water stations galore. Always a line for a bathroom. Be smart with your hydration no matter the temperature. Don't let the excitement take over your race. … MORE
The crowd was energetic.
Water stations galore.
Always a line for a bathroom.
Be smart with your hydration no matter the temperature.
Don’t let the excitement take over your race.
Rock back and enjoy the stroll.
Loved it
Great crowd support. Plenty of restrooms and drink stations. No shortage of snacks. Awesome scenery. Well organized. Entertainment was frequent. And the expo is HUGE! MORE
Great crowd support. Plenty of restrooms and drink stations. No shortage of snacks. Awesome scenery. Well organized. Entertainment was frequent. And the expo is HUGE!
great race
It needs chocolate milk at finish line. Also, it is hard to hear at the start of the race. Very pretty. Hilly. great coward support. great race. MORE
It needs chocolate milk at finish line. Also, it is hard to hear at the start of the race. Very pretty. Hilly. great coward support. great race.
Great race with a ton of support
This is such a fun race and the course support is off the charts. Every time you turn around, someone is handing you something. Lots of fun water stations and … MORE
This is such a fun race and the course support is off the charts. Every time you turn around, someone is handing you something. Lots of fun water stations and snacks, great fans! The course is very hilly – it’s no joke. But the medal is spectacular! You will have a great time at this race – it’s such a big deal for Cincinnati, everyone gets into it, and it is terrifically well-organized.
Best marathon experience around!
An amazing race experience at any distance for first timers to seasoned “streakers.” The overall experience of the weekend is win after win. From the expo, to the volunteers, to … MORE
An amazing race experience at any distance for first timers to seasoned “streakers.” The overall experience of the weekend is win after win. From the expo, to the volunteers, to the race itself, everything is a perfect 10!
Great race-cation race!
Flying Pig puts on a great race. I ran the 'Floating Half' and Queen Bee and all of their races are well done. I do recommend these races to others. … MORE
Flying Pig puts on a great race. I ran the ‘Floating Half’ and Queen Bee and all of their races are well done. I do recommend these races to others.
Communication for the half and full marathons is great, especially for out-of-towners. If you are on FB, then consider joining the Flying Pig FB Group. Lots of race veterans are able to answer any questions that you might have and there are times when the race officials will respond to some questions. It’s a great resource.
The course is challenging, but train for hills and you will be fine. Check out the training section of the website. They have a treadmill guide with incline % that mimic the course. This is so useful if you live in a flat area or if winter conditions are brutal and you can’t get outside. I enjoyed most of the course- especially Eden Park. The view at the top is fantastic! There are a couple of stretches that are meh- but overall I really enjoyed the course.
They have plenty of aid stations and so many cheer zones! Volunteers are top notch and do a great job cheering you on. The DJ at the end was incredible- even for the back of the packers! There are tons of port-o-johns along the course, and at the start and finish lines. There is a ton of crowd support. The spectator guide does a great job telling friends and family where they can cheer you on. And there are even several businesses that have watch parties (great for when weather is bad). If you love races with great crowd support, then this is your race.
As always, they did a great job with the medals! One of my favorites.
The swag is okay- especially for the price. Full marathoners received a red, tri-blend t-shirt and it was just okay. We also received a premium gift which was a foldable back pack. It was okay, but I’d rather have a quality quarter zip shirt and skip the backpack.
Aid stations are almost every mile- which is awesome! They serve Gatorade and Gu. I wish they served something something different. This is a pricier marathon, so an upgrade with on course fuel and hydration would be appreciated.
This is a larger race and even though they have 9 corrals, the first several miles are still congested. If you are running in the middle of the pack to the back of the pack be prepared for lots of runners who stop without giving people behind them a warning and for people to run in large groups that take up most of the road. You’ll have lots of sudden stops and it’s very challenging getting around these groups. It would be nice if the half marathoners could start after the marathoners in order to alleviate some of the congestion. If you don’t like crowded races, this is not the race for you.
They have a great post-race party and family and friends can join! The beer is Mich Ultra- meh. I wish they went with a local brewery like 50 West.
Overall I really like these races. There are just a few small things that I would change, but it’s a fun race and it feels like the whole city gets involved! It’s a great race for a race-cation.
My Favorite Race!
From the pre-race build up around our city, to the expo, to the race itself, this is my favorite race of all time. The Flying Pig team is a well … MORE
From the pre-race build up around our city, to the expo, to the race itself, this is my favorite race of all time. The Flying Pig team is a well oiled machine and it shows! It’s a tough, hilly course but there are plenty of fluid and aid stations, medical support should you need it, tons of spectators, a cool finish “swine” that is back of the pack friendly, and great swag. This was my 10th year for the Pig and I will be there again in 2026!
Best atmosphere!
The atmosphere is electric, the race is smoothly organized & a HUGE event for the city. Experienced pacers at a lot of different paces. Highly recommend! The hills scare a … MORE
The atmosphere is electric, the race is smoothly organized & a HUGE event for the city. Experienced pacers at a lot of different paces. Highly recommend! The hills scare a lot of people, but they’re all in the first half of the race, they lead to a great view, and there’s tons of crowds cheering you all the way up. A great first marathon!!!
Such a fun first marathon!
Felt like a 26 mile party, it was so much fun! The course was stacked with volunteers and a cheering crowd. I felt like the race just “flew” by. The … MORE
Felt like a 26 mile party, it was so much fun! The course was stacked with volunteers and a cheering crowd. I felt like the race just “flew” by. The course was definitely challenging, but we got lucky with perfect weather. The expo and swag was awesome as well. The medals are super cute, and I’m so grateful I chose Flying Pig as my first marathon. It will forever have a special place in my heart!
Flying Pig '25
My first full marathon and I loved it. The majority of the hills come early enough where they aren't a burden. Tons of crowd support, water and aid. Definitely will … MORE
My first full marathon and I loved it. The majority of the hills come early enough where they aren’t a burden. Tons of crowd support, water and aid. Definitely will do again.