My Profile
@rogerthat
West Columbia, SC Raving since 2023 Active 9 months, 1 week agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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Half Marathon
Marathon
Ultramarathon
(Marathon or Ultra) + Half
Marathon + Ultra
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Future Races
Personal Bests (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon | Marathon | Cincinnati, OH | May 7, 2023 | 4:23:00 |
| St. George Marathon | Half Marathon | St. George, UT | Oct 4, 2025 | 1:48:00 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|
Past Races (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. George Marathon | Half Marathon | St. George, UT | Oct 4, 2025 | 1:48:00 |
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| Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon | Marathon | Cincinnati, OH | May 7, 2023 | 4:23:00 |
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St. George Marathon
A unique experience
St. George Marathon
Recognize that this race is actually two separate experiences. The first is the race itself, and the second is the 2 hours sitting around campfires, out in the desert, before … MORE
Recognize that this race is actually two separate experiences. The first is the race itself, and the second is the 2 hours sitting around campfires, out in the desert, before the start of the race.
Race: The race is well-supported by the community, with plentiful, friendly volunteers and crowd support once you reach town. The expo is well-organized and enthusiastic, with many chances to interact with vendors and race participants. The swag (long sleeve dry-fit with matching Steigen socks) is very good, the medal was modest. The bus ride was….a bus ride.
The course is downhill nearly the whole way. It is a quad-reliant race, as opposed to the normal calf. Most people should run a faster pace, unless the altitude affects you. Once the sun rises, the scenery is majestic, unlike most races. It doesn’t really change; it’s you running towards the horizon for 2 hours. But you’re not alone, as the half had 3,000+ runners and many fully-staffed water stations. We had great weather, so just beautiful.
Pre-race: Know that you’re going to be dropped off in the middle of the desert 2 hours before start, in darkness. Runners congregate around 50-gallon drums with fires, and it can be chilly (dress accordingly and use gear check). Volunteers and facilities are ample, but the time is primarily spent sitting on a gravel road (bring a cushion), while listening to music and talking with your neighbors. As the start approaches, an impressive drone light show plays and counts you down to the start.
My advice: find good people to sit with. Change seats if necessary. While some people sleep, others embrace it. I was lucky, as I randomly found myself with two women from Michigan, avid runners who were so fun and informative to be with. Reflecting back, it was my favorite part of the day.
With Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and Las Vegas nearby, this is clearly a destination/vacation-type race for people who live elsewhere. I thoroughly enjoyed my 72 hours in St. George. I don’t need to run it again, but I will. Cheers.
Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon 🏆
More than a race, it's an experience.
Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon 🏆
The Flying Pig always shows up as a Top 10 marathon to run, but once you experience it, you realize it is the best running experience out there. Make no … MORE
The Flying Pig always shows up as a Top 10 marathon to run, but once you experience it, you realize it is the best running experience out there. Make no mistake, the stars of this race are the volunteers and spectators. Us runners simply get to humbly experience them as we run past. I was never alone during this race. The number of spectators is shocking, as is there uniqueness and volume, and aid stations are plentiful. There is plenty of support out there for the weary runner.
The expo is quite extensive and generous, with packet pickup quite easy. Staying in Newport or Covington is convenient, walking across the Purple People bridge bright and early to easily get to the start line. The course is reasonable, reflecting the Cincinnati landscape, with scenery matching the typical urban race. A stretch of hills miles 5-8.5, pretty flat to downhill after that.
The handling of the unprecedented monsoon this year will draw criticism from some. They got lucky, especially avoiding hail conditions; ideally, they should have delayed the start 45 minutes, sheltering runners beneath the stadium, and it would have avoided some of the questionable parts. I presume they did not have police support through the afternoon for the marathon route, so didn’t delay start……so if there’s something to learn for future years, that’s it. I actually enjoyed the storm.
This was by far my best race ever. Not a PR, due to age, but the best experience I’ve ever had out on the course. It was truly remarkable the number of spectators weathering the storm for us runners. Running through downtown in a torrential downpour, cheered by thousands of fans, as I headed for the hills, was more than enough adrenalin for me. Surreal.
A weekend when you can take in a Red’s game, visit Hofbrauhaus in Newport, watch the Kentucky derby while in Kentucky, and then run a memorable race. It happens the first Sunday in May. Thanks, Cincinnati.