Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon - 4 May 2014

3:43:58 Chip
577/3980 Overall and 76/333 M35-39
Fifth 26.2 of 214 and 16th career 26.2
Ninth US State

I had first heard about Cincinnati's Fly Pig Marathon about a year ago and with all of the positive reviews I had seen, it was a natural fit into running four marathons in a 16 day span.  Having just come off my first back-back weekend on 26/27 April, I was curious on how I would perform.

Race Plan.  Based on running around an average 8:30 minute/mile pace at the Gettysburg Marathon (second day of the back to back), I was planning to head out around that pace for the first 16 miles and then try and push down toward 8:00 minute miles the rest of the way in if possible. 

Race Day.  Flying Pig has an early 6:30 am gun and I got to the start line near Paul Brown Stadium from my hotel across the river in Covington KY just after 5:40.  I have linked to my Map My File here. 

An early morning start

With the Marathon Maniac photo at 6:00 am, I probably would have been a bit better served getting there around 5:15. 


Flying Pig Marathon Maniacs

The race started out heading west toward Great American Ballpark before crossing over the Ohio River into Covington KY for about one mile.  The course looped back into Cincinnati through a relatively flat section through the downtown.  I struggled to keep my pace down through the first miles and by the  time I hit the main hill in Eden Park I was running around 90 seconds under my projected pace.  A bathroom break there however put me a little behind schedule and I pushed the pace a little through the middle section of the race to get back on my planned pace.  The course support was excellent but the section around Mariemont Square (15-17 miles( was especially outstanding.  The temperatures which had been moderate at the start did start to creep up a little by 15 miles into the race.  Coming out of the Mariemont Sqaure area is was becoming clear that I was not going to be able to drive the pace down below 8:30 and in fact I was going to be hard pressed to sustain that pace.  My pace sagged a little through the next four to five miles before stabilizing in the last few miles.  The section along the Columbia Parkway following Mariemont Square was a little boring but it moved into a really well supported section along Riverside Drive with a few rolling inclines.  The race finished by Great American Ballpark on a nice quick downhill finish. 

Headed to the finish

Course support was excellent with water stations located about every mile along the course.

Expo, Finish, Bling and Travel.  The Fly Pig Marathon had an excellent race expo with a wide variety vendors in the convention center.  Bib pick-up was across the street at the race hotel.  The finish festival was well done, although the recovery area was perhaps a little too extended and the baggage pick-up was a bit of hike.  The rest of the finish festival was quite good in a park along the Ohio River.  The medal and shirt are somewhat unique and in addition the marathon participants received a nice mini duffel bag. 

Flying Pig Marathon Shirt and Medal

There were a wide variety of hotels within walking distance of the start line including several in Covington KY.  I traveled to the race by car, splitting the trip to Cincinnati over Friday evening/Saturday morning with a long drive back on Sunday to Maryland which was a little ambitious.

Overall, the Flying Pig Marathon was an excellent race which I really enjoyed.  It had a good course and an outstanding race day experience.  This is definitely a race I would like to run again.