Everybody remembers their first ___________. First memories are powerful and can shape your future. First dates, first cars, first time leaving the country, the list can go on and on. For me, 2018 was the year that I ran my first marathon. Looking back on it, that race helped pull me into the wonderful world of running. From before high school, I had always thought that it would be awesome to complete a marathon one day. I enjoyed running through school, but never entered any races longer than a 5K. After college, I had more free time, so I decided to finally go after my goal. Living in Cincinnati, I signed up for the local Flying Pig Marathon, held every year on the first weekend in May. In this article I will give a review of the race and also document my experience.

Flying Pig Marathon Background

The Flying Pig Marathon is held in downtown Cincinnati every year on the first Sunday in May. This year was the 20th running of the Flying Pig. It is part of a whole weekend of racing with events for the whole family. I only participated in the full marathon on Sunday. There was a 1-mile run on Friday night, a 10K & 5K on Saturday morning, and the full marathon & 1/2 marathon on Sunday. For those interested in challenging themselves further (NOT ME!), you could register for multiple races in the weekend. The race organizers call them 3-way & 4-way, which are a nod to Cincinnati’s famous Skyline chili menu. There are a few different combinations, but a 3-way involves doing the 5k, 10k and half marathon. The 4-way requires completing the 5k, 10k and full marathon. Adding “extra cheese” also gets you into the 1 mile race.

Flying Pig Marathon EXPO

The P&G Health & Fitness Expo was held at the Duke Energy Convention Center. I actually work downtown in Cincinnati, so I walked over during my lunch break. The Flying Pig Marathon puts on a very organized Expo. The expo runs for 2 days, Friday and Saturday. Packet pickup right inside the door and is pretty easy to find where you need to go. After getting your packet, you have to wind through the Race Sponsor’s Merchandise area before getting to the other vendors. The race was sponsored by ASICS, so everything in that area was ASICS branded. I was surprised by the large amount of vendors and spent some time browsing their selections.

To get the rest of your goodies, you have to weave your way through the vendors to the back of the convention center room. I received a black ASICS technical shirt (love it!), black foldable blanket, and a race poster. I probably spent 30 minutes at the Expo, but easily could have spent more time browsing the vendors. It was pretty crowded, but seeing everyone else got me real excited for the race! I also chose to not wait in line for the P&G samples (line was pretty long). The expo was open on Friday and Saturday with the main races being on Sunday morning.

Tip for First Time Marathoners: I received a free shirt from the Buckeye Running Vendor because I was running my first marathon. Do not miss out on the freebie… though I’m not sure if they do this every year, but worth checking out!

Travel/Parking

Living in the Cincinnati area, I did not have to travel very far for this race. There are plenty of parking garages around downtown to utilize for the expo. For race day, if you are driving in, I recommend parking in the lot just south of Paul Brown Stadium or the newer lot between the Bengals and Reds stadiums. Just make sure to arrive a little early, as the lots will fill up as more runners arrive. There are also plenty of hotels downtown that are located within walking distance of all of the weekend’s activities. Another option would be to look at staying across the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky. For those flying in, do not be confused by the location of the airport, as it is actually in Kentucky! It is probably about 20 minutes away from downtown.

Race Day

Pre-Race

One of the things I appreciated about the Flying Pig Marathon was the start time! I love my cool temperatures, so the fact that the race started at 6:30am was a blessing. The only con with the early start time is that it makes for an early morning. In the first week of May you never know what you will get in Southwest Ohio. In the week leading up to the race, I was a little worried as the forecast called for rain. However, the rain ended up coming early on Saturday and cleared out for Sunday. It was a tad warm, with the temperature at the start hovering around 55 degrees.

Having a 25 minute drive into the city, I met up with a friend to drive down at around 5am. We arrived in the lot south of Paul Brown Stadium around 5:30 (plenty of parking spots available still) and walked up towards the start line. I would say if you are in the first wave, that you should aim to arrive in the area by 5:30-5:45. We met up with the rest of the MOJO Running Club and got our group pictures in front of the stadium. The gear check was right outside the stadium, as they had a bunch of school buses lined up. Pretty efficient process if you followed instructions. I didn’t check anything because my family was coming down for the race and would meet me after I finished.

The Flying Pig enforces their corrals, so you must show your bib to enter your respective corral. Up close to the start there were not very many portable toilets, so we all got in line around 6. We were glad we did because we got to the front of the line at 6:15, did our business and then jumped into our corrals. Being up in Corral B, we started with the first wave of runners. Waves were staggered at the start to provide a more balanced running experience for later runners. Some runners in later corrals didn’t start until more than 45 minutes after the initial gun.

Course Overview

This review is specifically for the full marathon course. If you are looking for a half marathon review, check out my guide here. As an overview, the Flying Pig Marathon course is a rather difficult one. I knew this coming into the race, but boy did the elevation work the legs. The route features a steady climb from miles 5-8 and is rolling throughout the rest of the course. Most people also don’t realize how much climbing is involved when going over the 3 bridges within the first couple miles of the race, be prepared! While the elevation profile looks flat for the back half of the race, it still features miles of rolling roads and small climbs. Here are the course stats:

• Max Elevation: 822 ft.
• Min Elevation: 484 ft.
• Elevation Gain: 1,074 ft
• Water Aid Stations: 24 Stations (Roughly each mile)
• Medical Aid Tents: 16 Tents
• GU Energy Stations: 3 stations (2 on full, 1 on half)
• Pace Groups: Yes

Start – Mile 5

The race starts next to Paul Brown Stadium and takes you down 2nd street by Great American Ballpark. I was surprised by the large amount of spectators already cheering us on so early! Then you hang a right onto the 1st of 3 bridges, the Taylor Southgate Bridge. Running over a river as big as the Ohio River is quite the experience, so look out and enjoy the scenery. You may not realize it when you drive, but the hills on the bridges are no joke. Coming down the bridge you arrive in Newport for a few miles in Northern Kentucky. At about mile 2 you will hit the 2nd bridge as you head into Covington. This bridge is not a huge climb, but gets you prepared for what is to come ahead.

Once you cross the bridge into Covington, you are rewarded with a straight, gradual downhill mile. Around mile 3, you turn north and head across the final bridge (the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge) back into Ohio. This bridge is pretty big with a long initial climb. It was pretty cool to look down on the right and see the Bengals training facility. This bridge also gives a neat view of the Cincinnati riverfront. After reaching the top of the bridge, stay left and run the tangent to the upcoming left turn. After a mile of weaving through some industrial areas, you come out for a mile stretch through the heart of downtown. The fans were strong through the section and their loud cheering swept you through 7th street. We finished this section quicker than planned, running about 15-20 seconds ahead of our target each mile. The excitement got to us!

Section Recap:

• 3 bridges
• 226 ft. Elevation Gain (45.2 ft/mile)
• 43 ft. Net Gain

Mile 5 – Mile 8.5

After running the length of 7th street, you continue onto Gilbert Ave. and start your journey upwards. These next 3.5 miles were pretty tough as it was mostly uphill with a few plateaus. We slowed our pace down a little to conserve energy through this section. Shortly after the 6 mile mark, you turn right to head up into Eden Park. While the hills were tough, this was probably the most scenic stretch of the course. The course winds through some wooded areas, giving the illusion that it is a never ending hill. This is can mentally taxing if you are not prepared for it.

Near the top of the climb is the Krohn Conservatory on your right. It is famous for it’s springtime butterfly show (I recommend highly!). We were serenaded by a singing Elvis impersonator on the climb, as well as large crowd support. This stretch features a little steeper grade than the rest of the climb so dig deep and focus on the overpass ahead. The overpass up ahead is the high point for this section of climbing, so focus on it as an end point. After passing the Conservatory, you swing out around an awesome overlook where you get sweeping views of the Ohio River and Northern Kentucky. This is a great time to catch your breath and prepare for more miles to come.

After exiting Eden Park, you still have some climbing left to get up Victory Parkway. At the top of Victory Parkway we finally reached the highest point on the Flying Pig Course! Don’t get too excited because it is NOT all downhill from there. But the big climbs are done and you can pick the pace back up. I felt like my training prepared me for the hills, and I came out of them feeling pretty good still! We slowed a little on the hills, but were still pacing for a 3:20ish finish.

Section Recap:

• HILLS
• 326 ft. Elevation Gain (93.1 ft/mile)
• 169 ft. Net Gain

Mile 8.5 – Mile 14

After hitting Madison Ave. the course winds through some neighborhoods. There were lots of people sitting on their front lawns cheering runners on and providing unofficial aid stations. In keeping with the pig theme, there were even multiple bacon offers! The first 2 miles of this section are a nice downhill with a few rolling inclines mixed in. A turn onto Erie Ave brings you into Hyde Park Square. This area was PACKED with fans and was a nice pick up spot. This was also the 2nd relay exchange spot for the 4-person team relay event, so there were also many runners waiting for their runner coming to meet them.

Coming out of the square, you face a moderate incline for the next mile. After passing behind the Cincinnati Observatory, a welcome downhill section greets your tired legs. This downhill lasts for close to 2 miles as you near the halfway mark in the race. It is probably the best spot to make up any time conserved on the earlier hills. Shortly after the halfway mark you make a right on Bramble and head towards Mariemont. We kept our pace even through this section and passed through the half at just a little over 1:41. I remember saying, “I feel pretty good still!” Things changed very quickly though…

Section Recap:

• Net Downhill allows opportunity to earn back time but still has some climbs
• -224 ft. Net Gain
• 218 ft. Elevation Gain (39.6 ft/mile)

Mile 14 – Mile 18

As you turn onto Settle Street, you get some rolling hills as you head into Mariemont. Luckily it they are short climbs, but definitely test your mental capacity. The course turns flat for awhile as you loop through the quaint village of Mariemont. There are a lot of turns through this section and at a few points you can see runners a mile ahead of you on the other side of the street. Crowd support was great and we flew through the area. The course winds onto a bike path for a short bit before winding through some more neighborhoods. There are some small hills mixed in, so be prepared for some more climbing. Another short, steep climb awaits as you make the gradual turn onto Watterson Rd. We kept up our 20 second under target pace through this section, as we continued to plow on!

Section Recap:

• Mostly Neighborhood running with a few small kickers to keep you on your toes
• -22 ft. Net Elevation
• 97 ft. Elevation Gain

Mile 18 – Mile 19

I gave this 1 mile stretch it’s own section because it is by far the most boring stretch of the race. After leaving Fairfax, you hop on the shoulder of a highway for a little over a mile. Being a highway, there are little to no spectators along the course. It was also starting to heat up and get into the 60’s. The sun came out and with no shade, it really got warm. The only positive was that it was a gradual downhill slope until exiting the highway.

Section Recap

• BORING
• -41 ft. Net Gain
• 14 ft. Elevation Gain

Mile 19 – Mile 23

After leaving the highway, you hit mile 19 and run along Eastern Ave for a few miles. This was the stretch where I really first started feeling fatigue starting to set in to the legs. The crowd support was more sparse through this section and I found myself starting to look at my watch more often (never a good thing…). This section was basically flat with a little net downhill. There were a few inclines but nothing noteworthy. My pace slowed down to 8:00 a mile as I hit the 20 mile mark. I was still on track for 3:20ish, but started to realize that wasn’t going to happen. Around mile 21 we made the turn onto Riverside and I let my last teammate go on ahead and I braced for the last 5 miles solo. Upon reaching mile 22 my pace quickly dropped to 8:30 as I slowed down.

Section Recap

• -20 ft Net Gain
• 95 ft. Elevation Gain

Mile 23 – Finish

This final stretch felt like the longest 3 miles of my life (well, 3.2 to be exact). This section is along the Ohio River as you head back to downtown. Up ahead you can see the skyscrapers calling you home. I was really struggling and shortly after mile 23 I caved and walked for a small stretch to take a break. My teammate gave me the advice that sometimes walking is more better than slowly running at that point. I dealt with the shame of walking and having others pass me, but I was absolutely wiped out.

There are a few inclines that wouldn’t have been too bad at the beginning of the race, but are painful in the closing miles of the race. I adapted the strategy of walking up the rolling hills and then running after reaching the summit. The crowd support picked up over the last mile and I found some last ditch energy to get to the finish. A slight downhill finish along GABP was a nice gift from the race director after all that climbing. I was never more excited to see a finish line in my life! A couple 9 & 10 minute miles set me back, but I still managed to cross the finish line in 3:30:59.

Section Recap

• 8 ft. Net Gain
• 98 ft. Elevation Gain

Post-Race

The Flying Pig Marathon finishes in between Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium. After the race you are greeted with a huge medal and plenty of water/snacks. Kroger was a corporate sponsor, so they provided a lot of the food. There was also a pizza truck with free LaRosa’s pizza for all of the runners. This was the 20th year of the Pig, so they decided to give a nice quarter zip jacket to all finishers! There was a nice big park (Smale Park) next to the finish for family and friends to meet up with you after the race. It turned out to be a beautiful day (pretty warm for running though).

Flying Pig Marathon – Overall Experience

The Flying Pig Marathon put on an absolute awesome event. From start to finish the race was a great experience and got me hooked on marathons! I look forward to returning to run the Pig again in the future! Check out my guide to How to Train for a Marathon for more tips for your training.