Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon started in 1999. A Boston Marathon qualifier, it boasts itself to be America’s “third largest first-time marathon.” It is a fun weekend of events and activities directed around the running of the Marathon. This includes a large Expo held at the Duke Energy Center. The Health and Fitness Expo is where runners pick up their registration packet and verify their ChampionChip. It also attempts to provide runners with important information on this endurance sport as well as data on health and nutrition.


The Flying Pig Marathon race takes place ever May. In 2001, 43 states and 10 countries consisting of 7,600 people participated. In 2004, 4,384 runners completed the race. In 2006, there were 4,172 finishers. The course is not a complicated one, nor is it particularly tortuous. It starts at Mehring Way and ends at Yeatman’s near the West end of Serpentine’s Wall. The course winds through the streets of Newport, Covington and Cincinnati. People running the Flying Pig Half Marathon, run part way with the Marathon runners before turning back towards the downtown area. Everyone starts together at 6:30 a.m.


Other categories in the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati are directed at various levels and organized under specific criteria. There are a Kid’s Marathon of 5K and a “Piglet Fun Run” for children. The organization also includes various age groups as well as a Clydesdale, Athena, Masters and Wheelchair categories. There are also special divisions, including the Relay Event and the Old Spice High Endurance Race to the Finish.

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All categories receive prizes for the winner or the top three finishers. Pre-registered participants for the Half Marathon and/or Marathon may also receive a generous package including a commemorative T-shirt, limited edition poster, “goodie bag,” and another unspecified, surprise gift. The mascot or symbol of the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, a flying pig, adorns the logos, T-shirts, mementos and posters.


The winners of the Flying Pig Marathon have been consistently different every year from its start except for the years 2000 and 2001. For those two years, interestingly enough, the male and female winners both repeated their success. Rudolf Jun and Rebecca Gallagher both won their respective categories. In 2002, Tatyana Pozdnyakova set a course record of 2:34:35. Cecil Frank set a record for the men in 2006. His time was 2:20:25. In 2007, under the logo “Race 360”, the winners of the Flying Pig Marathon were Isaac Barnes at 2:33:36 and Leah Peelman at 2:55:56.