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Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 518 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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A. S. from Londonderry, NH USA
(5/9/2009)
"A truly great event" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 40th marathon and first Pig. I'm on the road to 50 states. This was one of the best organized races I have run (includes Boston and NY). The course is tough, but really fair. There are hard hills in the early middle. Great - really great - crowds. Awesome water stops and Gatorade every mile (more than you will ever need). Well marked miles. A great finish "swine," as they call it; it's flat and you run straight in to the line. If I was not hellbent on doing 50 states, this would be one I'd come back to. By the way, the views from the crest of the hills are awesome. Run this one. Oh yeah, there are lots of bands, entertainment, and a great expo. You've got to run this one... and join the skinny folks in shorts who can call themselves real "pigs." Nice job, Cincy! | |
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M. L. from Tampa, Fl
(5/8/2009)
"Nice course - great support" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third Flying Pig and I found it to be better than ever. The finish line location was perfect compared to the narrow zigzagging street of prior years. The support of all of the volunteers and the spectators was awesome, as usual. Of the 20 marathons I have run, the Pig is still one of my favorites. Despite doing very little hill training, I had a very successful race. A few rolling hills are a big plus - much easier on the quads and calves; besides, they make the course challenging and varied. The loop course is another big plus. Thanks again... see you soon! | |
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K. Y. from Plainfield, IL
(5/8/2009)
"Scenic Course! Fun Race!" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a great race! It was a good expo, and the premium race bags and race poster were a nice touch! However the race t-shirt could use a little improvement. The painted pigs and decor at the expo are also very cool. The course was beautiful - the area through the art museum was especially scenic. As a warning, the course is quite hilly, especially with a nice, little incline at mile 25. Initially it is a little packed on the course, but it thins out a lot once the half-marathoners drop off at mile 9. The crowd support was very good. What could use a little work are the post-race refreshments. There weren't many options for snacks in the finisher's area. Also, there was no free beer, which was a little disappointing. However, the band and post-race party area were very nice. The medal is also very cool. I would definitely run this race again! | |
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R. H. from Columbus, Ohio
(5/8/2009)
"Can't wait to do it again!!" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first full marathon, and I have only run one half in Columbus prior to this, so I don't have much to compare it to. However, from what I've read on this forum, I completely agree that this is one of the best marathons out there. Take my advice, train for some hills - I was weak in this area and it hurt my run, but I still couldn't have asked for better support or organization of the race. Someone mentioned that they ran out of bananas at the end, and I agree that this was a negative. I finished in just over 4:45 - not great but not the slowest either - and I was really looking forward to a banana in place of all of the oranges throughout the race. Overall though, I can't say enough about how awesome this race is, and I'm already counting down the days until the next "Pig!!" | |
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rob horton from republic, mo., usa
(5/8/2009)
"High-quality event with awesome spectator support" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Don't be concerned about the hills; just pace yourself over the first 20 miles and you will be fine. Room for improvement: They need a better system for getting people into their proper pace area at the start. Logistics took priority at the finish area, and this somewhat tainted some of the sense of fellowship I often enjoy at running events. | |
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B. P. from St. Augustine, FL
(5/8/2009)
"Great spectators!" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon overall and my third this year. The Flying Pig was by far my favorite. I danced and sang in the streets and even beat my previous times by 25 and 45 minutes. The hill between miles 6-8 didn't seem to be a big deal, and I come from FL, where we train on bridges. Be prepared to smile for 26.2 miles! | |
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T. S. from Superior, WI
(5/7/2009)
"Almost perfect!" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've run 71 marathons and the Flying Pig is definitely in the top 10 of my favorites. I can only echo the many positive comments on previous posts. I loved the live entertainment at the pasta feed in Fountain Square, the premium carry bag at the expo, the great variety on the course, the fact that the course is NOT out-and-back, and being greeted at the finish line and shaking hands with the race official (Board President, I think). But no one is perfect, so here are some minor tips for improving next year's marathon: 1. the water at the beginning and ending water stops tasted so bad that I could not properly hydrate, but water quality did improve as we got farther into the course; 2. the bananas were all gone at the finish line - not a single one was left at my average finish time; 3. the prepaid pasta ticket pickup was a little messy and had unnecessarily long waits; 4. a complementary beverage (beer) coupon at the finish party would have greatly appreciated. So these are very minor comments. All in all, a great race, and I would highly recommend it to any 50-Stater running their Ohio race. Thank you to all of the many volunteers. I had a great time in your wonderful city! | |
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R. H. from Chagrin Falls, OH
(5/6/2009)
"Great race, two problems: the start & plastic cups" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 18th marathon, and my first Pig Marathon. There were lots of hills but no real killers. The crowds were better than most races. I have two concerns: In the start, there was so much garbage, including many water bottles that were a real hazard. Also, several water stops had plastic cups which can cause a serious injury. (I haven't seen plastic on a big race in a long time.) | |
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R. D. from Cincinnati, Ohio
(5/6/2009)
"I love my hometown marathon!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my marathon. I live here in Cincinnati and it was my first race experience (with a relay team), my first half, and my first full. I have gone on to run several other races in several other cities, but the Pig is still my absolute favorite. You get so much for your money - a shirt (technical for marathoners), a poster, a premium bag, and tons of Pig-related freebies at the expo! We have the best and most supportive fans! The medals are fantastic! There are post-race Mylar blankets and food aplenty! Our focus on marathon weekend IS the marathon. I've been to several cities where the locals didn't even know there was a race going on. If you have the slightest interest in doing this race, sign up. You won't be disappointed. | |
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s. w. from Portsmouth,Ohio
(5/6/2009)
"fun but..." (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I love Cincinnati and had a great marathon weekend. I wish I could say the same for the race itself, but the congested start is a MAJOR problem. We left our downtown hotel at 5:45 to get to the start with plenty of time, but it was not early enough. We were lucky to squeeze into the starting area near the 5-hour pace group. It took 10 minutes to reach the starting line after the start of the race. The first 2 miles were so congested that I was 2 minutes off my projected pace - I couldn't get enough elbow room to go any faster. And what is with the traffic islands on the road at the start? You can't see them with the crowd; they are a obstacle that you don't want to worry about near a starting line. I think they need to have some kind of staggered start; maybe walkers could take off 20 minutes later. I grew up in Cincy and want to love this event, but at least one other Ohio race has been much more enjoyable for me. |
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