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Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.5 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.6 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.6 
 
 
Number of comments: 518 [displaying comments 311 to 321]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 30 31 32 33 34 .. 52 > ]

 

A. G. from Guttenberg, NJ (5/9/2006)
"Fun Race!! OINK!!! :)" (about: 2006)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


Started out the weekend with a perfect expo!! Lots of terrific freebies and plenty of vendors. Course was a bit hilly... but FUN!! The number of water/Gatorade stops and potties on this course was better then any I've seen before. Nice finish line!! Plenty of people cheering. Crowd support was great!! A fun race!!! Wee, wee, wee!!!!!!!!!!

 

L. P. from arizona (5/9/2006)
"Difficult Course; Congested Starting Area" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 3  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


Extremely well organized event; very hospitable volunteers. Water stations were abundant more than at any other marathon I have run. (Gatorade sucks as an electrolyte beverage.) The course is much more difficult than the elevation map indicates mile 5-8 are as tough as any you will encounter. I was still able to run a Boston qualifier, but this is not a course to set a P.R. on. The circuitous section through the neighborhoods around 15-17 should be reconsidered. Miles 18 to the finish are nice and flat but the area is a bit rundown and depressing. The start of the marathon and half marathon should also be reconsidered. It was extremely crowded with a lot of runners (and I mean A LOT) at the front of the pack who might have been better placed further back. Getting to the start wasn't easy and finding the shuttle stop back to KY hotels was impossible.

 

C. R. from Indianapolis, IN (5/8/2006)
"Hilly with great water/Gatorade stops" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 3  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


Wow, as a flat-lander from Indianapolis, the course was hilly but well served by fun and helpful volunteers. The start was crazy with a number of walkers near the front of the pack. There were well-placed "port-o-potties" throughout the course, and finally, lots of flying pigs. Thanks again!

 

J. W. from All over the US (5/8/2006)
"THIS is an OUTSTANDING event!!!" (about: 2006)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This race has it all - fun, beauty, great spectators (amazingly supportive), lots of extras, and... did I mention... FUN!!!! Flying Pig captures and delivers: "Why we run 26.2 - Because pigs DO fly!" If you don't understand that phrase, you should probably stick to a flat course.

 

J. S. from Park Hills, KY (5/8/2006)
"Great Race" (about: 2006)

2 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon was my second marathon. The course was as advertised, a large hill in the first half and then mostly rolling hills in the second half. Some of the hills were more than rolling but barely showed up on the elevation chart due to the size fo the hill in the first half.
The event was well organized and although it is one of the uglier shirts I have ever seen, it was nice to get a technical shirt for the marathon runners.
The crowd support was strong in most places. The volunteers were great and well appreciated.
I look forward to running this race again in the future.

 

Chris Hockman from Columbus, Ohio (5/8/2006)
"the most scenic marathon I have run" (about: 2006)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


WOW! What a great race this year. If you love hills as a challenge you should do this one. Thank you, City of Cincinnati, for this one. The atmosphere, the scenic views and the people were amazing. The best race I ever ran. The packet pickup was easy and organization of the event was outstanding. Thanks again.

- Chris; Columbus, OH

 

G. T. from Beavercreek OH (5/8/2006)
"Good Race - Could be better" (about: 2006)

3 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 5


As mentioned earlier, good premiums, and great water stations. This is not a hilly course. Let me repeat that - this is not a hilly course. I held back expecting tough hills and never found them. I should have driven the course in advance. This race needs a new start area. It would be lovely if we didn't have to pay to park after waiting 20 minutes in traffic for them to open. A park would have been better for stretching pre-race rather than a dirty curb. Also, it would be a novel idea to sweep the streets and the bridges the first few miles. Not a great image. I really had to laugh at the first music on the course - it was located directly in front of a large garbage dumpster. Not too classy after doing Nashville last week. As stated, the hills never materialized, but the course improved up Eggerton (sp?) and through Eden Park. Down Eggerton was a breeze all the way to the finish. Great finish line! Had difficulty getting back to the car towards the start line. Had to cross in front of finishing runners.

All in all this is a good race, but it could be a great one with more attention to detail.

 

Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati (5/7/2006)
"How do I love the Pig? Let me count the ways." (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 2 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


The expo was wonderful: great travel bag with Pig logo; CoolMax shirt; and lots of different vendors. Liked the temporary tattoos from Fleet Feet! The expo starts the festive atmosphere that pervades every part of this marathon - don't take yourself too seriously! Race-day temps ranged in the 40s and 50s and helped me to shave 6 minutes off my PR, despite the hills, which I didn't notice last year when I ran it for the first time.

Water station volunteers had different cups to distinguish H2O from Gatorade, which was helpful. Afterwards, the post-race recovery area gave us the ever-so-cool Pig medal, still my favorite, and a Pig towel, along with lots of choices of food. Spectators were numerous, enthusiastic, and the volunteers were abundant and great.

But, race directors take note: it could be better if you have a few porta-potties in the race recovery area for those of us who are on the "go" mode. If runners leave the recovery area to use the facilities, they don't get back in.

Also, you could start the relay runners and the half-marathoners 30 minutes after the full marathon runners to decrease the congestion in the first few miles.

But, even with these shortcomings, I gave you a five-star score. Congrats for another well-organized race that gives a lot back to the average runner, instead of offering a lot of prize money to attract the professionals. I hope you keep this race, as it is now - a testament to amateur running.

 

S. P. from SW Ohio (5/7/2006)
"Great Marathon Experience!" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I really enjoyed this race. The expo was fantastic and the bennies that they gave us - an actual running shirt (vs. the all-too-common cotton, long-sleeved shirts), a great overnight bag and lots of goodies - were a welcome surprise. The medal was my favorite so far.

To give the spectators and volunteers 5 stars seems altogether inadequate. I have never seen a city turn out with such support for any event!

The course was quite hilly which is the only reason I gave it 4 stars. Eden Park was especially steep but the park itself is so nice it distracted me from the ascent quite a bit. Loved the Hyde Park neighborhoods and the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood aid station volunteers were the most enthusiastic of all.

The only complaint I have, and this is probably not so much the fault of the organizers as it was a bad choice by participants, is that there were many walkers towards the front at the start and that not only slowed things down at the beginning but was kind of treacherous as they were blocking the way at the most crowded time causing lots of weaving and evasive maneuvers. Maybe they could start a few minutes later?

Hope to run this one many times over.

 

E. H. from Cincinnati, OH (5/7/2006)
"Great City, Race, Volunteers, And Fans" (about: 2006)

2 previous marathons | 2 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my second marathon and my second running of the Flying Pig. As a Cincinnati native this race reminds me what a special city we live in. The course is great (except for Columbia Parkway and Eastern Avenue). I love the fan support and the volunteers are fabulous.

Although I had some physcial issues today that prevented me from achieving a PR I will definitely do this race again next year. I am a PROUD Cincinnatian for sure!!!

Oh by the way, the technical tees are great as well as the gym bag! Also the expo is very well organized, as is registration.

Everyone that had anything to do with organizing and supporting this event needs to pat themselves on the back. See you next year (I will volunteer again at the expo and run the marathon).

 

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