This year they finally added corrals at the start and it was awesome! No more tripping over all of the walkers. Lots of crowd support along the way. The expo is great - although I am tired of getting FP bags. The finisher medals are excellent. Course is hilly and challenging, but scenic. It's a fun race and very well organized. Don't miss it!

I'm from the Cincinnati area, and I'm not trying to be bias, but this race does almost everything right ! It amazes me, how the organizers and volunteers do such a wonderful job. The spectators are awesome, the water stops endless and flawless, port-o-lets are everywhere, and the course is very fair. This was my 21st marathon and second Pig. Time wise, this course is my 3rd and 4th fastest of 21 with a 10 year separation gap. That says a lot about the course considering the hills.
If you've ever thought about running the Pig ? Don't hesitate, it truly is a great experience. They even started the corral system this year. This is the area that still needs some work. I was in 'C' and there were still a lot of walkers in front of me. But that happens sometimes.
I highly recommend this race from marathon virgins to seasoned veterans.
Great job Cincy. You just keep getting better and better.

This is a wonderful race in a beautiful course of the City of Cincinnati. This is my 24th marathon and my 4th Cincy. As you can see, the increase in the number of participants each year why it is this race is highly recommended. Thank you to everyone for supporting us runners. We really appreciated it and will be back 2012.

A must-do race. Light rain and good temps made this a great race. The course is challenging, but the race and fan support are exceptional. This is a fun race for all levels of experience. Everyone must do the Pig.

I've run all over the world and each of the 200 races I've done have great attributes. The Pig is no different. While crowded, the expo was easy to navigate and there seemed to be ample lodging nearby. Volunteers were great and frequent to help. Plenty of aid stations on the course as well.

Here are the cons for this race:

-While the corral start was a good idea, the execution was less than stellar. 6 corrals with 2 entry points for each made the staging nearly impossible. Trying to put 5,000 people in each corral 2-4 at a time won't really work. Kudos for the thought but make it easy for people to get to their corral.
-Because it was so difficult to get into the corral, many people started in the wrong place. I started in 'C' (for the 4-4:30 full and 2-2:14 half groups). I was dodging walkers for the first 1 1/2 miles.
-The course was also too congested. I felt like there was no real way to get a rhythm during the entire race because you were either running around people or people were cutting directly in front of me. This was race #200 for me (70 half and 22 full plus many others) and it seemed every bit as bad as I've ever seen it in an event.
-Post race finisher's chute was also very crowded. This is a problem at pretty much every large event I've done and I've still never understood it. It was downright uncomfortable trying to get out of there and I probably spent 20-25 minutes navigating through all the stuff. I just wanted to get back to the hotel!

All in all, because of what it is, I'd say if you like a huge race or never experienced one, I'd recommend it. If you're looking for a BQ or a PR, I'd find something else to do. It's just too crowded.

Well this was my 4th Marathon- and It was very enjoyable- People were so excited we were from Canada! I knew little about Cincinnati prior to my arrival; what a beautiful city filled with very kind people. The expo was fantastic! You get a packsack and a t shirt! The course was challenging- 4 miles of steady uphill- and some parts of it- there were no fans.. However for the most part there was lots of entertainment. My biggest complaint was the walkers, half marathon and full marathoners ALL start at the same time- It was a disaster of people tripping over each other at the beginning until mile 9! Wave starts are needed- as well the half marathoners starting either before or after the full marathoners!! The pasta party was great! and the race organizers were fantastic. I ended up sitting at the pasta party with the race director and marketing crew and they were genuinely excited to have 'out of towners' there. I recommend this race- but I do think a few small changes could make this race even better!

This was my fourth marathon, and my first Flying Pig. I ran the Derby Half Marathon the prior day, so my body and mind were exhausted by the time this race started, but even still, I had a great experience. It was definitely a little congested with so many runners the first 3-4 miles of the race, but that's expected of a race this large. The first few water stops were also a little disorganized - volunteers couldn't keep up with the volume of runners needing water/Gatorade, so we had to wait sometimes for drinks to be poured. Other than these two VERY SMALL details, I had a great run. The weather was rainy at first but that stopped shortly after the start and the breeze made for a nice race. Support was wonderful - from residents coming out to cheer, to volunteers, to medical personnel and police directing traffic. I would highly recommend this challenging course.

Why can't May in Cincinnati cooperate? Rain kept the spectators down a bit this year, but they were still enthusiastic. It's hilly, but where there's up, there's also blessed down. The expo seemed smaller this year and the new starting corral system was a bit of a challenge (how do I get across the fence and into the starting line? I hop over!), but that will improve with time. Clean wet towels were awesome at mile 21, plenty of potties and fluid stations all through, stayed open and stocked for even a slowpoke like me. Great for first-timers and vets alike. Hightail it down and run the Pig!

I trained all winter for my 1st full marathon. I started the Nashville Country Music Marathon and ended up finishing The Flying Pig Marathon.

I dislike the cheap feel of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series, so I was very pleased with all of the goodies and support thrown my way in Ohio. I love my free poster and duffel bag! The medal is super cute, as is the ladies' tech shirt (with tail!). Overall, I felt all the love and pride in Cincinnati.

On the other hand... I think it may be time for a corral system and wave start. The first several miles were a mess of different speed/distance runners and walkers. I never did locate my pace group. All of this might have bothered me more if I had not been distracted by the river below my feet and the waterfall on my head. :0

The first aid stations did not have Vaseline or BioFreeze. I came across Vaseline in the 20s when we ran through a neighborhood that thought of plenty (beer, gummy bears, fruit, M&Ms).

I have run 15 marathons and have never posted a bad comment about any of them. But I have to say, for me personally, this was my least favorite marathon of all.

The soggy weather didn't bother me; you accept that as part of the race. However, the thousands of half marathoners and relayers made the race WAY TOO CROWDED! I spent most of the marathon dodging slower walkers and runners who lined up completely wrong and didn't know race etiquette (to stay to the right). This was also a very hilly course with some strange twists and turns.

I will say that the expo and give-aways were fantastic. Top notch. And the organization for such a huge race was impressive. If you like huge events with lots of craziness and schwag, you'll like this race.
However, if you're like me and prefer small races with a hometown feel, more space to move and a low-key atmosphere, this race might not be for you either.