Running News Daily

Flying Pig Marathon Events Moved to October 9-11 amid COVID-19 crisis

On Friday, March 13, organizers of the Flying Pig Marathon moved the date of the 2020 race weekend from May 1-3 to October 9-11 amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The Flying Pig Marathon, named the #1 Marathon in America earlier this year, is known for its extraordinary participant experience and worked to maintain this during the pandemic. Options were offered to participants: Run a Spring Virtual Race, postpone to the October date or contribute race registration fees to the Flying Pig Charities.

By May 30, more than 5,500 will have completed their spring virtual race. Registration for the fall Flying Pig races opens on May 11 and nearly 17,000 are signed up for the October race weekend.

To mark what would have been Flying Pig Marathon week, organizers launched a social media and media outreach campaign starting on April 24 running through May 3.

To commemorate those who participated in the spring virtual Flying Pig races, Iris Simpson Bush and the Flying Pig mascot (both of whom greet every finisher at the Swine Line of the Marathon) offered personalized videos with a virtual high five for $22 with all proceeds benefitting UC Health COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund and the Over-the-Rhine (OTR) Chamber Small Business Fund. A donation of $1,000 was made on behalf of the Flying Pig Marathon to these funds.

“The Flying Pig Marathon has an economic impact of more than $14 million each year with direct financial support to our hospitality and retail community,” said Iris Simpson Bush, President & CEO of Pig Works, the parent organization of the Flying Pig Marathon. “We are happy to support our local medical professionals as well as the small businesses in OTR during this time of need.”

Thousands of runners and walkers hit the pavement in their communities to run their virtual event. Organizers of the Flying Pig Marathon asked the community to create flying pig inspired sidewalk chalk designs to entertain and delight those participants. Creations were shared on Facebook and the most creative won prizes from sponsors.

The organizers of the Flying Pig Marathon conduct a media tour each year before race weekend and this year was no different. Iris Simpson Bush, President & CEO of Pig Works, provided media interviews over the week and was on site at the traditional Finish Swine area on May 3 where all four TV stations were live. The media relations activity from March 15 through May 4 resulted in 154 TV stories and an earned media value of $1.1 million dollars with more than 18 million media impressions.