Running News Daily

After 6-year-old ran Flying Pig last year, the marathon is changing age rules

After last year's Flying Pig Marathon, there was outrage from Olympic runners, hundreds of critical comments on social media and even a report sent to child protective services.

All of this happened because a 6-year-old ran and completed the full race. Some people believed this was far too young for a 26.2-mile run.

This year, the race has drastically expanded its policy concerning the age of racers. Last year, the policy simply stated that no one under 18 could participate in the marathon unless they got an exemption from the race organizers. How and why those exemptions were granted was not defined.

New age rules and requirements for the Flying Pig Marathon in 2023

The updated policy states:

Participants must be 18 years of age on race day to participate in the marathon, 14 years of age on race day to participate in the half-marathon, and 12 years of age on race day to participate in the 10K and the relay.

There is no age requirement for distances less than 10K. 

Waivers for participation in the half-marathon and marathon distances will be considered for those 12 years and older on race day.

Waivers for participation in the 10K or relay will be considered for all ages.

This year, the waiver process has also been more clearly defined. Those who are younger than the age limit must:

Have parental approval.

Have approval from a primary care physician.

Allow Pig Works medical staff to discuss participation with primary care physician.

Meet in-person or via phone with Pig Works medical staff.

Have a guide to participate with them throughout the duration of the event and/or provide a personal emergency action plan for race day contacts.

All waivers were required to be submitted at least 30 days before the race and are subject to the discretion of Pig Works, the non-profit that organizes the Flying Pig and several other area races.

Following the 2022 race, Pig Works CEO Iris Simpson Bush took responsibility for allowing the 6-year-old son of Ben and Kami Crawford race. The Crawford family of Bellevue, Kentucky, has a large social media following and has published a book about hiking the Appalachian Trail together.

"This decision was not made lightly because the father was determined to do the race with his young child regardless. They had done it as bandits in prior years before we had any knowledge and we knew he was likely to do so again," Simpson Bush said.

A "bandit" is someone who runs a race without being properly registered.

The Crawfords defended their decision to let their son race. Ben Crawford said his son had begged to participate and they were prepared to let him stop at any time. They produced a documentary about it.

The Crawford family did not reply to emails or messages on social media asking about their plans for the Flying Pig this year.

In a statement this year, Simpson Bush said about 40,000 people are set to participate in the Flying Pig Marathon and its associated races.

“The Flying Pig Marathon was created to provide opportunities for people of all abilities. The safety and security of everyone on the course from participants, volunteers and spectators remains our top priority," she said. "With that in mind, we review our policies every year with our medical team and our board of directors to ensure they provide safety for our event.”

(05/05/2023) Views: 705 ⚡AMP
by Cameron Knight

Top 10 most popular running stories of 2022

Tt’s time to recap the most popular running stories. This year, the running community saw a lot of firsts and controversies. It was the first time we were made aware of a 6-year-old running a marathon; it was also the first time we saw a runner who chain-smoked during a marathon. As many of us returned to our favourite races and conquered new goals, we can’t ignore some of the mind-boggling stories.

Here is a countdown of the top 10 most popular running stories of the year.

10) Ironman World Championship champion’s “chunky” shoes spark controversy

In October, Norway’s Gustav Iden made headlines as he ran a 2:36 marathon after a 180-kilometre bike and 3.8 km swim, earning his first Ironman world championships title. It wasn’t only his wild time that turned eyes, but the On Cloudboom Echo 3 carbon-plated running shoes that he wore, which have a reported stack height of 50 mm (legal for Ironman races).

9) Six-year-old’s marathon sparks controversy on social media

In May at the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio, a family of eight from Bellevue, Ky., all completed the 26.2-mile race together in eight hours and 35 minutes, including two children aged 12 and six. The family took on tons of criticism over the advisability of allowing a six-year-old to cover the marathon distance. Many experienced marathoners and coaches, including Lee Troop and Kara Goucher, have weighed in online, stating that six is too young for the marathon.

8) Turkey trot runner takes out his competitor at finish line

In November at a local 10K turkey trot, Xavier Salvador of Washington, D.C., impeded the line of Jack Huber of Delmar, N.Y., with 50 metres to go, after noticing Huber threatening to pass him on the right. Instead of checking if Huber was OK after the fall, Salvador made sure his GPS watch was stopped. 

7) Barkley Marathons ends with no finishers (again)

In March, for the fifth straight year, the Barkley Marathons in Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tenn., came to an end with zero finishers, after the only remaining two competitors, Karel Sabbe and Greig Hamilton, bowed out on their fourth loop (of five) of the 20-plus mile course. Sabbe’s fourth loop was one for the history books, as he was found off-course in another town, chatting with a garbage can who he thought was a person.

6) ‘Ultramarathon man’ Dean Karnazes attacked by coyote during 150-mile race

In August, acclaimed ultrarunner and author Dean Karnazes posted a video that he was attacked by a coyote during Headlands 150-mile Endurance Run, held outskirts of San Francisco. Karnazes said was OK, but that he had several cuts on his face and body from the attack.

5) “Poopgate” continues as Arizona high school bans track use

In February, human feces were found under the bleachers at the Red Rock High School track in Sedona, Ariz., which resulted in a ban on public use. In the aftermath, there was plenty of buzz and finger-pointing on social media about the ghost pooper’s possible identity, using the hashtag #poopgate. To this day, it is still a mystery who did the deed. 

4) California man runs an ultramarathon in roundabout

In November, a runner from Healdsburg, Calif., was getting tired of his usual running routes, so he went out on a six-hour, 58-kilometre run around the local roundabout, never once switching directions. The best part is that, a week later, he did it again, in the opposite direction.

3) WATCH: Florida high school runner gets sucker punched mid-race

In March, we saw a candidate for “wildest video of the year” when a high school runner at a Florida track meet was sucker punched and knocked to the ground by another athlete during a 1,600m race.

2) Colorado runner wins all four races at Disney Marathon weekend

In January, Brittany Charboneau of Colorado climbed to the top of the podium on four occasions during the Disney Marathon Weekend in Orlando, Fla. She won the 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon over four days, while dressed as her favourite Disney characters. Simply amazing!

1) Chinese man runs a 3:28 marathon while chain-smoking

In November, we witnessed one of the wildest running stories ever, when Uncle Chen went viral for chainsmoking cigarettes during the Xin’anjiang Marathon in Jiande, China. It is well known that smoking cigarettes hinder running performance, but that didn’t seem to bother 50-year-old Uncle Chen, who clocked an impressive three hours and 28 minutes.

(01/02/2023) Views: 1,143 ⚡AMP
by Running Magazine

How Young Is Too Young to Lace Up for a Marathon?

A new paper looks at the available research and makes recommendations. 

The world—running and not—had its eyes on the Flying Pig Marathon this past May after a 6-year-old boy completed the race with his family in 8 hours and 35 minutes. 

It wasn’t the finish itself that caused an outcry, but a subsequent social media post by the boy’s mother that references his distress during the later miles of the race. 

The photo showed the boy holding a box of Pringles potato chips with the caption, “On the marathon course, Rainier knew they usually hand out Pringles around mile 20. He was struggling physically and wanted to take a break and sit every three minutes. After 7 hours, we finally got to mile 20 and only to find an abandoned table and empty boxes. He was crying and we were moving slow so I told him I’d buy him two sleeves if he kept moving. I had to promise him another sleeve to get him in the family pic at the finish line. Today I paid him off.”

Sports medicine experts and pediatricians got wind of the boy’s marathon finish, and its unique circumstances, and published a paper in JAMA Pediatrics in October, titled “Kids on the Run—Is Marathon Running Safe for Children?” 

The answer is: We’re not totally sure. 

“Youth running is becoming more popular, particularly at longer distances, and the trend is ahead of the research,” says Emily Kraus, M.D., a clinical assistant professor at Stanford University, a sports medicine physician at Stanford Children’s Hospital, and the director of the the Female Athlete Science and Translational Research Program. 

Kraus, a runner, was not an author on the JAMA Pediatrics paper but coauthored the 2021 youth running consensus statement published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. 

“We can’t conclude that there’s no risk or minimal risk, or a greater risk [to young children running long distances],” she tells Runner’s World. 

The paper looks back at the running boom of the 1970s when several young children completed marathons; children as young as 8 years old covered the distance in 3 hours and 31 seconds. The authors note that although there were no reports of injuries or adverse events, physicians and race directors started to worry about the potential dangers of youth participation. In 1981 the New York City Marathon, then in its 11th year, instituted a minimum age requirement of 16 years old. Other races followed suit. 

A 2010 paper published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine looked at data from the Twin Cities Marathon from 1982 to 2007, which included 310 children aged 7 to 17 years old. The researchers found that the risk of a medical incident was about 50 percent lower in children than adults but not statistically significant. In other words: We can’t say for sure if they’re at lower risk for injury or medical problem. 

“Some of the early research shows that the overall risk of competing in races is quite minimal or lower when compared to the adult running population,” Kraus says. “But the question becomes is that because the number [of children finishers] is so much smaller?” 

Kraus, who treats primarily middle-school age athletes whose growth plates are still open, expresses concerns that we don’t know if marathoning at a young age will affect long-term growth and development. 

“Young kids haven’t even started to initiate [certain developmental] milestones,” she says. “Athletes who are younger than 10 or 11 years old are true children. We don’t know enough to give the okay, in my opinion.” 

Kraus advises against the repetitiveness of a single activity over time, like running. Instead, she encourages young athletes to try different physical activities that lend themselves to multidirectional movement, like soccer, tennis, and old-fashioned tag. 

When asked to give guidance on a distance for young kids, Kraus says anything up to a 10K is “probably okay.” Ideally, she says, we would measure how far a young kid runs on any given day during free play or team sports to help guide that recommendation. 

“[For children], free play at that stage of their development is more valuable in developing motor skills, agility, and hand-eye coordination,” she says. 

Plus, although research is clear that healthy behaviors developed during youth sports can promote long-term physical activity and reduce the risks of diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, “sport specialization during childhood does not provide competitive advantages and is not a requirement for elite status,” the authors wrote in the JAMA Pediatrics paper. 

What’s more is that youth marathon or ultramarathon running may not lead to lifelong participation in running events or long-term health benefits. The authors wrote: “Among children who participated in ultramarathons [longer than a marathon], less than 25 percent continued to do so as adults, and less than 10 percent were still running ultramarathons 30 years later.” 

Most youth ultrarunners, the researchers wrote, are between 16 and 18 years old, but there are runners younger than 10 years old who have completed an ultra event.

Experts are unsure if this drop off in participation is because of overuse injury and burnout, or changes in interests. The authors go on to say that potential health benefits and risks of youth marathon running have not been compared similarly to shorter distance running or other sports. 

But pediatric specialists like Kraus and the authors point out that the bigger question and concern when it comes to youth marathoning, particularly in children under 10 years old, is the intrinsic motivation of a young runner. 

“Why is this child racing? Is it because they have a family of runners and they don’t want to feel left out? Is it something they deeply want to do?” Kraus asks, noting that young children likely don’t fully understand what training for and running a marathon really entails. 

“If I were working with a 6-year-old, my conversation would be, ‘Do you know what [a marathon] is? Do you know what it feels like to run one mile? Or other shorter distances?’” Kraus says. 

She’d then also work with families to understand why they were having a young child participate in such an extreme distance at this particular time, suggesting, instead, to use a marathon as a goal for years down the road. 

Based on the available evidence, the authors developed a list of points families should consider before a young child runs a marathon or ultramarathon, in addition to assessing the physical health of the child, including: 

Potential risks and benefits, reiterating there is limited available research 

Determine the motivation for marathon running, with an emphasis on voluntary participation

Inform children that they have a right to stop at any point and will not be punished or experience negative consequences if they decide to stop

Discuss ways children can communicate their choice to parents and guardians

Monitor physical, psychological, social, and academic well-being, as well as continued commitment to marathon running during training

“For a 6- or 7-year-old who hasn’t fully captured goal-setting and follow-through, a marathon is a different type of challenge that goes beyond what they’re capable of handling,” Kraus says. 

(12/17/2022) Views: 823 ⚡AMP
by Runner’s World

Six-year-old’s marathon sparks controversy on social media

On Sunday at the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio, a family of eight from Bellevue, Ky., all completed the 42.2 km together in eight hours and 35 minutes. Since then, their family marathon outing has sparked controversy online as two of the children are under 12, and one is only six.

Ben Crawford‘s Facebook post about his family’s marathon finish sparked criticism over the advisability of allowing his six-year-old son, Rainier, to cover the marathon distance. Many experienced marathoners and coaches, including Lee Troop and Kara Goucher, have weighed in online, stating that six is too young for the marathon.

Most experts advise against heavy training for children, whose bones are still developing. Even at 11, growth plate development is not complete; children who run marathons before puberty may be at risk of future musculoskeletal issues. Also, extreme training may also reduce levels of serum HGH (human growth hormone) and testosterone in children who have not yet gone through puberty. Many commenters question whether, even in the absence of long-term physical effects, so much training at such a young age could possibly lead to a lifelong love of the sport. It’s for these reasons that marathons have rules that entrants must be 18 or older.

Crawford posted that “On the marathon course, Rainier knew they usually hand out Pringles around mile 20. He was struggling physically and wanted to take a break and sit every three minutes. After 7 hours, we finally got to mile 20 and only to find an abandoned table and empty boxes. He was crying and we were moving slow so I told him I’d buy him two sleeves if he kept moving. I had to promise him another sleeve to get him in the family pic at the finish line. Today I paid him off.”

Crawford also has a YouTube channel that includes multiple posts with titles like “6 Year Old Runs 6 Miles–NO PROBLEM” and “5-Year-Old Trains for Marathon.”

In their defence, parents Ben and Kami Crawford say they have never forced their children to run and that Rainier begged to join them at this race. “We gave him a 50/50 chance of completing it and were ready to pull the plug at any moment if he requested it,” Crawford says on his Facebook page. “Yes there were tears, and yes he had a fall but every single member of our family has cried during a marathon.

“We go to great lengths to prioritize our kids’ health and experience of the day over sharing it with anyone else. Communicating these stories is a passion project that we do with our children’s co-operation and permission.”

This isn’t the first time the Crawford family has embarked on what some would see as a questionable challenge for a family with a young child; in 2019, he published a book called 2,000 miles Together: The Story of the Largest Family to Hike the Appalachian Trail. (Rainier was three at the time.)

The Flying Pig Marathon issued the following statement:

“Our marathon takes the safety and security of all participants very seriously. We receive numerous requests for special accommodations each year and carefully evaluate each one. Our goal is to provide a positive race experience for all participants while supporting them along the course. The Flying Pig Marathon was founded on the idea of hosting a world-class road race experience and will always strive to do so.”

(05/06/2022) Views: 1,211 ⚡AMP

Flying Pig Marathon Weekend Celebrates Hometown Marathon Winners

The 24th running of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon powered by P&G celebrated two Greater Cincinnati runners earning their first Flying Pig marathon wins.

The men’s division winner was 29-year-old Zac Holtkamp of Alexandria, Kentucky, in a time of 2:27:18. Holtkamp won this year’s Heart Half Marathon and in 2020 finished second in the Mesa Marathon with a time of 2:22:29. “I waited until after the Heart Half to sign up for the Flying Pig,” said Holtkamp. “After the Heart Half I thought, OK I can do it.”

This was Holtkamp’s first Flying Pig after moving back to the area from Arizona. “I held off for years doing the Flying Pig,” he said. “So many people out there cheering me on, people that I knew, people that I didn’t know at all. For me, personally, that’s what keeps me going, every person who cheers for me, it’s like a mini aid station, it keeps me going.”

Second in the men’s division was 24-year-old Will Cadwell of Covington, in a time of 2:28:11. Cadwell won last October’s Fall Flying Pig Toyota 10K and also won the FCC 3 in July 2021. Third was 37-year-old Jeremy Wysocki of Miamisburg, Ohio with a time of 2:35:19.

In the women’s division, 34-year-old Grace McCarron of Loveland, Ohio won with a time of 2:50:00 in her first Flying Pig. McCarron won the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio in 2021. “The atmosphere, the crowd, is just amazing. Often when you do a marathon there are some quiet spots, but here people are cheering all the time,” she said. “You’re out there, you’re working so hard, and to hear those cheers makes all the difference.”

Second in the women’s division was 26-year-old Madeline Dawson, who won the Heart Half Marathon earlier this year. Her time in the marathon was 2:52:51. Pacing third was two-time Flying Pig Marathon winner Anne Flower of Covington, who finished in 2:54:04. Flower won the Big Sur Marathon in California just last weekend.

In the Paycor Half Marathon, Cincinnati native Caitlin Keen, a two-time winner of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon (2018, 2021), won her first Paycor Half Marathon in a time of 1:21:08. The 29-year-old ran a half marathon in Waco, Texas, near her home in Fort Worth, last weekend, but because of a wrong turn, the course was shortened by two miles for the leaders. She made a last minute decision to return to Cincinnati this weekend for the half.

“The experience here is something I never expected. People stop me on the street here and say, ‘You’re Caitlin, I know you, congratulations on winning the Pig.’ I want to be here because that’s how much the people here mean to me.”

Second in the women’s division was 28-year-old Katarina Smiljanec from Covington in a time of 1:24:57. She also placed second in Friday night’s Fifty West Mile elite division. Third in the half was 24-year-old Aimee Piercy from Cincinnati in 1:25:53, who was third in Friday’s Fifty West Mile.

On the men’s side of the Paycor Half Marathon, 43-year-old Josh Whitehead from Huntsville, Alabama, won in a time of 1:12:14. Whitehead has made a remarkable recovery from a bicycle accident in 2020, when he was hit by a car and suffered a broken back, dislocated shoulder and partially collapsed lung.

Second in the men’s division was 30-year-old Eric Gruenbacher of Loveland, Ohio in 1:12:56 and third was 28-year-old Kyle Klingler of Cincinnati in 1:13:14.

The 24th annual Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon weekend powered by P&G began Friday night with sub 5:00 miles in the newly-configured Fifty West Mile, part of the TQL Beer Series.

This year the elite “dash for cash” mile started inside Cincinnati’s Transit Tunnel off Pete Rose Way and ended at the traditional finish line on Mehring Way. The fastest male among the elites was 22-year-old Andrew Taylor of Hilliard, Ohio, in 4:23. In a near photo finish, second place was 23-year-old Jack Cordonnier from Morrow, Ohio, in 4:25 and third was 28-year-old Charlie Michel of Cincinnati in 4:26.

Among the female elites, 27-year-old Gina McNamara from Washington D.C. won in a time of 4:59. Second among the elites was 28-year-old Katarina Smiljanec from Covington, Kentucky in 5:04 and third was 24-year-old Aimee Piercy from Cincinnati in 5:11.

Saturday’s slate of events began with the Toyota 10K, won by two-time Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon winner Jack Randall of Cincinnati. The 27-year-old won in a time of 31:45. In another close finish, second place was 29-year-old Logan Barrett of Jeffersonville, Kentucky, just one second behind at 31:46. Third was 23-year-old Walter Ramsey of East Lake Center, Georgia, in 35:46.

In the women’s division of the Toyota 10K, 42-year-old Shawanna White of Columbia, South Carolina, won in a time of 39:35. Second was 31-year-old Ashley Case of Angola, Indiana, in 40:45 and third was 31-year-old Kaitlin Budke from Blue Ash, Ohio in 40:51.

In the sold-out Tri State Running Company 5K, 24-year-old Jakob Mueller from Monroe, Ohio, was the winner in 16:07, with 31-year-old Anders Ludvigsen of Cincinnati second in 17:04 and 38-year-old Bryan Wagner of Lawrenceburg. Indiana third in 17:22.

For the women, 22-year-old Meredith Grace Gieske from Fort Mitchell was the winner in 18:57. Second was 45-year-old Amy Parker of Dublin, Ohio, in 19:26 and third was Abby Mace in 19:32.

Also held Saturday was the First Watch Flying Piglet, Cincinnati Children’s 26th Mile, PigAbilities presented by Goodwill Industries, and the Flying Fur.

(05/03/2022) Views: 1,176 ⚡AMP
by Running USA

Alex Gold and Caitlin Keen winners of 2021 Flying Pig Marathon

Alex Gold and Caitlin Keen have won Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon.

Gold, 26, was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 2:26:29.

A Chicago native, Gold moved to Cincinnati several years ago, he said, and works for General Electric.

“I’ll definitely have a beer or two and maybe some Skyline Chili,” Gold said on how he plans to celebrate his big win.

Gold was followed by J.T. MacKay (2:28:31) and Steve Matthews (2:29:30).

Keen, 29, was the first woman to cross the finish line with a time of 2:43:45. Keen, who grew up in Hyde Park, is now a two-time winner, also finishing first in 2018 with a time of 2:46:39.

"It's been a really long couple years I think I can speak for everyone when I say the last two years have definitely been a storm I struggled a lot with running," she said. "This is my first race since the Olympic trials and I wanted it so bad I just wanted to be back on the course and have fun and that's what I did and I loved every second of it. "

Keen was followed by Amy Manning (3:00:24) and Allison Pitt (3:01:18).

Samuel Montclair and Daniella Townsend won the Flying Pig Half Marathon.

Montclair, 30, of Raleigh, North Carolina, finished with a time of 1:09:53, beating the old record of 1:10:34 held by Zachary Ripley.

He was followed by Eric Gruenbacher (1:13:15) and Greg Lemmon (1:16:42).

“The hills of Cincinnati are pretty tough, man, I just wanted to put a good effort in,” Montclair told us after the race.

Townsend, of Cincinnati, was the first woman to cross the finish line, finishing 13.1 miles around 1:21:02. She was followed by Christine Frederick (1:21:40) and Katarina Smiljanec (1:25:41).

After a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Flying Pig Marathon returned to Cincinnati for the 23rd annual race. The Pig has historically been run in the late spring, but last year’s run was hosted virtually and this year’s race was postponed to the fall.

The total number of weekend participants this year was 15,833, including 1,979 for the full marathon, 5,420 for the Paycor Half Marathon, 1,277 in the Queen Bee Half Marathon, 2,190 for the Toyota 10K, 2,200 in the Tri State Running Company 5K and 1,155 for the Queen Bee Medpace 4 Miler. Other totals include 252 (63 teams) in the City Dash 4-Person Relay, 221 in the Flying Fur and 1,139 for Friday’s Fifty West Mile.

ABOUT THE FLYING PIG

Many may wonder, "Why 'Flying Pig'?" Officials said the name stems from the 1800s when Cincinnati was called “Porkopolis” because of all the stockyards and the meatpacking industry. Officials said many often ran pigs through the downtown streets. So when the founders of the marathon were looking for a name for the event back in 1997, “Flying Pig” brought smiles to everyone's face, so that seemed most appropriate.

(11/01/2021) Views: 1,283 ⚡AMP

Women´s 2018 flying Pig Marathon winner Caitlin Keen is the 2021 favorite

If all goes according to plan, the women's winner of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon will celebrate with a cold beer and a burger at Zip's Cafe in Mount Lookout. 

Sometime around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, after hurrying by the Halloween harriers, 29-year-old Caitlin Keen hopes to join the exclusive club of two-time winners of Porkoplis pride.

Keen, who spent her elementary school years in Hyde Park (St. Mary's), has been training in sweltering Fort Worth, Texas, and is looking forward to a Sunday morning start with a chill in the air.

She breezed to her first Flying Pig win in 2018, then was outkicked at the end of the 2019 race by Anne Flower to finish second the last time this race was run. Where most participants are happy to finish, Keen's eye is on the prize, even though her last marathon was in Feb. 2020 at the Olympic Trials.

"I'm coming off of a lot of running without racing," Keen said. "I've been training all summer when it was hot. You're just dragging yourself through it, picking yourself up every day. I think it's probably going to be for my benefit. The weather looks pretty good."

In the previous 22 trots of 26.2 miles, there has only been a trio of female winners who have crossed "The Finish Swine" as champion twice. In the second and third years of the race, Becky Gallaher won in 2000 and 2001 back-to-back. Amy Robillard also went back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. Flower, the 2019 champ, is the most recent.

No autumn Flower

On a whim, Anne Flower put in a month's worth of training while working as an emergency room resident and won in 2016. The Anderson Township native, now a full-fledged doctor, repeated in 2019, which technically makes her defending champ since the coronavirus pandemic halted the "live" race in 2020.

Flower is skipping this year's Pig and running in a marathon in Indianapolis the following week. That leaves Keen, now a Fort Worth resident, as a heavy favorite.

Flower, who is hoping to get a PR on a fast course at Indy Nov. 6, is gravitating toward longer races having recently competed out west in events at Moab, Crested Butte and Pike's Peak.

"I've started running ultra marathons in the past few years and have had similar success," Flower said. "Marathon distance is starting to feel too short and fast for me to keep up!"

She plans on cheering this weekend and points toward Keen, whom she outdueled in 2019 as a runner to watch.

"Caitlin Keen is super fast!" Flower said. "Cincinnatus Elite and Columbus Running Company Elite also have very talented teams. Of course, there are always the 'not yet known' runners who could perform well and finish first."

(10/28/2021) Views: 1,428 ⚡AMP
by Scott Springer

Pacers of Flying Pig Marathon are ready to help participants reach their goals

Thousands of people will be running the Flying Pig Marathon this weekend and will have help available to help them reach their race goals.

“The Pig is my favorite race in the whole world,” explains ultra-marathon runner and Flying Pig pacer Harvey Lewis, “Honestly it is an iconic event. Where else do pigs fly? And you’ve got all these people out cheering people along.”

Lewis is one of the famous Flying Pig Marathon streakers which means he has run every Flying Pig Marathon dating back to the first in 1999.

Lewis is also part of the pace team, coordinated by Chris Cavanaugh.

“Our job is to help you execute a smart race,” explains Cavanaugh. “We’ve made all the mistakes already, so if you want to run a smartly executed race, you have a time goal for four hours, three and a half hours, link up with one of our teams and they’ll kind of help take you through it. There’s enough stress in a race already, you put in all the work, and you want to execute, and we can help you do that.”

“I’m psyched about the opportunity,” says Lewis who is leading the 4:45 marathon group, “Having a chance to share that with others. I get so much more from this race, by doing that, than I would by racing at my very fastest.”

Cavanaugh will also run the Flying Pig Marathon just 20 days after he ran the Boston Marathon.

In an unusual year, that is normal.

The Boston Marathon is traditionally the third Monday in April, and the Flying Pig Marathon is the first Sunday in May.

“The Pig is kind of a celebratory run,” explains Cavanaugh, “You’ve done the work so as long as you can recover fairly well, you’ve got a couple of weeks to do that, and you can turn around and do both.”

Lewis, a Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts school teacher, is back from breaking a world record at the Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra Run in Tennessee.

Lewis received many hand-written notes of support from his students at the Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts.

Now, it’s his turn to pay it forward and help the runners on Sunday reach their own goals.

You will have a chance to meet the pacers at the Flying Pig Marathon expo Friday and Saturday.

The hours are 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

On race day, just look for the pink balloons and big signs that say what time the pacers are representing.

(10/27/2021) Views: 1,316 ⚡AMP
by Ashley Smth

Harvey Lewis Breaks the Big’s Backyard Ultra Record By Running More Than 350 Miles in 85 Hours

He ran a 4.1667-mile loop every hour for 85 hours.

The third time was the charm for Ohio’s Harvey Lewis at the 2021 Big’s Backyard Ultra. After finishing as the assist in 2017 and 2020 (meaning, he is the second-to-last runner left in the race), the 45-year-old was finally the last runner standing in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. In total, Lewis ran 350.0028 miles in 85 hours/laps, making him the undisputed backyard ultra world-record holder.

The backyard racing format has grown in popularity recently, with pop-up races happening all over the world. The rules, put simply, are: run a 4.167-mile loop at the top of every hour until one runner has done at least one more lap than the second-to-last runner. If both runners stop at the same time, then no winner is declared. At Big’s, runners complete a trail loop during the day, and a road loop at night.

The 2020 race was a virtual event, with runners in more than 20 countries competing simultaneously in standalone races. As a result, the 2021 race was anticipated to be one of the most stacked fields in race history. While some international runners were still unable to make the trip due to pandemic-related travel restrictions and concerns, several top runners made it to the start line. This included 2019 champion Maggie Guterl, 2020 champion Courtney Dauwalter, Big’s regular Dave Proctor, Michael Wardian, and Steve Slaby.

The race started at 6 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 16, and only three runners of 35 starters total dropped out within the first 24 hours (100 miles). But after that, runners seemed to drop almost every hour. Nine completed 48 hours, a large pack for reaching the third day of the race.

Lewis’s Big’s experience paid off as he and his crew chief Judd Poindexter troubleshooted any issues that arose. He fueled well and got five- to 10-minute naps when he could during the night, a big change from not sleeping at all in 2017.

One the race hit the 72-hour mark, it headed into uncharted territory with just three runners still standing: Lewis, Missouri’s Chris Roberts, and Japan’s Treumuchi “Mori” Morishita. Only two known backyard races in the world have hit the fabled fourth day before. This was the first time it had ever happened at Big’s.

“We all wanted it so bad,” Lewis told Runner’s World. “We had lasted so long out there, which takes incredible willpower. It definitely helped. I wouldn’t have been out there without a reason to keep going, so I really enjoyed the challenge of running with them for so long together.”

The trio battled from lap 63 on, all quietly competing against one another. Each runner had their own style; Lewis and Morishita would sprint out of the corral at the start of some laps, which was a fan favorite.

“At the start and in certain areas, we just started sprinting,” Lewis said. “Morishita would sprint through the woods and yell, and then I would sprint through the woods and yell. It was a good move, so I hope Morishita didn’t mind I was doing it as well.”

Roberts struggled a lot before dawn, fighting off an injury that had him leaning sideways and coming in with few minutes to spare on laps. But as the sun rose, he recovered for a strong day. 

Issues arose late in the game for Lewis and Morishita. Both runners fell on lap 81, which caused Morishita to miss the cutoff by 30 seconds, ending his day and leaving just Lewis and Roberts in the race. Lewis fell on the final hill and left him with an unknown (at the time) hand injury. Because his legs were okay, he ignored it and kept moving.

“As we got to the night, I thought for sure we’d be going to 400 [miles], so I mentally prepared myself for that,” Lewis said.

Many anticipated another complete night—that is, until lap 85, when Roberts surprisingly returned to camp soon after starting. Lewis, still on his loop, didn’t know this. Even though he didn’t see Roberts on the way back, he still wasn’t convinced he won until he got back to camp.

There, Lewis was greeted to roaring applause from the crowd that was still there. Lewis was finally a Big’s champion, capping off an incredible year of winning three major races: Badwater 135, Ohio’s Backyard Ultra, and now Big’s. He also earned the undisputed world record for most yards ever completed in a backyard race, taking the title from John Stocker who ran 81 yards with his assist, Matt Blackburn at the Suffolk Backyard Ultra in June 2021.

“It was an incredible experience,” Lewis said. “It has been one of my dreams to win this race, and to have it come to fruition was pretty mind-blowing for sure. I was super psyched.”

Lewis was so overcome with joy and exhaustion that he spent little time enjoying his win, opting to head to his tent shortly after finishing.

“When I finished, whatever armor I developed in my mind that told me I wasn’t going to submit went away,” he said. “I was really tired. I didn’t care where I slept. There was a cot in my tent 40 meters away, and it felt like the Taj Mahal. I fell asleep with half a plate of rice and beans on me.”

The next day, Lewis got a ride back to Cincinnati. When he arrived around 11 p.m., he kept his run streak alive by getting a mile in with minutes to spare. Then, a friend instructed him to go get his hand checked out in the emergency room after midnight. Harvey was diagnosed with a clean break in the fourth metacarpal of his right hand, and he was told should heal in a few weeks with just a splint. 

Lewis told Runner’s World that he got a few hours of sleep in the ER before going home briefly and run commuting to work—he’s a social studies teacher at School for Creative and Performing Arts. Lewis wasn’t supposed to work because he had taken the day off. However, because of a shortage of substitute teachers at the moment, he literally ran in teach anyways.

“A couple times a year, I’ll take off to recuperate,” he said. “As long as I’m not hurting myself, I do the commute with human power.”

Big’s is likely the last race of the year for Lewis, though he plans to run the Flying Pig Marathon easy on October 30. His next big adventure will be the Barkley Marathons in 2022, which he now has entry to because of his Big’s win. Cantrell let Lewis know his thoughts on that.

“My biggest memory was turning to [Big’s and Barkley Marathons creator Gary ‘Lazarus Lake’ Cantrell] at the end and saying, ‘The winner gets an entry to Barkleys,’” Lewis said. “He couldn’t say no, so he went along with it. The next day, he told me that I’d be the sacrificial lamb.”

 

(10/23/2021) Views: 1,197 ⚡AMP
by Runner’s World

2021 Flying Pig Marathon is coming back, Marathon will run this fall in-person

 

The Flying Pig Marathon is coming back! Executive Director Iris Simpson Bush says the marathon will run this fall over Halloween weekend.

“As of Oct. 29 through Oct. 31, Flying Pig events will be returning in person. We know that 2021 can't look exactly like the Flying Pig has looked in the past but we are so excited to be coming back in person,” Simpson Bush said.

Specifics on the race are still being worked out especially with COVID-19 guidelines changing often. Bush says they’ve coordinated with the local health departments and will stay in contact as the race gets closer.“I think that it's fair to say we have held off this long because safety measures for our participants, volunteers and the community at large is of primary importance,” Bush said.

As for the runners themselves, Bush says their expecting a lot of new faces even though they aren’t sure what their capacity will be just yet.

“The research says that the industry is likely to attract a bunch of newbies because for many people it's the only thing they could do during the pandemic,” she said.This weekend, the virtual event is set to host around 5,500 participants.

The hope is this Cincinnati staple event will be a step toward normalcy as they plan for the return of runners from all 50 states and around the world.“Call it our return to flight. This year we plan to soar,” Bush said.

If you are signed up for the virtual event, you’ll have the first opportunity to sign up for the in-person event. Registration for the public will open up on May 10.

(04/30/2021) Views: 1,089 ⚡AMP
by Steven Albritton

2021 Flying Pig Marathon moves the race event in person to late October

Over the past few months, we have been working closely with City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County leadership and medical leadership to seek guidance in planning our spring races, including the Bockfest 5K and Flying Pig Marathon. 

To that end, we have mutually determined that spring of 2021 will be too early to hold in-person events.

Our 2021 Race Schedule will be as follows:

·    Bockfest 5K (virtual format only), on or by March 6. Registration is open at https://raceroster.com/events/2021/34027/2021-bockfest-5k

·    Flying Pig Marathon Weekend (virtual format only), May 1 & 2. Registration for all races is open at https://raceroster.com/events/2021/34032/2021-cincinnati-flying-pig-marathon-weekend

·    Flying Pig Marathon/Queen Bee Half Marathon (planning for in-person events), October 29-31. Registration for these events will open March 1, 2021 and virtual registrants will have the first opportunity to transfer to in-person events. 

On behalf of our staff and board of directors, we want to thank Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley, Cincinnati City Manager Paula Boggs Muething and Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus for their guidance and continued support of Pig Works. We also want to recognize the dozens of corporate partners, thousands of volunteers and numerous community partners for their on-going loyal support of the “Pig.”

Additionally, we are very proud of the “new playbook” our team has developed over the past year to ensure the safety and security of our participants, volunteers, spectators and community-at-large. We can reassure you that all of these measures will be in place when we can gather again at the Start Line this fall.

Stay active and stay healthy.

(02/18/2021) Views: 1,304 ⚡AMP

Pig Works Launches Lifetime Membership Program to Support Flying Pig Marathon

Pig Works, the umbrella organization of such signature events as the Flying Pig Marathon powered by P&G, Queen Bee Half Marathon and TQL Beer Series, is offering an exclusive lifetime membership program that includes registration to Pig Works events, merchandise discounts and VIP experiences.

“Our lifetime memberships will create a new financial model to ensure the sustainability of events like the Flying Pig Marathon and Queen Bee Half Marathon during a time when we have had to cancel most of our 2020 events,” said Iris Simpson Bush, CEO of Pig Works. “Our membership program offers discounts for our loyal participants who sign up for multiple events, while giving them VIP (Very Important Pig) treatment. We appreciate their support and are looking forward to welcoming them into our Membership Program.”

The program offers a lifetime of race registrations for a one-time fee, depending on the level chosen. Every plan includes registration for the membership owner to all races during Flying Pig Marathon Weekend, the first weekend in May, for life.

Membership levels include:

1. The Whole Hog ($2,500), including lifetime complimentary race entry into all Pig Works events, along with such perks as VIP experiences, pre-race meet and greets, back bibs identifying the member as “Pig Works Lifetime Member” and 20% off merchandise.

2. Makin’ Bacon with Beer and Honey ($1,500), including lifetime registration for Flying Pig weekend events, five years of complimentary registration to other Pig Works events, VIP experiences, merchandise discounts and early access to expos.

3. All Bacon-All the Time ($1,000), including Flying Pig weekend registrations, VIP experiences, merchandise discounts and early access to expos.

Information on the Lifetime Memberships, including the complete list of benefits, is available at www.pigworks.org/life. Memberships will be limited to 300 and can be purchased for yourself, a friend or as a fundraiser for your non-profit organization. Once assigned, the lifetime membership is non-transferable.

(11/30/2020) Views: 1,384 ⚡AMP

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.

(05/18/2020) Views: 1,473 ⚡AMP

The Flying Pig Marathon has been postponed to October 9-11, 2020

The Flying Pig Marathon is humbled and honored by the loyalty our participants have for all of our events. Many of you have asked if the 22nd running of the Flying Pig is still on schedule for May 1-3 and we would like to update you on our status.

We’ve prided ourselves in producing the Flying Pig Marathon as a fun event that rewards the emotions and significant accomplishments of all our participants. With that, we’ve also made the safety of all in the Flying Pig Marathon our top priority. That safety has traditionally been evaluated with adverse weather and terrorism in mind for more than 50,000 participants, volunteers and staff on race weekend. With the COVID-19 pandemic and a participant field that represents all 50 states and nearly 30 foreign countries, our ability to produce a safe event for our Flying Pig family, Greater Cincinnati community and society has been compromised.  

We have taken the time allowed to monitor and research, discuss with medical, industry and municipal leaders and taken into consideration the input from the running community and our participants. We feel it’s our social and moral responsibility to contribute to the COVID-19 solution and will adhere to the CDC’s updated guidance for canceling mass events for the next eight weeks.  

Like so many other events, businesses and individuals, this decision is one that is extremely difficult, but ultimately places the health and safety of individuals in our community, state and country above all else. This includes the more than 300 organizations that depend on our financial contribution of proceeds. It includes disappointing our loyal (and new) participants that have been looking forward to and giving so much time and dedication to training.  

With those thoughts in mind, the Flying Pig Marathon will not be held in person May 1-3, 2020 and has been postponed until Oct. 9-11, 2020. We’ve identified four options for participants to continue their Flying Pig Marathon experience: 

1. Virtual Race: Complete the Flying Pig events on your own this spring with a virtual race and receive your medal and shirt. We are working with our registration partner, Race Roster, and ASICS on providing a comprehensive virtual experience including a free ASICS Studio 3-month membership to support your training, the ability to track your race with Runkeeper and submit your results in a few simple steps on Race Roster while receiving the shirt and medal only from your respective race(s). Registration for the virtual race will remain open. 

2. Postponement: Join us for the weekend of Oct. 9-11, 2020 as we plan to co-host the Flying Pig Marathon and Queen Bee events in the fall. This weekend was scheduled for our Queen Bee Half Marathon. We’re working on solutions to include all in this weekend experience and will be reaching out to current Queen Bee participants in the coming days and updating QueenBeeHalf.com with more information on what that will look like. If you wish to complete the virtual and join us again in October, you will need to register again. 

3. Donation: As we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, you can convert your registration to a donation and receive the tax writeoff as well as 25% off a future registration to any Pig Works event in the next year (2020 FCC3, 2020 Hudepohl Brewery Run 14K/7K, 2020 Queen Bee, 2021 Bockfest 5K and 2021 Flying Pig Marathon). Each year the Flying Pig Marathon’s events raise more than a million dollars for charity and over the last 21 years the Pig has helped participating charities to raise more than $18 million.  

4. Deferral: Free deferral to any of the future Flying Pig Marathon weekends scheduled for 2021, 2022 or 2023.

We have a no refund policy. However, we realize this is an unprecedented time and the above four options may not work for everyone. Before requesting a refund, please remember we are a non-profit organization that funds a number of other non-profit organizations. Our funds are vital to the on-going health of our organization and our partner organizations.

(03/17/2020) Views: 1,324 ⚡AMP

Flying Pig Marathon has been named as one of the top marathons in America, according to a survey from an online running community

Flying Pig ranked as top marathon in America by BibRave.com, a website that connects runners with the best races, sent out a survey to its users at the end of the year asking users to rank running events across the country.

Users ranked the Flying Pig as the best, followed by the Missoula Marathon, the Walt Disney Word Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, and the Boston Marathon.

"They have volunteers just to take pictures of you with your own camera at the top of the hardest hill that gets you to the best view. Who does that?" one user commented about the Flying Pig in the survey.

The Flying Pig started in 1997 as a conversation among friends.

The first race year was 1999. Organizers did not want to call the race something typical.

"What were marathons called? The Columbus Marathon, the Cleveland Marathon, Pittsburgh Marathon, Chicago Marathon. To call it the Cincinnati Marathon is so ordinary," board chair Doug Olberding said.

In the 1800s, boats filled with livestock and produce would dock in Cincinnati. Hogs became a major income source for farmers. Pigs that were brought in by boat, or herded into town from area farms, were marched through the streets of Cincinnati to the processing plants.

So many, in fact, that Cincinnati came to be known as "Porkopolis."

In 1988, Cincinnati celebrated its bicentennial by renovating its riverfront to include a "bicentennial commons" park. One signature feature caught everyone's attention: four smokestacks, for the city's riverboat heritage, with four flying pigs on top, reflecting the spirits of the pigs who gave their lives so the city could grow.

The Flying Pig was born, Olberding said the race has succeeded beyond everyone's wildest dreams.

"In addition, they truly embrace and bring to life their adorable pig theme in every way possible," according to BibRave. "From starting corral 'pig pens' to the finish line 'finish swine,' the piggy theme gets all the runners in a curly-tailed frenzy."

This year, the 22nd Flying Pig will be held on May 3.

(01/09/2020) Views: 1,858 ⚡AMP

Jack Randall, and Anne Flower won the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati Ohio Sunday

Two past winners of the Flying Pig Marathon, Jack Randall and Anne Flower, were crowned again as champions at the 2019 Flying Pig Marathon powered by P&G, which had a record weekend field of 43,691 for the 21st running of the event.

Randall, 24, from Pleasant Ridge, a suburb of Cincinnati, who also won the marathon in 2017, won this year in a time of 2:28:58, almost five minutes better than his 2017 time.

Randall came from behind, overcoming longtime leader Alex Gold near the 22 mile marker.

Randall now lives in Dayton, Ohio and has run the Cincinnati race twice.  Winning each time.  

Anne Flower was the women’s winner for the 2019 Flying Pig Marathon. 

It’s her second win, previously winning the Flying pig in 2016. 

Flower went to Anderson High School where she trained under track coach Kerry Lee, another well-known face at the marathon.

(05/05/2019) Views: 2,043 ⚡AMP

Mary Wineberg and Mark Ramler have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

Olympic gold medalist Mary Wineberg started running track at Walnut Hills High School and earned a track scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, where she graduated in 2002. After her college career, she ran professionally and was twice ranked top 10 in the World in the women’s 400 and was a Gold Medalist in the 2007 World Championships.

She won the gold medal for the USA in the 4x400 relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In 2018 she was inducted into the Cincinnati Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame and the University of Cincinnati Athletic Hall of fame and has published a book, “Unwavering Perseverance,” about her life and career. An elementary school teacher and motivational speaker, Wineberg has participated in several Flying Pig events, including the Queen Bee.

Ramler is a sixth generation Campbell County resident, and resides in Newport’s East Row Historic District where he is actively involved in the neighborhood, home tours, planning committees, and serves on the City’s Historic Preservation Commission. 

He is actively involved in the Newport Business Community as well, and is President of the Newport Business Association.

“We are honored to have Mary and Mark join our Board of Directors,” said Iris Simpson Bush, executive director of the Flying Pig Marathon. “Both have been with us for many years as participants and volunteers, and we are excited to see the contributions they can bring to the board.”

(03/05/2019) Views: 1,963 ⚡AMP

Skyler Steinman wanted to do something more for his family than just pray

“Wisconsin will be Marathon number 41 on the road to 57. That would be the 50 states, seven continents,” Steinman explains. The seasoned marathoner has made it his goal to run a marathon in all 50 states, and on all seven continents. It started some 12 years ago, after Steinman’s father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and his brother was diagnosed with cancer. “I felt like I wanted to do something more for my family other than just pray,” he says. “I decided to take that hobby of running and grow it into something much larger.” The journey began on May 7, 2006 at the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. “When I crossed the finish line I thought, 'I want to do more.'” Since then, Steinman checked four continents (North America, South America, Europe and Africa) and 37 states off the list. As Steinman gears up for the 2018 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, he brings to Wisconsin the wisdom he’s found along his journey. “I encourage other people to find whatever they're passionate about,” he says. “It may not be running, it may be something else entirely. But when you pour yourself into those passions, you find an outlet to get through the difficult times in your life.”   (05/19/2018) Views: 2,141 ⚡AMP

Flying Pig Marathon Director Honored by Running USA

Flying Pig Marathon Executive Director Iris Simpson Bush was inducted into the Running USA Hall of Champions at the 2018 Running USA Industry Conference awards dinner Sunday night in Austin Texas. Entry to the Running USA Hall of Champions is reserved for those people who with devotion, vision, and commitment built the sport and provided glory for the winners and a place to excel for everyone.” Running USA said that Bush “has not only overseen the growth of one of the premiere races in the United States, but has grown the sport of running in Ohio.” (02/12/2018) Views: 1,628 ⚡AMP
Race Directors