The Flying Pig Marathon returns on Sunday, May 3, but runners will follow a new route.
“The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is a beautiful course that ‘flies’ along the streets of Cincinnati, Covington, Newport, Mariemont, Fairfax and Columbia Township. Our course presents a well-balanced, diverse tour of some of the best neighborhoods in the area,” according to the website.
The new route resulted from the recent closure and subsequent demolition of the 4th Street Bridge, which had connected Newport and Covington and carried marathoners across during previous races. Official approval of the route was announced on social media on March 16.
Beginning at 6:30 a.m., the route will be 26.2 miles starting at Rosa Parks Street, at 494 feet of elevation, and ending on Mehring Way, 835 feet of elevation.
The course will close at a continuous pace of 16 minutes per mile. Anyone who cannot maintain the 16-minute-per-mile pace must move to the sidewalk as the course closes to allow regular traffic through.
The whole weekend is full of events, including the 50 West Mile on Friday, 10K and 5K on Saturday. Plus the half-marathon on Sunday. Find all the weekend’s events here.
Runner services cannot be guaranteed for participants at paces beyond 16 minutes per mile. Participants who do not reach Frisch’s Mainliner between miles 17 and 18 by 12:15 p.m. will be bused to the Eastern Avenue section of the course.
Registration is available on the Pig Works website.