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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 391 to 401]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 38 39 40 41 42 .. 52 > ]

 

J. W. from Gastonia, NC (5/20/2004)
"Great marathon... terrible weather" (about: 2004)

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


I loved the course and loved, loved, loved the spectators! Two things I didn't love were the finish line area, which was totally unorganized... It took me an hour to find my wife. And the other thing I didn't love was the scheduling of the walkers and the runners meeting up along the race. I sometimes had to run into oncoming traffic in order to get around the walkers that were 5 and 6 abreast chatting to each other or on cell phones. I felt as if I had ran 28 miles with all the circling around walkers that I had done. But thank you so much, spectators! You made a miserable morning spectacular!
 

Dan Schreiner from Chicago (5/18/2004)
"Rain, rain, go away" (about: 2004)

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


I have to say that the spectators made the race. Everyone came out despite the rain, very impressive. The course is nice and flat and the neighborhoods were all very pretty. I love pigs, because I am one, so this was MY race. I would recommend this race to anyone.
 

m. p. from Minnesota, USA (5/15/2004)
"Great course, poorly run finish area." (about: 2004)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 3  FANS: 3


Despite the rain, cool temps and wind the course was beautiful. There were plenty of aid stations and hearty fans. I have run 34 marathons and this one had the most disappointing finish area. They had run out of Mylar blankets, bananas and bagels. We found our dry clothes bag some distance from the finish line and in the mud. I think with better planning the Flying Pig could truly live up to its reputation of a great race.
 

s. m. from austin, tx (5/15/2004)
"A little disappointing" (about: 2004)

First Marathon
COURSE: 3  ORGANIZATION: 2  FANS: 5


My first marathon. Expo was extremely crowded. Goodie bag was awesome. Weather was miserable, but tolerable. Support along the way was excellent, except for the parkway stretch, which was lonely and had no view. Finish area was a nightmare. When I finished, no Mylar blankets. They were digging them out of trash cans. Gross!! Took me forever to find the baggage area. The letters that are put up for you to meet your family, were not there due to the weather. Took me about 45 minutes to find my family.
 

K. L. from Cincinnati, OH (5/14/2004)
"Very Poor Organization" (about: 2004)

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


My friends and I ran the marathon relay. After reading how well organized it was we were very disappointed on race morning.

The relay buses were impossible to find. The literature said volunteers would direct us to the buses. No volunteers to be found and no signage when we got to the start line. It was dark, cold and rainy so it would have been hard to see signs even if there were any. The leg 2 bus left earlier than advertised so I almost didn't have a way to get to my relay point.

If it wasn't for 2 other runners 'hijacking' 2 buses, about 200 of us would have never made it to the 2nd relay stop. I was almost in tears for 20 minutes until we found a bus driver that would take us. People were stopping strangers in cars on the street asking for rides. It was completely out of control at 6:00am. No one with any kind of authority was at the bus stop in order to fix this problem.

My T-shirt was printed incorrectly. It says the Fying Pig Marathon. Instead of the Flying Pig Marathon.

The finish area was a mess too. There was no signage to tell us where the reunion area was or where to get our team pictures taken.

If we run it next year we will find our own transportation to our relay points. It was way too stressful!!

Enjoyed the scenic course and all the cheering fans even in the 40-degree rain! But overall very disappointing.
 

j. c. from cincinnati, ohio (5/11/2004)
"This piggy went to market 'cause there's no food" (about: 2004)

6-10 previous marathons | 6+ Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 2  FANS: 2


This is my 6th Flying Pig. My wife and I were spoiled as we ran Boston 2 weeks before. However, while the course changes were great, the management of the course and the finish area were disgraceful. We crossed late to find no blankets, no food - except ice cream in 40-degree weather, and surly help. We wandered around for 10 minutes shivering in the rain and cold before we could find someone to direct us to the bag check only to be directed through a maze of vendors. Once you got through the vendors we found our stuff had been left out in public, in the rain. Our dry clothes were soaked. My wife, by now in tears, was borderline hypothermic.

I have a pact with a friend of mine to run this race every year until we can't do it anymore. I will run it again because of the pact, otherwise I'd be looking for another race. Between last year's route through Cincinnati's urban combat zone to this years horrific finish area, I'd start looking for another May race. I wont go so far as to say the Flying Pig's best years are behind it, but it has gone rapidly downhill from the first 4 years.
 

R. H. from Dayton, Ohio (5/10/2004)
"Great... except for those shuttle buses" (about: 2004)

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


Loved almost everything about the race. The course was fairly flat, but with enough elevation to keep your attention :) Expo was fantastic, as was spectator support along the route. Plenty of water stops and porta-johns. Staging of the shuttle buses at the end, however, was disastrous. Weather was miserable, and the buses were blocks from the finish with no clear directions on their location. By the time you found where they were and walked there, you were a Popsicle!
 

Bryan Redemske from Waterloo, Iowa (5/8/2004)
"The best one yet" (about: 2004)

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


I came to Cincinnati after hearing positive reports of the previous five runnings. I was more than impressed with everything about the Flying Pig. The expo was easily the smoothest and best-run I've seen. The course was great -- challenging in spots but still conducive to speed. The race extras were awesome -- two shirts, a backpack, a poster and a medal? Wow. Oh, and I qualified for Boston to boot! We'll definitely be back.
 

K. R. from Kalamazoo, Michigan (5/7/2004)
"Coulda Rained Harder! Good 'Thon!" (about: 2004)

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


The rain and wind and cool breeze teased us at the beginning but got serious 4 through 17 miles into the race after everyone had torn off their garbage bag! Good course with a meaty hill at mile six and a great view of the Ohio River Valley once you got to the top!

In spite of the rain, the spectators were fantastic who came out to encourgage the runners! Free gloves at mile 13 really helped and a really show of local running store support of the race.

The water stops were well spaced and lined with supportive volunteers. Could have been more porta-potties at the first 10 miles, but there were plenty of bushes!

Great marathon, Cincinnati! Now I know why others think so.
 

A. E. from Melbourne, Florida (5/7/2004)
"What a blast!" (about: 2004)

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


This marathon was a blast! Despite the rain and cold, the spectators still came out and cheered. My primary training was in Florida, where there are no hills, but I found the course to be quite enjoyable. Yes, there are hills there, but they are not insurmountable by any means. There were frequent water stops. The only draw backs I saw was that the finishing chute was a little disorganized and that the back check was outdoors on a rainy day, and very far away from the finish. Everything else was superbly organized. I would highly recommend this marathon.
 

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