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Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 518 [displaying comments 401 to 411]
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G. W. from Novi, MI
(5/7/2004)
 "Good, but not great..." (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I have read all the outstanding reviews this marathon has received and I agree that it is a good race but not great. The comments about the finish area are accurate. You had to come to an abrupt stop at the finish mats because the runners were backed up. I didn't see anyone handing out finisher t-shirts but it was probably because I was looking for a Mylar blanket. The people that came out in the lousy weather to cheer were fabulous! The on-course entertainment was not as advertised. I assume the weather kept most of the bands at home. One other thing that I have not seen mentioned was the fact that several water stops used garden hoses to fill the water cups... not real appealing or tasty :-(. I think with some minor tweaks this could be a great race... | |
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J. W. from Wisconsin
(5/7/2004)
 "Disorganized start and finish" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The planners can't help the weather. They can help the organization. The start was disorganized and the finished was even more poorly organized. Simply put up signs directing runner to the pick-up bags would help and maybe after a long cold run, the pick-up bags should be fairly close to the finish line or at least a simple sign directing runners to the pick up point. I spent nearly 20 very cold wet minutes just trying to locate my dry cloths. Food at the finish? Hot dogs and ice cream. | |
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J. D. from Troy,Ohio
(5/7/2004)
 "Great Race!" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon and it was great even though the weather was not the greatest. The hills were not as bad as I had expected The view in Eden Park was fantastic. The fans in certain areas were really great with their cheering. They were really into the race. There was some boring areas around miles 18-24. More porta-ports are need along the route. I waited 5 minutes at mile 13 while the line slowly moved along. I guess I could have used the bushes. LOL! The finish was a bit crazy with the mass of people and the gear check at the other end of the party area. Maybe locating it near the finish especially since it was cold and wet a better idea. Where were the buses that were supposed to take you back to the downtown hotels? That 2-mile walk back to the hotel was a cold jaunt. Speaking of hotels... my only negative point about the whole experience was the Mellenium Hotel downtown. They were rude, not catering to runners. We were told that the restaurant would open at 6:30 (start of the race). Duh! But we could get some breakfast items at Walgreens. They did a booming business. I guess the Mellenium does not want our money or business. I reserved 2 double beds in Feb. and only king-size beds were avaliable on arrival. We were told we did not read the small print on the website. Sorry son you get to sleep on the floor. I will come back to the Flying Pig Marathon but strongly suggest everyone stay away from the Mellenium. Bad News! My impression of the whole day was great overall. | |
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Susan McCaffrey from Michigan
(5/7/2004)
"Great Start for a First-Timer!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I had no idea what to really expect but was pleasantly surprised, especially by the crowd's enthusiasm. Several neighborhood groups stood out in the rain with trays of oranges, fruit snacks, and even M&Ms (peanut, of course)! As mentioned by others, the goodies were superb, in spite of a lack of smaller-sized t-shirts. My only complaint would be the part of the course which ran along a parkway, which was like a highway. It was lonely and seemed to go on forever. The last hill, too, between miles 25 and 26, was a surprise but a very nice support person (name tag said Amy Cole) jumped out and ran right along with me to the top! From then on, it was smooth sailing as I definitely felt the thrill of victory at the end! P.S. I recommend the Clif Bar pace teams - they made it so much fun and encouraged us all the way! | |
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Beth Boswell from Nashville, TN
(5/7/2004)
"Don't spend your money on the Flying Pig!" (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon, and I signed up for it because I collect pigs. I wanted the t-shirt and medal. The weather was horrible. That can't be controlled; however, the Clif Shots were handed out about a half mile after the water. No water station followed the Clif Shots. Also, when I finished the race, I wanted a Mylar blanket because I was freezing from running for 4 hours and 45 minutes in the cold rain. I waited in line for my blanket, and when I reached the front of the line, the volunteer who was handing them out UNAPOLOGETICALLY stated, 'That's it. I don't have any more.' She made no effort to direct me to where there would be more blankets. I stumbled over to where I might find food, and the only thing I saw was ICE CREAM. I was shaking so hard that I couldn't hold my water bottle. I stole two finish line t-shirts since no one was attending the boxes, but it didn't help me much. I couldn't find the family reunion area since it wasn't marked. No signs, no one giving instructions on where to go. I waited for an hour in the freezing cold for my sister before I hobbled to a shuttle bus alone and got back to my hotel. I'll never run this race again, nor will I ever purposefully step foot in Ohio again. Spend your money wisely. Go to Nashville the weekend before the Flying Pig and do the Country Music Marathon. They take good care of their runners there. | |
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J. P. from Connecticut
(5/7/2004)
"NOT well organized at finish line" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 After hearing all sorts of good things about the Pig's organization, I was horribly disappointed. 2004 -- rain, cold (45 degrees), wind. By 4:30 into the race, there were no space blankets left. No bagels. No bananas. Had to BUY food from the 'party' area. No one handing out the finisher medals. Had to find the table holding the medals (was NOT obvious and would have walked past it but for another runner pointing it out). No one handing out the finisher tee-shirts. Had to find the area with the tee-shirts, but it was not obvious, not marked. Would have walked right past it except that at that point I was looking for something -- anything -- dry and warm. Baggage claim was over 1/2 mile away. Just what I wanted to do when cold and wet -- walk half a mile to find my baggage. Baggage was not stored in the trucks or under a tent or anything like that -- it was sitting out in the rain. Everything I had was soaked so of no use in getting me warm. And my experience was not nearly as bad as those who ran the first half of the relay. Long walks to cold buses, no water/Gatorade, no food, no way to go through the chutes to get their medals or photographs. I know a lot of people who will never do a Pig relay again. | |
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S. M. from Milford, CT
(5/7/2004)
"Fun Course and Cool Medal" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I loved the marathon course and the goodies that they provided. Between the two t-shirts, backpack, the poster, and a cool finisher's medal, the entry fee was well worth it. The crowd support was great. Even though it was raining hard at times they still came to cheer us on. At the starting line is was nice that they were able to open the stadium to keep the runners dry. Some disadvantages of the marathon in which I hope that they can improve is that even though there were plenty of water stations, but for those runner doing a pace of 10:30 or slower most of the stations could not keep on with the demand of water so they had to pour it while you were waiting. The relay exchange zones were a mess. Too many people and a small area made it impossible to run in these zones at times. Finally the finish line needs major improvement. When I finished they only had water, soda, and cheese bagels to hand out. The blankets were gone, and there was such a congestion of people that you were standing in place. The family reunion area was not well defined either. It was by luck that I met up with my family because neither of us could find it. Overall the marathon was good, but the water stations and the finish line could not handle those runners that had a slower pace, which is disappointing since it is supposed to be a walker-friendly marathon (7.5 hours to finish with the early start). | |
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J. V. from St. Petersburg, FL
(5/6/2004)
 "One of the best overall marathons" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am always impressed by the management of this marathon. The change in the course this year makes this a 5-star marathon. I have run over 100 marathons and the organization, expo, course, and goodies are top-notch. The cold and rainy weather really helped run times this year and the spectators turned out like New York and Boston. Keep up the great job, this marathon keeps getting better every year. | |
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B. B. from Illinois
(5/6/2004)
"Only OK - not fabulous" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The course was very hilly - glad the hardest hills are at the start. Don't let the course map fool you into thinking there are not any hills at the end - this is a rolling hills course. Very disappointed by the complete lack of organization at the finish. The people on the course the longest did not have any Mylar blankets at the end and only water (no food) remained after the 4:30 mark. Gear check is completely outdoors - which is a problem when it rains for over 4 hours. The crowds are small, only about a couple thousand total over the entire course and group in small areas. At least the medal is cool. | |
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A. G. from Bridgeport Ohio
(5/6/2004)
"Wonderful experience!" (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was our third marathon. We've done Pittsburgh and Marine Corps. It was a beautiful course, with the hills in all the right places. We train in eastern Ohio so we're really prepared for hills. We loved the t-shirts and the people were wonderful. My husband and I both were able to run a PR. Our hope was to break four hours and we were thrilled to come in 8 minutes early! The finishing chute was a little tight and slow. Everything else was perfect. Thanks so much to the information booth who directed us to the bus back to our hotel. This was a lifesaver since we were frozen solid! We stayed and enjoyed Cincinnati. Try O'Malleys in the Alley for a post-race cocktail! |
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