USA Today: Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon named best in nation
The local race tops New York City, Chicago marathons in Readers’ Choice list
Cincinnati wins again — this time for its popular Flying Pig Marathon.
“The Pig” ranks No. 1 in USA Today’s 10Best list of top-rated marathons. The local race beat out 20 other marathons across the country, including the New York City, Big Sur International and Chicago marathons.
The list highlights the race’s fun pig theme, its scenic 26.2-mile route along the Ohio River through diverse neighborhoods across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, and a post-race party with pizza and beer.
What's with the flying pigs?
Hogs were central to 1800s Cincinnati industry, so much so that the city was dubbed Porkopolis. Images and statues of winged pigs can be seen throughout Cincinnati — a tribute to the hogs who gave their lives.
The 10Best rankings are nominated by industry experts, vetted by editors and voted on by the public. Earlier this year, Cincinnati also topped 10Best lists for street art and botanical gardens.
Seth Elking/UC Athletics
Each spring you’ll find countless UC students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans participating in the race weekend or cheering on runners.
Last year, a Bearcat won the men’s Flying Pig Half Marathon. Seth Elking, now a second-year student and track athlete, finished the 13.1-mile race with a 1:10:56 finish time.
Also in last year’s race was Lauralee Wheat, a Cincinnati woman who had a life-changing surgery performed by UC’s Joseph Cheng, MD, that made running possible for her once again.
In 2015, Wheat was in two car crashes within a few months of each other. The trauma of the crashes left damage to her back and ongoing pain. After multiple surgeries and consultations with various doctors, Wheat said she was nearly bedridden and told to accept her life of pain.
A classmate recommended Wheat visiting Cheng at UC for another opinion. He performed another surgery in 2018, and Wheat was cleared to resume normal activities — including running — the next year. She ran her first Flying Pig Marathon in 2023.
Read more about Wheat’s story.
In 2017, Jack Randall won the men’s Flying Pig Marathon one week after graduating from UC. The biomedical engineering grad took top spot in the race again in 2019.
The 26th annual Flying Pig Marathon takes place Sunday, May 5, with additional races and events happening all weekend long.
Featured image at top of Flying Pig starting line/courtesy of Flying Pig Marathon
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