It's no secret to anyone who listens to me talk about running that my favorite half marathon is The Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati.
The half is just one of several events put on by Pig Works for what has become a weekend-long event, drawing runners from all over. In addition, the half marathon was just voted as America's favorite and for good reason!
It says a lot when a course which is this difficult still remains one of the most popular running events year after year. The hills are brutal. Sometimes the weather is miserable. But the crowd support and overall race production is nothing short of spectacular.
I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Pig Works Ambassador for this year, and the experience was awesome! I got to connect with a great group of people and work with a fantastic group responsible for all aspects of the race.
As mentioned before, I have run this race a few times. It was actually the very first half marathon I ever completed! I keep coming back because of the memories, experiences, and the first-rate production.
The course is challenging, but the crowd support and encouragement help to drive the runners on and over the many hills. The one thing that most newcomers mention regarding the course is the difficulty of the hills on the course. Running in Central Kentucky, I was aware of the hills, but they were not anything more challenging than those I've run on many long runs around my community.
The expo is great, with vendors and experiences for the whole family.
The amount and quality of swag given to participants does not even compare to that which I've received in other races. Of course, I had to buy some additional singlets at the expo. I mean, I have to support a small, local company like Asics -- right? LOL
I was in the second fastest corral at the start, due to a previous half marathon finishing time. The temps at the start (6:30am) were cool and breezy, but they were expected to climb throughout the day -- and they did. The predicted thunderstorms never materialized, and we only experienced a few drops of rain throughout, and that rain both refreshed us and increased the overall humidity.
I was glad for the weather. In my first Flying Pig Half, the race started as lightning flashed across the sky and my feet were soaked before I even started running. On my second go-around, the heat was a factor. I wanted as many variables to be positive since this was my first half in around six years.
I went into the race with no time goal and no pace predictions. I just wanted to finish strong and use this as my return to road racing. I took no walk breaks as I did in my second appearance when I was under-trained and out of shape. I ran those hills like a beast! The only time I had to stop was to re-pin my bib that had gotten torn with the wet conditions.
I ran a comfortable pace and really didn't experience any post-race soreness as I had in many other halves and fulls, and I'm already looking forward to running this race again next year -- its 25th Anniversary.