I have run this race for the past three years and I will run this again. I like the new start with everyone in the stadium. It seems to go a lot faster. The previous method had the final corral leaving while the first corral was returning. It was a little bittersweet for takeoff for those of us in the back of the pack.

The Pig begins Cincinnati's running season in style. The city gets ready for the four-day event.

From the the moment I walked out of the airline terminal and into the baggage area I was here for the event. The airport had a welcome area complete with photographers and goodie bags. My shuttle was ready for me (discounted for the race) and whisked my off to my hotel up in the city. My hotel had my room ready early in the morning and I didn't have to wait until 3:00 pm to check in.

I was able to head over to the expo. The expo was well set up and the packet pickup areas for the various races were well marked. Once I picked up my packet I was able to saunter through the various booths to get my t-shirt, poster, blanket and magnet at the end. There were a LOT of places giving items away and lots of food samples to try. If I forgot anything for running (yes, we needed socks), I was able to purchase them at the expo and didn't have to go find a store.

I didn't run until Sunday, but I had fun watching the other races anc cheering on the runners. We were even lucky enough to see a rainbow Friday evening during the One-miler.

Sunday began cloudy and in the fifties. Perfect for running. The music was playing and the pigpens were filling up quickly. 6:30 PM and the Star Spangled Banner was sung by two young men. It was beautiful. Shortly thereafter our first racer was off -- our first wheelchair racer. After he had a small lead going, the first wave took off. Flames burst in the air along with the first piggies as they crossed the starting line. Barbecue!!

This race was well organized and well supported by the crowd. There were Gatorade/water stations at every mile. Residents along the way set up their own water/cookie/candy stations. I had a local kind enough to hand me a whole bottle of water around Mile 5. I drank that along with water at every stop. It got hot out there. Crowd support remained on the course the entire way.

The split between the the half and the full marathons was well marked. Returning to cross the finish line was also well marked. The finish line offered our medals along with refreshments, water and pizza. They even gave us a plastic bag to carry the items.

The race provided us with a virtual goodie bag. Inside were tickets for a Reds game and some other fun things. We decided to go see Fiona and visit the rest of the animals at the zoo, including the piggies. It was one of the best weekends and races I've been to. I will definitely go again.

Brrrrrrr. This year the keys had a chilly windy weekend for the race. Temps in the high 50s with winds coming at you at 30-40 mph made the run a bit difficult. But the rain held off and we didn't get drenched as was forecasted the night before.

This race was celebrating their 20th anniversary. I expected them to make a bigger deal about the anniversary, parties, discounts at the local restaurants and bars, swag with the celebration logo, but it wasn't there. The race was well organized and they had plenty of water stops this year. They had pacers to keep the runners on track and motivated.

The afterparty was not as much fun this year most likely because of the weather. I can't put that on the race directors. There was a live band and plenty of food, but when you are expecting the weather to be in the high 70s or 80s and it is in the 50s, it's a bit chilly for staying around. The wind was blowing so hard it was pushing you. Kudos to the runners who ran a PR.

Even though there wasn't any water for those of us runners at the slower paces for three aid stations, I still like this race. I will make sure to bring my own next year even though the "rules" say not to. Running across the Ambassador Bridge at dawn is a sight to behold. This year it was a bit cloudy, but the sun was trying to break through. We were racing against the weather and wanted to get into Windsor before it rained so that we would not be sent back without getting to return through the tunnel. Returning through the tunnel is fabulous. When you reach the middle there is a line marking the borders of the two countries. Of course many people will be stopping for pictures here. But this is between miles 7 and 8 so the crowd isn't so thick that they will trip you up. The elevation for this race is mostly the bridge crossing into Canada and the tunnel coming back into the US. There is one or two other inclines when you go through an underpass. The views are beautiful as you cross the bridge. You can see the skylines of both Detroit and Windsor. While running in Windsor you are running along the river and there is a park on your left. You can see Detroit across the water.

There is great crowd support. A lot of people throughout the course sit in chairs outside their homes watching and cheering on the runners. Nothing better.

This year the wind was ferocious. It picked up to about 40-50 mph. It was pushing the huge iron barriers around. It definitely wasn't a year for a PR.

I loved this race. There were not thousands of people pushing me around or people walking dogs or pushing strollers. I live in the central states and it is flat, flat, flat. This course was far from that. I think there may have been about a foot of pathway that didnt have me going up or down. My quads screamed at me one way and then my calves screamed at me the other. It was GREAT.

The scenery was gorgeous. As we climbed up I could look back and see the road and the Gorge where we had begun the race. We encountered stairs along with a switchback or two.

There was plenty of encouragement from the volunteers at the water stations. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the runners.

I met up with some runners who ran at my pace and ended up becoming friends. Three hours on the trail is a long enough time to get to make friends.

The food at the finish line was fantastic. They served real food, not chips and a bagel. They served a hot meal. Yum!

I ran with great friends and we had the best time. I really enjoyed this race and I am thinking about a return trip.