Flying Pig Marathon course: route, hills and race day
The Flying Pig Marathon is on Sunday, May 2, 2027, with a 6:30 a.m. start on Rosa Parks Street in Cincinnati and a finish on Mehring Way. The race describes a tour of Cincinnati, Covington, Newport, Mariemont, Fairfax and Columbia Township. In practice that means three bridges and a loop through Newport and Covington in the opening miles, a climb through Eden Park, a long stretch out through Hyde Park to a turnaround on Murray Road, and, from mile 19, a flat run home on Eastern Avenue and Riverside Drive.
This is a new route. The race changed it for 2026, when construction on both sides of the river and the loss of the Fourth Street bridge in Kentucky prompted it to tweak its courses, and it measured and certified the new one. That certificate, OH26004JHP, is the one the race's 2027 marathon page links.
USATF certified · OH26004JHP
Flying Pig Marathon
Cincinnati, OH
Race day
Sunday, May 2, 2027
29weeks to go · 203 days
- Distance
- Marathon
- Net drop
- 1m3 ft
Verified Oct 11, 2026 from flyingpigmarathon.com
The Flying Pig Marathon course, section by section
Sections follow the race's turn-by-turn directions. Mile points come from its 2026 spectator zones and relay exchange zones, the first year on this certified course. Where one section hands over to the next is our reading.
| Miles | Section |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Kentucky loop |
| 5 to 7.04 | Up to Eden Park |
| 7.04 to 12.25 | Out to Hyde Park |
| 12.25 to 18 | Turnaround and the far loop |
| 18 to 21 | Columbia Parkway and Eastern Avenue |
| 21 to 26.2 | Riverside finish |
Source: Flying Pig Marathon: marathon page turn-by-turn directions, 2026 spectator info, 2026 event guide, FAQ. Checked 11 October 2026.
Elevation: one big climb, then flat from mile 19
The elevation numbers come from the USA Track and Field certificate the race's marathon page links, OH26004JHP, measured in February and March 2026 and valid until the end of 2036. It puts the start at 149 m and the finish at 148 m above sea level, with the lowest point at 147 m and the highest at 251 m. So the finish is 1 m below the start, and the high point is 102 m (about 335 ft) above it.
A certificate gives the start, finish, lowest and highest points, not where the climbing happens. The race's own FAQ fills that in: the hills are in the first nine miles. The first two are the bridge into Kentucky and the one coming back. Then comes a 300 ft climb between miles 6 and 9 to a park with a view of the river and downtown; the route runs through Eden Park in that stretch, with a relay exchange there at 7.04. After that the race calls the course gently rolling, and from mile 19 to the finish pretty flat.
For Boston qualifiers: the race says the marathon is a certified course and a Boston qualifier when run as a live event. With the finish 1 m below the start there is no downhill to bank, so a time here is earned on the hills. The standards are on our Boston qualifying times page, and the BQ Course Index compares other certified courses.
Race weekend schedule
From the race's 2027 schedule and expo pages. There is no race-day packet pickup for the marathon.
| What |
|---|
| Expo and packet pickup, First Financial Center |
| Expo and packet pickup |
| Wheelchair start, Rosa Parks Street |
| Marathon, half marathon and 4-person relay, Rosa Parks Street |
| Victory Party, Smale Park |
Source: Flying Pig Marathon, 2027 full schedule and fitness expo pages, Policies and FAQs. Checked 11 October 2026.
How to pace the Flying Pig Marathon
This section is Runsy's advice, not the race's. It is how we would run this course from the facts above.
- Start in the right Pig Pen. Corrals are set by the finish time you give at registration, and in 2026 the race released them one by one between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. You can move back on race day but not forward, so give an honest time.
- Miles 0 to 5: run the bridges by effort. The first two hills are the bridge into Kentucky and the one coming back, and they come while the field is still packed. Let the pace slip a little on the way up rather than forcing it.
- Miles 5 to 9: the climb decides the day. The race puts a 300 ft climb between miles 6 and 9. Start it feeling easy. Holding goal pace up that hill is a bill you pay on Eastern Avenue. Expect to lose time here and do not chase it back right away.
- Miles 9 to 19: rolling, so run by effort. After the climb the race calls the course gently rolling. Settle into goal effort through Hyde Park and the turnaround, and let the watch drift a few seconds either side.
- Miles 18 and 21: take the GU. GU Energy Gel comes at miles 18 and 21, and Lemon Lime Gatorade Endurance is at the water stations. Practice with both in your long runs, or carry what your stomach already knows.
- Mile 19 to the finish: this is where the pace comes back. The race calls this stretch pretty flat. If you ran the hills by effort, Eastern Avenue and Riverside Drive are where you settle into goal pace or better.
- Train for the hills, not just the miles. A 102 m (about 335 ft) rise from the start to the high point is enough to matter. Put a steady climb into a long run every couple of weeks. On a treadmill, our treadmill pace chart shows what 1% to 6% incline is worth.
- Dress for a cool start. The race says the start is normally in the mid 40s Fahrenheit (about 7°C), rising to the mid 60s (about 18°C) by afternoon. Plan layers you can drop.
Turn a goal time into splits with the marathon pace chart, or sanity-check the goal with the race time predictor.
Running the Flying Pig on May 2, 2027?
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Fluids, fuel and race-morning logistics
From the race's marathon, FAQ, corral and pace team pages, and its 2026 event guide. Details marked 2026 are not yet published for 2027.
- Fluids: Lemon Lime Gatorade Endurance at all the water stations. In 2026 there were 25 fluid stations on the full course, with Gatorade served first and water second.
- Fuel: GU Energy Gel at miles 18 and 21.
- Restrooms and medical: in 2026, portable restrooms every mile and the medical team at 18 locations along the course.
- Time limit: the course closes at a continuous 16:00 minutes per mile, and the race says the full course stays open for a 7-hour pace. Slower runners move to the sidewalks as streets reopen. The marathon page also says runners who do not reach the Frisch's Mainliner, between miles 17 and 18, by 12:15 p.m. are bussed to the Eastern Avenue section.
- Corrals: Pig Pen A is 3:15 and faster, and Pens A and B need proof of time from an officially timed race; self-timed, training and virtual runs do not count.
- Pace groups: free to join. In 2026 marathon groups ran from 3:05 to 6:15, including Galloway pacers for the Walk-Run-Walk method.
- Bags and arrival: in 2026 bags had to be checked by 6:30 a.m. The race says to be at the start line at least an hour to a half hour before your event.
- Packet pickup: at the expo only, at the First Financial Center, 525 Elm St. There is no race-day pickup for the marathon.
- Event record: 2:17:40, set by Zach Kreft in 2026, the first year on this course, breaking a 2:20:24 record from 2006. Katie Hallahan won the 2026 women's race in 2:48:43.
Training for it: our intermediate marathon plans are the base the plan bridge above builds from. The 16-week beginner plan suits a first marathon, and the advanced plans suit runners chasing a qualifying time.
Runsy is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Flying Pig Marathon. Course facts come from the race's own pages and its USATF certificate.
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Fair questions
What is the Flying Pig Marathon course?
A point-to-point course that starts on Rosa Parks Street in Cincinnati and finishes on Mehring Way. It crosses into Kentucky on the Taylor Southgate Bridge, runs through Newport and Covington, comes back on the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, climbs through Eden Park, heads out through Hyde Park to a turnaround on Murray Road, and returns on Columbia Parkway, Eastern Avenue and Riverside Drive.
Is the Flying Pig Marathon hilly?
Early on, yes. The race says the hills are in the first nine miles: the bridge into Kentucky, the bridge back, and a 300 ft climb between miles 6 and 9. After that it is gently rolling, and from mile 19 to the finish it is pretty flat. The USATF certificate puts the high point 102 m (about 335 ft) above the start, and the finish 1 m below it.
Did the Flying Pig Marathon course change?
Yes. For 2026 the race tweaked its routes because of construction on both sides of the river and the loss of the Fourth Street bridge in Kentucky, then measured and certified the new marathon course as OH26004JHP. The race's 2027 marathon page links that certificate.
Is the Flying Pig Marathon a Boston qualifier?
The race says the marathon is a certified course and a Boston qualifier when completed as a live event. The current certificate is OH26004JHP, valid until the end of 2036.
What time does the Flying Pig Marathon start?
6:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 2, 2027, on Rosa Parks Street, alongside the half marathon, the 4-person relay and the wheelchair start. In 2026 the race released corrals one by one between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m.
Where are the water stops and gels on the Flying Pig course?
Lemon Lime Gatorade Endurance is at all the water stations, and GU Energy Gel is at miles 18 and 21. In 2026 there were 25 fluid stations on the full course.
What is the time limit for the Flying Pig Marathon?
The course closes at a continuous 16:00 minutes per mile, and the race says the full course stays open for a 7-hour pace. Slower participants move to the sidewalks as streets reopen. The race also says runners who do not reach the Frisch's Mainliner, between miles 17 and 18, by 12:15 p.m. are bussed to the Eastern Avenue section.
When should I start training for the Flying Pig Marathon?
Our marathon plans run 12, 16 or 20 weeks. For Sunday, May 2, 2027, a 16-week plan starts on Monday, January 11, 2027 and a 20-week plan on Monday, December 14, 2026. The plan bridge above dates the weeks for you.