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
Related Stories
UC Research Ranking Climbs
January 10, 2002
The University of Cincinnati moved up in two different national rankings established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to compare college and university research efforts.
Three of Four UC Fulbrights Scholars from McMicken
January 28, 2002
Tainted water supplies in Bangladesh, international security and missile defense, transformations in Mexico and greater understanding of India - this varied list sums up the work of four Fulbright Scholars at the University of Cincinnati who are concentrating on real-life issues involving our neighbors around the world.
Celebrating CAS' Deep Roots in Cincinnati
November 11, 2002
UC s College of Applied Science (CAS) is set to celebrate its rich heritage as the quiet cornerstone upon which Cincinnati industry, learning and culture has built itself since the school s founding on Nov. 20, 1828. The school was founded as the Ohio Mechanics Institute, the first school dedicated to technical education west of the Alleghenies. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the college will toast its birth with a Founder s Day reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the first floor of the CAS Administration Building, 2220 Victory Parkway.
Students Step Up to the Plate for this Final Exam
November 26, 2002
Civility is the main course for UC students set to take their final exam at Pigall's restaurant on December 4.
UC Named Lead Organization for OSHA Training Consortium
January 13, 2003
UC Continuing Medical Education (CME) has been selected as the lead organization for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Great Lakes Training Consortium by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Ignorance of Stroke s Warning Signs a Barrier to Treatment; More Education Needed, UC Researchers Report in JAMA
January 14, 2003
Demographic groups facing the greatest risk of death and disability from stroke are the least likely to recognize stroke s warning signs and risk factors, according to a study by UC researchers published in the January 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
UC Researchers Find New Link Between the Eye and the Clock in the Brain
January 21, 2003
Results of a study done by a team of researchers working in the laboratories of Michael Lehman, PhD, professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the UC College of Medicine, will appear in the February issue of Nature Neuroscience.
Leader of Fetal Surgery to Deliver Lectures at UC
January 31, 2003
An internationally recognized authority on fetal surgery will lecture at the UC Medical Center, representing the first of a series of lectures on fetal surgery presented by the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn).
UC Celebrates National Heart Failure Awareness Week
January 31, 2003
UC Medical Center physicians Lynne Wagoner, MD, and Harvey Hahn, MD, are teaming up with The University Hospital to celebrate National Heart Failure Awareness Week, Feb. 10-14, 2003.
UC College of Nursing Announces New Scholarship for Graduate Program
January 31, 2003
The UC College of Nursing announces the availability of a new scholarship for a full-time student in the Women s Health Graduate Nursing Program.