Flying Pig Marathon: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
A hilly, festive loop with an early river crossing and a long mid-course climb known as “the Climb.”
- Where:
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- When:
- Sunday, May 2, 2027
- Course:
- Hilly · river crossings · loop
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
The Flying Pig is hillier than most spring marathons, with around 900–1,200 feet of climbing. The course stays relatively flat through the first few miles, then “the Climb” steps up over roughly miles 5–8, a long stair-step ascent of about 300 feet through the city’s hilliest neighborhoods. After cresting near Eden Park it descends and runs fast toward the downtown riverfront finish.
- Start → Finish
- 490 → 495 ft
- Net
- +5 ft
- Total gain
- ≈ 300 ft
Key moments
- Mile 1–3Early Ohio River crossing into Northern Kentucky and back, a controlled, scenic opening.
- Mile 5–8“The Climb” up through Gilbert Avenue and the hills is the defining grind; ease your effort up it.
- Mile 6–8Eden Park near the top of the climb, with sweeping Ohio River valley views.
- Mile 23–26.2Descend back to the riverfront for a fast downtown finish.
Pacing strategy
This is not a flat PR course, so pace by effort and budget for the climb. Bank nothing in the easy opening miles, ease your effort (not your form) up “the Climb,” and use the downhill back half to finish strong.
Pacing by goal time
Checkpoint splits for four common goals at Flying Pig Marathon. These are effort-even rather than pace-even: the paces shift with the course profile, so climbs are slower and descents faster by the amount the grade actually costs. For any other goal time, use the planner below.
| Checkpoint | Sub-3:00 | Sub-3:30 | Sub-4:00 | Sub-4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 3.1 | 20:396:54/mi | 24:068:03/mi | 27:329:12/mi | 30:5910:21/mi |
| Mile 6.2 | 41:407:03/mi | 48:368:14/mi | 55:339:24/mi | 1:02:2910:35/mi |
| Mile 9.3 | 1:03:067:09/mi | 1:13:368:20/mi | 1:24:079:32/mi | 1:34:3810:43/mi |
| Mile 12.4 | 1:24:287:07/mi | 1:38:328:18/mi | 1:52:379:29/mi | 2:06:4110:40/mi |
| Mile 15.5 | 1:44:396:38/mi | 2:02:057:45/mi | 2:19:328:51/mi | 2:36:589:57/mi |
| Mile 18.6 | 2:04:316:37/mi | 2:25:167:43/mi | 2:46:018:50/mi | 3:06:469:56/mi |
| Mile 21.7 | 2:24:326:43/mi | 2:48:377:50/mi | 3:12:428:57/mi | 3:36:4810:04/mi |
| Mile 24.9 | 2:44:496:48/mi | 3:12:187:55/mi | 3:39:469:03/mi | 4:07:1410:11/mi |
| Finish | 2:58:306:51/mi | 3:28:157:59/mi | 3:58:009:08/mi | 4:27:4510:16/mi |
Grade adjustment is a model, not a promise. It assumes even effort and ignores wind, heat, and how well your legs handle sustained descent — which on a steep course is often the deciding factor.
Plan your mile splits
Enter your goal time to get a mile-by-mile pacing band for Flying Pig Marathon. The even pace option is pre-selected to suit this course.
| Mile | Pace | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:09/mi | 9:09 |
| 2 | 9:09/mi | 18:18 |
| 3 | 9:09/mi | 27:28 |
| 4 | 9:09/mi | 36:37 |
| 5 | 9:09/mi | 45:46 |
| 6 | 9:09/mi | 54:55 |
| 7 | 9:09/mi | 1:04:05 |
| 8 | 9:09/mi | 1:13:14 |
| 9 | 9:09/mi | 1:22:23 |
| 10 | 9:09/mi | 1:31:32 |
| 11 | 9:09/mi | 1:40:41 |
| 12 | 9:09/mi | 1:49:51 |
| 13 | 9:09/mi | 1:59:00 |
| 14 | 9:09/mi | 2:08:09 |
| 15 | 9:09/mi | 2:17:18 |
| 16 | 9:09/mi | 2:26:28 |
| 17 | 9:09/mi | 2:35:37 |
| 18 | 9:09/mi | 2:44:46 |
| 19 | 9:09/mi | 2:53:55 |
| 20 | 9:09/mi | 3:03:05 |
| 21 | 9:09/mi | 3:12:14 |
| 22 | 9:09/mi | 3:21:23 |
| 23 | 9:09/mi | 3:30:32 |
| 24 | 9:09/mi | 3:39:41 |
| 25 | 9:09/mi | 3:48:51 |
| 26 | 9:09/mi | 3:58:00 |
| 26.22 | 9:09/mi | 4:00:00 |
Fueling & hydration
Aid stations roughly every 1.5–2 miles with water and sports drink. The big mid-course climb raises the workload, so fuel before it rather than during. Take a gel by the early miles and keep them coming on schedule.
Weather
Early-May Cincinnati is mild but can be humid, typically with lows around 50 and highs near 70, plus the occasional warm, muggy, or rainy year.
Is Flying Pig Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Yes. The course actually finishes 5 ft higher than it starts, so no downhill adjustment applies — and nobody can accuse the time of being gravity-assisted.
This drop is our estimate rather than a figure from the course's certificate. If it sits near a threshold, confirm with the organizer.
Dial in your pacing & fueling
New to how training builds toward a race like this? Start with Anatomy of a Running Plan, find your zones with the pace calculator, and plan race-day nutrition with the fueling calculator.
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