The 25th anniversary is usually celebrated with silver, but for 72 Flying Pig “Streakers” (people whose who have participated in all 25) their anniversary gift will be something even more precious--a big, brass alloy medal with a pig on it. The streaker group’s numbers have dwindled over the years, of course, from the more than 6,000 who toed the start line in 1999 to those who will head to their start corral on Sunday, May 7. Probably very few thought that on that day 25 years ago that they’d still be running the race, but here they are—and here are a few of their stories, in their own words.
What compelled you to sign up for the first Flying Pig?
Rick Kieser Bib #147
I ran my first marathon (Los Angeles) about 10 years before and did not train for it and was never happy with my finish time of 4:26 minutes. I thought at the time … well I am never doing one of those again and happy it was over but not content with the fact that I could have done better. Then the first Flying Pig was on my 35th birthday May 9th 1999 and thought, well there is no better way to redeem myself but to actually train for a marathon and be part of Cincinnati’s first. Had a time good time of 3:41 and was very happy with a respectable marathon time.
Mark Jepson Bib #144
At the age of 46, the Flying Pig was my first full marathon. As a lifelong runner, I always wanted to run a marathon, and I decided a hometown race was a perfect race to go for it.
Robert Engel Bib #125
I had been running marathons for about five years when I heard about the Flying Pig. I signed up because I thought it would be great to run in Cincinnati. All of my other marathons required travel and motel reservations. (Columbus, Chicago, Boston) I thought would be great to get up from your own bed and drive to the race. I never thought it would turn into a weekend of fun.
When did it dawn on you that you had a streak going at the Flying Pig marathon and that you wanted to continue it?
Kieser:
Years before, the Heart Mini-Marathon celebrated a person who had run it for 20 years in a row, and I thought wow that is really something. Doing the Mini-Marathon 20 years in a row … what an accomplishment and insightful on that person’s part to hang in there. One of the reasons for running the very first Pig was, if I was going to have a similar streak, I have to run the very first one. But there is a big difference from running a 15K 20 years in a row versus a marathon.
For the first few years it was hard to say I was going to do it again next year because they are always painful, but I kept it going. First was to get to five, then 10, then 15, then I thought I was done at 20! But here I am now at 25!!! Oh my goodness. It is a mouthful however you look at it.
Jepson:
I thought about a Flying Pig ‘streak’ right away, I guess. I’ve always liked the idea of race streaks.
Engel:
Early. I remember in year 5, we got an extra t-shirt for doing all 5 marathons.
What makes the Flying Pig Marathon so special to you?
Kieser:
Very well run, great spectator support, good charities and supports our hometown Cincinnati. It’s truly a special marathon.
Jepson:
I love the Flying Pig. As I said, it’s a hometown race, and it always runs right through my Mt. Lookout neighborhood.
Engel:
It's our home town race. It is a weekend of fun, getting to see and spend time with runners at the expo, weekend races and parties.
Were you a runner before the inaugural Flying Pig, and do you run other events?
Keiser:
Not really. First marathon was Los Angeles ten years earlier and all my other marathons have been the Pig. I am concentrating on the Pig. I have completed a full Ironman, too.
Jepson:
I’m a lifelong runner, and I run many local races. I’ve run all the 14Ks (both back in the day, and since the Flying Pig took it over). I’ve run all the Little Kings/Fifty West Mile races, and all of the Bockfest 5Ks. Even earlier, I ran almost all of the Reggae Runs, and most of the Run Like Hell 5Ks.
Engel:
I had been running about 8 years before the Pig. Running wasn't my idea, my doctor got me running when my blood pressure was out of control in 1991. I ran my first marathon in 1994, first Boston in 1996, first 50 miler in 1998, first 100 miler in 2001, first 150 miler in 2010 and in the Covid year 2020 I ran the Ohio to Erie trail from Cleveland to Cincinnati--326 miles.
Any personal story you'd like to add about your experience at the Pig?
Kieser:
It was one of the earlier Pigs, maybe 2007, we show up to the starting line and its 42 degrees and really raining. We are all cold at the starting line but everyone is very optimistic about the run and happy. Then Iris (Simpson Bush, Pig Works CEO) gets on the microphone and says, “I just checked the weather and it’s going to stop raining!” And I thought that is great. Then I am at Mile 17 in Mariemont, it’s been raining the whole time and I am getting tired and I am looking at the big puddles on the ground. I then thought if you had any one coming to visit for support in the last few miles that they will not be there because the temperature is dropping and it raining hard. It is awful conditions.
I get mentally prepared to have to gut this one out alone. Then a friend of mine David Willbrand, who was to meet me at mile 19 and run some, actually shows up!!! I was so surprised, and I said what the heck are you doing, it’s awful, and no one else is around, and he said “Well I am a man of my word and I knew you could use the support.” He ran me home to the finish line for the next 7 miles and I finished with a good time 3:43. Oh my goodness that one was tough and I was so grateful to David. It’s a wonderful event. I am happy to be a Streaker. Game on!
Engel:
As a pacer for the last 15 years, I have many stories and memories. But one year, I do remember being yelled at for having too much fun. My buddy Sean and I were at Mile 22. We had just passed the last relay coral. One of the relay participants asked us if we were running the full. She said that we were in very good spirits for Mile 22. We told her we weren't racing, we were just using it for a training run. She asked for what. We told her, the Mohican 100. She said you guys are like Forest Gump!
And so it started...shrimp on a stick, shrimp sandwiches, shrimp...after couple minutes of everyone laughing and calling out shrimp something an old man started yelling at us. “You people are making a mockery of the race! Some of us are trying our hardest to do this race!” I guess somebody was hitting the wall???
The 25th edition of the Flying Pig Marathon Weekend presented by P&G and Prysmian Group will be May 5-7, 2023. For more information and registration, visit flyingpigmarathon.com.