CINCINNATI — About 30,000 runners are ready for the Tri-State's greatest race weekend of the year, the Flying Pig Marathon.
It's the first time the Marathon is back at its normal May date in two years. 2020's race was virtual and 2021's October version was scaled back due to the pandemic. Since last year’s race was held in the fall, organizers only had six months to pull this weekend together.
This year's fleet features runners from 47 states and 15 countries, all vying for that moment across the finish swine.
"When you see them coming across that Finish Swine and they're in all sorts of different emotional states," Pig Works President & CEO, Iris Simpson Bush said. "In fact we never know if they're tears or joy or pain, but we do celebrate their emotions with them."
Pig Works is a non-profit that raises money for other charities. The Flying Pig events raise about a million dollars each year - half of which comes from "The Piggest Raffle."
"Every organization keeps 100% of what they sell," Iris said.
History was made Saturday morning at the ‘Finish Swine’ at this weekend’s Toyota 10K. Shawanna White made history as she crossed the Toyota 10K ‘Finish Swine’ as the first woman of color to win the women’s race.
“I would just say never give up,” White said. “Just keep going and just take it one mile at a time.”
Tickets are $5 and prizes include $10,000 cash, $5,000 cash and a Cincinnati-themed weekend getaway. The cash prizes are split between the winner and the charity of their choice. The drawing is Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Flying Pig also has a big economic impact in the Queen City. It brings in about $14 million annually to local businesses and traveling convention style businesses.
There will be asignificant traffic impacts before and during the race as runners travel through parts of Cincinnati, Mariemont, Fairfax and Northern Kentucky and will affect traffic throughout the day on Sunday.
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