CINCINNATI -- Thinking about heading downtown this weekend? If so, be prepared to see a lot of people wearing running clothes and shoes in awkward poses stretching.
As a matter of fact, the city expects to see more than 30,000 people participating in some part of the 19th annual Flying Pig Marathon festivities.
But this year, construction will mean a couple changes to the Pig's traditional route.
Sunday
The bulk of road closing and traffic delays happen on Sunday, when 26.2 miles of the region plays host to the full Flying Pig Marathon and more than 10,000 runners.
Construction work, though, means two traditional thoroughfares for the race will be rerouted -- the Marburg Bridge connecting Oakley and Hyde Park and the upcoming roundabout interchange just south of the Taylor Southgate Bridge in Newport.
As a heads up for anyone going to cheer on a participant, download the Pig smartphone app to track your athlete on the course.
Tap here to visit the Flying Pig website for instructions on where to download the app and how to use it.
Now for the many road closures.
For the setup of the finish line, officials will close Johnny Bench Way northbound and East Pete Rose Way in both directions beginning Friday, May 5 at 9 a.m. until the full marathon's finish Sunday afternoon.
See the full AND half marathon course maps below, followed by the street-by-street list of closings.
Use the "+/-" button in the bottom left corner to zoom.
Sunday morning, these streets will close at 1 a.m., to stage the starting line for the marathon:
- Mehring Way -- between Rose Street and East Pete Rose Way
- Central Avenue -- south of West Pete Rose Way
- Elm Street -- south of Freedom Way
- Joe Nuxhall Way -- south of Freedom Way
The following streets from Downtown into Northern Kentucky and then all out to Mariemont and Fairfax, including part of Columbia Parkway, will begin to close at 5 a.m. as needed for the full and half-marathon. The race begins at 6:30 a.m. on Merhing Way. New closures are in bold:
- Main Street -- between Mehring Way and Third Street
- Third Street -- between Main Street and Broadway
- Broadway -- between Taylor Southgate Bridge and Third Street
- Taylor Southgate Bridge -- closed
- Clay Wade Bailey Bridge -- closed
- Third Street -- between Gest Street and the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge
- Gest Street -- northbound closed between Mehring Way and Linn Street
- West Eighth Street -- eastbound closed between Linn Street and Seventh Street
- Seventh Street -- closed between Central Avenue and Gilbert Avenue (Vehicles from the garage at Seventh and Broadway will be permitted to exit at Seventh Street and continue across Broadway to E Seventh St)
- Seventh Street exit from SB I-75 -- closed
- Central Avenue -- closed between Seventh Street and Sixth Street
- Plum Street -- closed between Eighth Street and Seventh Street
- Elm Street -- closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Race Street -- closed between Garfield Place and Seventh Street
- Vine Street -- closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Walnut Street -- closed between Eighth Street and Seventh Street
- Main Street -- closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Sycamore Street -- closed between Eighth Street and Seventh Street
- Broadway -- closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Gilbert Avenue -- northbound closed between Seventh Street and Elsinore Place
- Gilbert Avenue -- closed between Elsinore Place and Eden Park Drive
- Eden Park Drive -- closed between Gilbert Avenue and Victory Parkway
- Fulton Avenue -- closed between Nassau Street and Eden Park Drive
- Art Museum Drive -- closed between Ida Street and Eden Park Drive
- Lake Drive -- closed
- Victory Parkway -- northbound closed between Eden Park Drive and McMillan Avenue
- McMillan Avenue -- closed between Victory Parkway and Woodburn Avenue
- Woodburn Avenue -- closed between McMillan Avenue and Madison Road
- Madison Road -- eastbound closed between Woodburn Avenue and Erie Avenue
- Erie Avenue -- eastbound closed between Madison Road and Paxton Avenue
- Paxton Avenue -- northbound closed between Erie Avenue and Wasson Road
- Murray Avenue -- eastbound closed between Erie and Lacrosse avenues
- Bramble Avenue -- eastbound closed between Erie and Settle avenues
The race continues into Mariemont and Fairfax, then returns on westbound US-50/Columbia Parkway.
- US-50/Columbia Parkway -- single westbound curb lane closed between the Cincinnati Corporation Line and Eastern Avenue off ramp (westbound US-50 ramp to Eastern Avenue is closed)
- Ramp from Red Bank Road to Westbound Columbia Parkway -- closed
- Eastern Avenue -- westbound closed between Columbia Parkway and Stanley Avenue
- Stanley Avenue -- southbound closed between Eastern Avenue and Kellogg Avenue
- Kellogg Avenue -- westbound closed between Stanley Avenue and Worth Street
- Riverside Drive -- eastbound closed between Worth Street and E. Pete Rose Way
- E. Pete Rose Way -- closed between Riverside Drive and Johnny Bench Way
- Johnny Bench Way -- closed
The half-marathon will follow the same course out but will turn back at Woodburn Avenue & Madison Road. The following streets will be closed as needed:
- Madison Road -- eastbound closed between Victory Parkway and Woodburn Avenue
- M.L.King -- eastbound closed between Gilbert Avenue and Victory Parkway
- Gilbert Avenue -- northbound closed between Eden Park Drive and ML King
- Sinton Avenue -- closed between Gilbert Avenue and Nassau Street
- Nassau Street -- closed between Sinton Avenue and Gilbert Avenue
- Elsinore Place -- closed between Reading Road and Gilbert Avenue
- Reading Road -- northbound closed between Central Parkway and Elsinore Place
- Central Parkway -- closed between Eggleston Avenue and Vine Street
- Eggleston Avenue -- southbound closed between Central Parkway and E Pete Rose Way
- Eggleston Avenue -- northbound closed between Third Street and Broadway
Road closings and course support for the full marathon ends approximately seven hours after the race's 6:30 a.m. start.
Cincinnati Metro will maintain bus service, but riders should expect some delays, the city said.
