CINCINNATI — Nearly 40,000 people from all around the world traveled to Cincinnati to run the exhilarating Flying Pig Marathon right along the Ohio River.

What You Need To Know

  • Sunday marked the 26th annual Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati

  • The first race was in 1999

  • It was developed by Bob Coughlin, founder and CEO of Paycor

  • Jason Salyer won first place in the full marathon, defending his 2023 title

At the crack of dawn, thousands were out and ready to hit the ground running to compete in the 26th annual race.

As the announcer began the countdown and the horn sounded, runners eagerly ran across the start line.

Among the mass was Brian Napier. He said he has spent months training and traveled over the bridge to compete in the half-marathon portion of the run.  

"I'm feeling great," he said as he began a steady pace at the start of the race. "I can't think of a better way to start out my morning than doing this."

Napier has been working to recover from a torn pectoral injury and promised himself once he healed he'd run his first marathon, he said. 

"I got really out of shape because of that ... so I've just recently been able to work out," Napier said. 

After just a little bit of time, people began making it across the finish line, including male half-marathon winner Jonathan Harley. He said it’s community that makes the experience so great.

"This is my first Flying Pig Sunday with all this energy," Harley said. "To be honest, this is honestly phenomenal … Cincinnati (brought) so much energy."

Napier would soon cross the finish line with a time of one hour and 57 minutes.

"I'm glad that I finally did it," he said. "I would do it again."

As the runners crossed the finish line, the spirit of camaraderie lingered in the air.

Organizers also announced the Flying Pig Marathon finish "swine" will be renamed the Iris Simpson Bush finish "swine" to honor her role in developing the race. 

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