30-04-2025
Flying Pig spectator tips and tricks from a pro
It is possible to see someone on the Flying Pig marathon course eight or more times – Julia Muntel has done it for several years now. Last year, she said, she was at eight spots (nine if you count the entrance and exit to the Eden Park overlook) to cheer on a friend.
She wouldn't divulge all her secrets but she had several tips for people hoping to spot a friend or family member this weekend.
1. Study the course map and the road closures. Figure out where you want to go and how to get there. Muntel has run the course several times and knows it well. She drives and will park in a spot where she won't be blocked in. She also wears running shoes so she can quickly get from her car to the course and back.
2. Pick spots that aren't crowded. Lots of people gather on Seventh Street, at the entrance to Eden Park, in Hyde Park and Mariemont squares and at the finish line.
Spots that aren't as crowded but still accessible:
Before runners cross the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge in Covington.
For the half: along Martin Luther King Drive and the northern section of Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills and along Central Avenue in Downtown.
For the full: Madison Avenue near O'Bryonville, Mariemont outside of the square and Eastern Avenue and Riverside Drive in Columbia Tusculum.
3. Figure out when your runner will be at those points. Muntel figures out at what time the person she's cheering for will be at which point in the course by using their estimated pace. When she's at a spot, she'll look for pace leader signs or ask runners who are looking at their watch how fast they're going. The Flying Pig organizers offer a handy chart with estimated times runners will reach each mile marker for the half and full.
Maps of the half-marathon and full marathon with mile markers are available on the Flying Pig website.
4. Make big signs and wear something easy to spot. The easiest signs to see from running the course are large and high in the air – tape it to a broomstick handle or yardstick. Muntel will be wearing a pumpkin costume, a tradition that started a few years back while spectating the Queen Bee half-marathon held in October.
5. Remember why you're there. There's a lot of logistical planning involved in seeing someone at multiple points, but participants have spent several months or more training for the event.
"My philosophy is if you're going to go cheer for somebody who's put in that amount of time, you have to put a little effort into it also," Muntel said.
Muntel often gets to "know" the runners around the people she's cheering for because they keep seeing her. She cheers for them, too, and they are happy to see her even if they didn't know her before race day. (Full disclosure: I was one of those people last year and saw Muntel at least six times on the half-marathon course.)
"That's what the Pig can do," she said. "It's this big sense of community. There's something special about runners."
The race has several "party zones" throughout the course:
Seventh and Elm streets: mile 4.5.
Clark Point Park: mile 9.2 of the full marathon.
East End on Delta Avenue: mile 21.
Central Parkway: mile 11 of the half-marathon.
Hyde Park Square: mile 11 of the full marathon.
Many businesses along the course have planned early hours or special events during the Pig.
Here are a few:
Moerlein Lager House has a view of the finish line and opens at 6 a.m. on marathon day.
Streetside Brewery (between mile 21-22): 4003 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum.
Fulton Yards Coffeehouse and Spirits: 3301 Riverside Drive, Columbia Tusculum.
Flying Pig organizers and runners had these tips for spectators:
Do not stand in the street, especially in the earlier miles when participants are crowded together.
Make a funny sign, cheer on individual runners (many have their names on their bibs) and don't be afraid to be silly.
If a runner doesn't smile back or talk to you, don't take it personally – they might be concentrating or tired, but that doesn't mean your support isn't appreciated.
Don't spray water or project anything onto the course unless participants ask for it – not everyone likes bubbles in their face or wants to be sprayed down with a hose (although if it's hot, a mid-race shower is a nice thing to offer).
If you see a runner or walker who looks like they need medical attention, note their bib number and notify a course monitor or water station volunteer, or if serious help is needed, a police officer.
Prepare for the weather, which could mean wearing layers or bringing an umbrella. In 2023, storms plagued the early hours of the race but broke into warm sunshine by midday.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Spectator tips and tricks for Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon
