Friday, May 07, 1999
THE RUNNERS
Competitors flying in from all over
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
They are coming from near and far, spanning 47 states and nine countries.
While the first-year Flying Pig Marathon has attracted most of its runners from the immediate region, word has spread enough that competitors are coming from Austria, India, Japan and the Philippines. Other countries to be represented: Canada (with 48, the largest foreign contingent), England, Germany, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
There are no African runners expected in the race.
The only U.S. states not represented: Alaska, Nevada and Rhode Island.
Of the 5,743 runners entered as of April 28, 80 percent were coming from the area. A quick look:
• 3,468 were from Ohio (60.1 percent), including 1,982 from Cincinnati (34.5 percent)
• 709 from Kentucky (12.3 percent)
• 222 from Illinois (4 percent)
• 221 from Indiana (4 percent)
“I thought that we might have some trouble west of the Mississippi because we didn't advertise much,” executive director Mike Boylan said. “We targeted east of the Mississippi.”
Still, more than 50 people are coming from California and 10 from the state of Washington.
How did Cincinnati attract a field from all over?
Flying Pig officials went to marathons in Chicago, New York and Columbus and promoted their event.
“They saw we were for real and we knew what we were doing,” Boylan said.
A third of the field in New York consists of foreign athletes, Boylan said, making it an ideal place to spread the word at an expo held in conjunction with the New York City Marathon.
Runner's World magazine ran complimentary advertisements in its January and February issues, which also helped greatly. (Not coincidently, Runner's World publisher George Hirsch will throw out the first pitch at the May 8 Reds' game against the Cubs at Cinergy Field.)
Boylan said organizers trumpeted other events in Cincinnati during the weekend of the marathon, such as Pepsi Jammin' on Main (Friday and Saturday), the Appalachian Festival (Friday through Sunday) and the Reds' series with Chicago (Friday through Sunday). In fact, the Flying Pig is doing a promotion with the Reds and has sold 450 seats in the right-field pavilion for one game.
Those taking their first crack at a marathon will have plenty of company. Boylan said the Flying Pig will be the first marathon for more than 3,000 of the participants.
Other notable numbers about the field:
• 60.8 percent is male
• 47.6 percent are college graduates
Flying Pig Marathon Guide
