Friday, May 07, 1999
THE COURSE
Race takes runners on tour of Porkopolis
More than half of the runners in Sunday's inaugural Flying Pig Marathon will be making their first attempt at a 26.2-mile race. Here is the course they will run and some information about the neighborhoods they will be traveling through:
DOWNTOWN
Where on the course: Miles 0-3 to start, and 24-26.2 to finish
Highlight: For one thing, it will be nice to move through downtown streets without traffic lights, cars double-parked and construction tie-ups. Seriously, there's nothing like running downtown with cheering crowds at Fountain Square and ending at the historic Union Terminal.
Best place to watch: Downtown is perhaps the best place for spectators to watch the race. You can start the day at Fountain Square, watching more than 6,000 runners take off filled with energy; then have breakfast at a nearby eatery. Make your way over to Union Terminal and watch those same eager runners you saw at the start struggle toward the finish line.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Where on the course: Miles 3-6
Highlight: The runners will see more of the Ohio and Licking rivers than they probably want, crossing three bridges during this span. The trip through Covington and Newport will be a good warmup for the hills that loom ahead.
Best place to watch: Take a lawn chair to the future site of the Millennium Monument and World Peace Bell, an empty lot between 4th and 5th streets and York and Monmouth streets. The runners will pass you twice there, giving you plenty of opportunities to watch them race.
MOUNT ADAMS/EDEN PARK
Where on the course: Miles 6-9
Highlight: This stretch of the course passes some of Cincinnati's top cultural centers — the art museum, Playhouse in the Park and the Krohn Conservatory. It's a tough hill, but the payoff comes in a spectacular view — of the Ohio River and the rejuvenated, high-rent old buildings of Mount Adams — once you get to the top. The city leased or bought the property of Nicholas Longworth (1782-1863) and surrounding tracts in 1865-1866, and Eden Park opened to the public in 1870-1871.
Best place to watch: At the corner of Victory Parkway and McMillan Street you can watch the runners as they finish the toughest climb (300 feet in 3 miles) to reach the highest point of the race. Beginning at the foot of Eggleston, it's all uphill and that will sap a lot of energy from many runners.
WALNUT HILLS/EAST WALNUT HILLS
Where on the course: Miles 9-11
Highlight: In its early days this area attracted some of Cincinnati's wealthier residents, reflected by the historic homes along the course. Many buildings have been renovated and some new high-rises have sprung up along Victory Parkway in this socially and economically diverse neighborhood.
Best place to watch: Watch the runners as they come downhill at the corner of Dana Avenue and Madison Road. The runners should be picking up their speed here, trying to make up time from the strenuous three-mile hill climb in Eden Park.
HYDE PARK/O'BRYONVILLE
Where on the course: Miles 11-14
Highlight: This is another older community, but among the East Side's most exclusive residential areas. It's also a runners' vortex of sorts — Bob Roncker's Running Spot on Madison Road in O'Bryonville is right along the course and runners are commonly seen throughout the Hyde Park sidewalks.
Best place to watch: Runners will turn the corner from Edwards Avenue to Erie Avenue and you might see a look of disdain on their faces. After surviving the three-mile hill climb, they get to run downhill for for three straight miles. Just as they are getting into a rhythm and picking up their speed, comes this uphill climb (about 50 feet in a half-mile), before they start heading downhill again. The halfway point of the race is at Marburg and Erie Avenues.
FAIRFAX
Where on the course: Miles 14-18
Highlight: This is area is part of southeastern Hamilton County that was mostly farm land until the 1920s. Fairfax slowly developed into a thriving middle-income community and was incorporated as a village in 1955.
Best place to watch: The runners will follow a circular course at Erie Avenue and Red Bank Road. This will give you a chance to watch them race for a long stretch, guessing which runners are in the best shape to make it with 11 miles still to go.
LUNKEN AIRPORT
Where on the course: Mile 18-19
Highlight: The way back toward downtown will take runners past another haven — Lunken Airport and its 5.6-mile trail.
Best place to watch: Take a seat at Airport Road, near Kellogg Avenue. The runners will just be finishing their 19th mile and making the turn to return to downtown. Knowing that might help them keep going.
EAST END
Where on the course: Miles 19-24
Highlight: The last stretch before the race heads back downtown on Eastern Avenue, a collection of communities along the Little Miami and Ohio rivers. Its separate neighborhoods — like Linwood and Columbia-Tusculum — have distinct, working class identities. And recent revitalization is making its cultural and economic mix more diverse.
Best place to watch: Grab a spot on the corner of Delta and Eastern avenues. More than half of this field have never run a marathon before. Most of those who have trained properly, have done a couple of 19-mile runs. Here, they will be in unchartered territory, running into their 20th mile. If they are going to hit the mythical runner's "Wall,' this is about where it might happen.
Flying Pig Marathon Guide
