Friday, May 04, 2001
Flying Pig hopes to keep growing
Race still trying to reach limit
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
When the Flying Pig Marathon first was run in 1999, it seemed like just a matter of time before it hit its 7,500-runner limit. The inaugural Pig was the second-biggest first-time marathon of all time.
The name caught people's attention. Most of those who ran the first one loved it.
Last year, there was talk of hitting the 7,500 limit. But it didn't happen. Pig II ended up drawing about 6,200 — the same as the first year.
So can the Pig get back the momentum and reach 7,500?
“I think so,” race director Rich Williams said. “We're getting a reputation as a solid marathon. We deliver what we say we're going to deliver.”
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HOW TO REGISTER
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You can register for the Flying Pig or the Papa John's Flying Pig 5 Mile at flyingpigmarathon.com or by calling 513-721-PIGS.
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The 2001 Pig, which will be run Sunday starting at 6:30a.m., will be bigger than the 1999 and 2000 races, based on registration, which has been ahead of last year's since the start.
Williams expects the marathon field to be more than 6,500. Another 1,200 or so will run in the new Papa John's Flying Pig 5-Mile Race.
Given the number of marathons, Pig organizers view that as a victory.
It's hard for middle-of-the-pack marathons to keep growing. The Columbus Marathon hit a peak of 6,500 in 1995. It was down to around 4,000 last year.
The Pig faced strong competition this year. The Country Music Marathon in Nashville, a race with lots of money behind it, was run last week.
“The first year, you have the novelty,” race founder Bob Coughlin said. “A lot of people go around running first-time marathons. So there's potential for drop-off the second year. It loses its luster.
“But I think our word of mouth was good enough — people were saying this was a well-executed marathon — that we did OK.”
Karen Cosgrove, a local marathoner and coach, thinks the bump this year from last year is due to a better date.
“I think it really helps that we're not on Mother's Day,” she said. “That hurt us last year.”
This year's race may have closed in on the 7,000 mark, if not for bad publicity the Pig people could not have anticipated. The deadline to register for $55 (late registration is $75) was April 15, the last day of the curfew that resulted from the riots.
“I think that may have cost us a couple hundred people,” Coughlin said.
The Pig never set out to be a huge marathon.
“We're not going to be like Chicago, New York or Honolulu,” Coughlin said. “Cincinnati is not a travel destination like those cities. People need a reason to come here.”
Coughlin would like to see more support from the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Vistors Bureau and said he may make another presentation to the group.
He said there is no doubt more advertisement and marketing brings more runners.
“But it's like any business,” Coughlin said. “You have to look at return on marketing.”
Locally, the buzz about the Pig remains strong among runners.
“I don't think you can ever duplicate the first year,” said Bob Roncker, whose Running Spot store in O'Bryonville is local runners' unofficial headquarters. “But people are still talking about it. When they mention running the marathon, they're invariably talking about the Flying Pig.”
Flying Pig schedule of events
Where to watch the race
Map of course
Marathoner offers practical tips
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