By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FLYING PIG RUNDOWN

Photos from the race Complete race results Today's stories: • Clifton residents champions • Daugherty: Pastry, coffee fuel for this soul • Lentz a tenacious victor • Ball's 1st win at home • Wrong turn costly in the 10K event; Borling wins it • Flying Pig by the numbers

Last year's Flying Pig Marathon runners made race history as the first locals to win the men's and women's races.

T.J. Lentz and P.J. Ball one-upped the defending champs by being the first tandem crowned from the same neighborhood.

The Clifton residents brought home the bacon in the sixth annual Flying Pig, which had a record 11,928 participants from 49 states and nine countries. Neither of last year's champions, John Aerni of Oakley and Lisa Veneziano of West Chester, entered, leaving the top spots open.

And while they also claimed a not-so-fun title - slowest winners in Pig annals - Lentz and Ball led the way through the first inclement weather in Pig history. Entrants weathered hours of drizzling rain, which contributed to a chillier sendoff than 43-degree temperatures reflected at the marathon's 6:30 a.m. start.

Lentz, 37, clinched the men's title in 2:38.07. He battled leg cramps leaving Mariemont at the 16-mile marker and was forced to walk occasionally during the rest of the race. He finished 5:36 ahead of second-place Thomas Yakowenko of Metuchen, N.J."It was pretty exciting for me. It was the first time I did the full Pig, after watching and helping at water stops," Lentz said.

Ball, 25, won her first Pig in two tries and her first marathon in four outings in 3:05.52. The University of Cincinnati graduate student and Humana Heart Mini-Marathon champ split from runner-up Leslie Dorado of Westerville at the 10th mile to claim the lead and eventually the win. "It's just amazing.'' she said.