Welcome to Ohio

When you’re on a mission to run a half marathon in every state, you try to make it a good one—once we cross a state off the list, it’s highly unlikely we’re going back. Ever. On nearly every list of top Ohio half marathons you will find the Flying Pig Half Marathon. After some research into the top things to do in Cincinnati (New York Times, Culture Trip), we decided that a two day visit was a good amount. We were pleasantly surprised—the weather in May was lovely, the beer scene is on point, and we enjoyed the city’s quaint, low-key vibe.

Where to Stay

When we travel for half marathons, we prioritize lodging that is walking distance to the starting line. We’d rather spend a little bit more to be able to avoid dealing with driving and parking at five am on race day. After researching a few neighborhoods, we decided to stay in the Over-the-Rhine (OTR) neighborhood for its easy access to restaurants and breweries after the race. The Airbnb we stayed in was beautiful and in a lovely neighborhood. We’d stay there again. Gorgeous Condo in Heart of OTR, Free Parking! ($215/night)

About the Race

The Flying Pig Half Marathon is a huge race. We heard that it is one of the biggest weekends for Cincinnati because the race brings in thousands of visitors. According to the race website, there are 40,000 participants across the weekend, including 21,000 on Sunday. The race has been going for over two decades, and they have refined every detail so it runs like a well-oiled machine.

One of the most memorable parts of the race was the spectators. Approximately 100,000 residents, visitors, and family members turn out to watch the racers. Across nearly the entire course we had side-liners cheering us and giving us high fives. Not to mention the fireworks that kicked us off at the starting line. They know how to party.

The one drawback of the race was the MOUNTAIN in the middle. Not knowing anything about Cincinnati, we were caught off guard when we learned there is a 370 foot elevation gain which presents as a long, steady incline from mile five to 10. What goes up must come down—so there is a nice downhill from mile 10 to 13. But let’s face it, at that point your legs are too exhausted to enjoy it. (Course map)

**Day 1. Arrive in Cincinnati**

Saturday

Since we tend to like to keep it low key the day before a race and do our sightseeing after, we opted to fly in on Saturday afternoon and stay through Monday. Enjoy an easy afternoon settling into the Airbnb and orienting yourself to the city.

3:00 - Arrive Cincinnati airport. Pick up your race swag from the volunteers stationed at the airport (look for the human dressed like a pig, it’s hard to miss.) Take a ride share to the bib pickup location at the Duke Energy Convention Center (open 10-6). They know how to do swag at the Flying Pig; the Convention hall overflows with giveaways.

4:00 - After picking up the bib and swag, walk ~15 min to check into Airbnb.

5:00 - Hit up a grocery store for the pre-race meal. For us, that’s white pasta, red sauce, sauteed vegetables (red pepper, green pepper, mushrooms), garlic bread, and chocolate chip cookies. We shopped at the nearby Kroger (1420 Vine St.)—it wasn’t great but honestly we couldn’t find anything better.

6:00 - Cook and eat. We try to eat early so there’s time to digest the huge meal before trying to fall asleep. After dinner, get organized for tomorrow and head to bed.

Race day! In the morning you’ll explore most of the city on foot thanks to the Flying Pig Half Marathon. While the Cincinnati Zoo generally ranks as the top thing to do in the city, we aren’t really zoo people, and opted instead to explore Cincinnati's other draw—the brewery scene.

5:00 - Wake up and eat breakfast (for us, instant oatmeal and a cup of coffee. But you do you).

5:45 - Walk ~25 min to starting line near the intersection of Elm St. between Second St. and W. Freedom Way, just south of Paul Brown Stadium. At the race start, take in the Smale River Front Park.

6:30 - Race! Pass highlights including the Great American Ballpark near the start, Roebling Suspension Bridge between Cincinnati and Kentucky, and Eden Park as well as entertaining cityscapes throughout.

9:00 - Pass the finish line (woohoo!), celebrate with a post-race snack and then head back to the Airbnb to shower.

10:30 - Head to Taste of Belgium (A) for brunch. Make a reservation. There are several locations but the one in the OTR neighborhood is a quick 8 min walk from the Airbnb. Eat at least two different types of waffles because you can.

12:00 - Mosey downtown to the 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati (B) (~10 min walk). There is a free, contemporary art exhibit that is entertaining and quiet.

1:00 - Since we’ve now passed the noon mark, it’s acceptable to start drinking. (Hey, you’ve been up for 7 hours, and you’ve earned it.) Head north to Findlay Market (C) (open Sun 10am-4pm, Tue-Fri 9am-6pm, and Sat 8am-6pm). Walk through the stalls with fresh and prepared foods. Exit the back of the market to the Findley Market Biergarten (open Sun 11am - 4pm, Tue-Thu 4pm-8pm, Fri-Sat 11am-8pm). Sit at one of the red, public tables, and enjoy a beer in the sun.

2:00 - Keep heading north to Rhinegeist Brewery (D) (open Sun 12-9pm, Mon-Thu 3pm-12am, Fri 3pm-2am, and Sat 12pm-2am) (~30 min walk). The brewery is located in the former bottling building of the Christian Moerlein brewery. It is a huge warehouse set up with multiple long beer hall tables as well as several games of corn hole. Go for the sampler flight.

4:00 - The next stop on the brewery tour is the Taft’s Ale House (E) (open Sun 10am-11pm, Mon-Wed 11am-11pm, Thu-Sat 11am-12am). The brewery is in a converted church, with beer hall tables in place of pews. Head upstairs for seating with a good view to below. Have another sampler flight of their specialty beers.

5:30 - Stop in at the Airbnb to rest the legs and clean up for dinner.

6:00 - Head to dinner at Bakersfield (F) (open 11am–12am daily). They don’t take reservations, so go early. They were full when we arrived so we ate at the bar, which was absolutely fine. The tacos and margaritas are delicious.

9:00 - If you’re still awake at this point, power to you! In all likelihood, you are exhausted and deserve a long night of sleep.

On Monday, sleep in to maximize recovery. We figure running a half marathon the day before still earns you one more indulgent brunch before leaving the city.

9:30 - Check out of the Airbnb and head to brunch at Maplewood Kitchen and Bar (~15 min walk) (open Mon-Thu 7am-9pm, Fri 7am-10pm, Sat 8am-10pm, and Sun 8am-3pm).

11:00 - Call a ride share for the airport (~15 min drive). Fly home.