Move over, Kentucky Derby. For Cincinnatians, the first weekend in May means it's time to toe the starting line for the Flying Pig Marathon.
This is the 26th running of the race that brings the Greater Cincinnati running community together like none other.
Saturday's 10-kilometer race and the four-person relay for Sunday's marathon are sold out, but there is still time to register to the 5K, half and full marathons.
Before the horn sounds at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, take a look at which runners have a shot to wear the olive branch crown.
Cincinnati weather: Rain, warm temps in forecast for Flying Pig Marathon this weekend
Maryssa Depies, marathon
She is a physician's assistant from Indianapolis who will run the full marathon. Her highlights include two appearances at the Division II cross-country national championships while at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Depies also ran the mile at the DII indoor track and field national championships in 2021. Her 5K personal best time on the track is 16:43:16.
Seth Elking, half marathon
The University of Cincinnati sophom*ore is returning to defend his half marathon title. He crossed the finish line in 2023 in 1:10:56 to edge out second-place finisher Eric Gruenbacher by 13 seconds. He redshirted his freshman year, giving himself time to train for the half marathon. Elking has competed in several meets this year, a hint that he is fine-tuning both his speed and endurance.
Gruenbacher is also in this year's field, looking for his first half-marathon victory.
Rory Emery, marathon
The Cincinnati native has experienced success in five-kilometer races and has decided to kick it up a notch by going for the full marathon. Emery has previously participated in Flying Pig weekend, taking seventh at the 2022 5K. He recently finished in 18th place at this year's Bock Beer 5K. His time of 16:40 is a good indicator of where his training is as he could contend for the marathon title.
Jack Hennessey, marathon
The Chicago native took second at the 2022 Whiskey Row Marathon in Arizona, a race that is described as "one of the toughest races in the country". His time of 3:34:37 is impressive for a marathon that features over 2,500 feet of elevation gain and loss. It will be interesting to see how that endurance translates to 26.2 miles on the road.
Etienne Hesse, marathon
Hesse hails from Mason and will look to continue the local success he has built in the last few months. He won the Pirate 10K in Beavercreek on March 2 and finished in fourth place at the 2023 Topo Trail Marathon in Bethel, Ohio. The latter features several sudden changes in elevation. His experience in that race should help him this weekend as he goes for the win in the marathon.
Nicole Kala, marathon
Hailing from Gulfport, FL, Kala recently won her age division at the St. Pete Beach Classic Half Marathon, running a time of 1:29:36. That is a flat and fast race (as most races in Florida are), a stark cry from the challenges that Cincinnati's course offers. She is registered for the full marathon and has hopefully done her due diligence by incorporating hills into her training plan.
T.J. Lentz, half marathon
Lentz continues to cement his legacy among the Greater Cincinnati running scene as he once again returns to Flying Pig weekend. He is registered for the half marathon and will try to continue his streak of top-five finishes. He won his inaugural Flying Pig marathon in 2004, finished fifth in 2014 and fourth in 2015. Lentz also won his inaugural Pig half marathon in 2007, followed by top-three finishes from 2009 to 2012. His 10K resume features victories in 2005 and 2006.
Amy Manning, marathon
Manning is a doctor at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. She is looking for her second marathon victory after winning in just her won her third attempt at the distance when she crossed the finish line in Toledo in 2:52:52 in 2019. More recently, she took 12th place at the 2021 Carmel Half Marathon in 1:21:09 and finished in third place in the 2021 Goodyear 10K in Akron in 38:09.
Julia Manzano, half marathon
The 26-year-old was the 2023 half marathon runner-up in 1:24:59, crossing the finish line behind winner Aimee Piercy, who is not currently registered for this year's race. Like Emery, Manzano participated in this year's Bock Beer 5K, finishing as the eighth-place female in 18:54.
Michaela Parisi, marathon
The Belton, Missouri native is a school teacher and PhD student. In her spare time, she runs endurance races. She ran the 2020 Boston Marathon and even has a few victories to her name. Parisi won the 2019 Chisholm Trail Marathon in 2:55:58, the 2019 Kansas City Marathon in 2:59:47, and she was the overall winner of the 2022 Patriots Run Half Marathon in Kansas City in 1:30:13.
She has a half marathon personal best of 1:23:10 and a full marathon personal best of 2:53:14. Parisi ran in college at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. She is set to run the full marathon.
Jack Randall, marathon
Randall is a founding member of Cincinnatus Elite Track Club, a group that has had mounds of success in just about every prominent local race. So it's no surprise that the two-time Flying Pig Marathon champion is back for more this year. He won in 2017 and 2019 but his fastest marathon time actually came in 2023 when he took third place in 2:18:23. Randall took a break from the full marathon in 2022 to win the 10K in 31:45.
Jason Salyer, marathon
The 33-year-old is still on a quest to win the six major marathons in Ohio. The 2023 Flying Pig title was the third jewel in his crown to go with wins in the Dayton Air Force Marathon and the Toledo Marathon (he holds the Toledo course record with a time of 2:20:27). Salyer has yet to win in Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, but he does have a second-place finish in Columbus from 2022.
His marathon personal best is 2:17:19. With the right combination of fitness, fueling and weather conditions, he could make a run at Cecil Franke's course record of 2:20:35.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2024 Flying Pig Marathon features several former winners
