The weather is warm, square pink signs dot Cincinnati streets (as do portable toilets) which can only mean one thing: It's the Flying Pig Marathon weekend.
The 27th running of the marathon will follow the same course as last year. Racing starts Friday evening with a one-mile race. There is a 10k and then a 5k on Saturday, along with a kids fun run, and a course for dogs and their humans. The marathon starts Sunday morning. PigWorks CEO Doug Olberding says over the course of the weekend, they expect about 43,000 participants.
That of course means lots of streets Downtown and in the surrounding areas will be closed. Metro will maintain bus service but delays should be expected. Here's what you need to know about what streets close when:
What streets close Friday, May 2, for the Flying Pig?
On Friday, beginning at 9 a.m.:
- Mehring Way westbound closed between Joe Nuxhall Way and Elm Street (to remain closed all weekend; eastbound remains open)
- Elm Street closed between Second Street and Freedom Way
Beginning at 6:30 p.m., with all streets open by 10 p.m.
- W Pete Rose Way closed between Gest Street and Central Avenue (closes at 5 p.m.)
- Mehring Way closed between Joe Nuxhall Way and Gest Street
- Central Avenue closed between W Pete Rose Way and Mehring Way
- Elm Street closed south of Freedom Way
What streets are closed Saturday, May 3, for the Flying Pig?
On Saturday, the running of the 10K, 5K, Flying Fur, Kids and Pig Abilities races will take place. The following streets will be affected starting at 6:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.:
- Mehring Way closed between Freeman Avenue and E Pete Rose Way
- Linn Street closed between Fifth Street and Gest Street
- Gest Street closed between Third Street and Mehring Way
- Third Street closed between Gest Street and Broadway
- Third Street ramp from southbound I-71 closed
- Third Street ramp from westbound Columbia Pkwy closed
- Clay Wade Bailey Bridge closed (will reopen after the 10K)
- Roebling Suspension Bridge closed
- W Pete Rose Way closed between Gest Street and Central Avenue
- Central Avenue closed south of Third Street
- Broadway closed south of Fourth Street (Limited access to Third Street)
- Fourth Street closed between Broadway and Pike Street (Single Lane maintained for resident access)
- Pike Street closed between Third Street and Fourth Street (local access maintained)
- Third Street closed between Eggleston Avenue and Pike Street (local resident access maintained)
- Culvert Street closed between Third Street and Reedy Street
- Reedy Street closed between Broadway and Eggleston Avenue
- Seventh Street closed between Broadway and Culvert Street
- New Street closed between Broadway and Culvert Street
- Sentinel Street closed between Fifth Street and Eggleston Avenue
- Eggleston Avenue southbound closed between Reedy Street and E Pete Rose Way
- Taylor Southgate Bridge closed (reopens at 11 a.m.)
- Elm Street closed south of Second Street (remains closed)
- Race Street closed south of Second Street (from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
- Rosa Parks Street closed south of Second Street (from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
- Marian Spencer Way closed south of Second Street (from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
- Joe Nuxhall Way closed south of Second Street (from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
What streets are closed Sunday, May 4, for the Flying Pig?
On Sunday, the following streets will be closed at 1 a.m. to allow for staging and the start line of the Flying Pig Marathon:
- Mehring Way closed between Central Avenue and Joe Nuxhall Way
- Elm Street closed south of Second Street
- Freedom Way closed between Elm Street and Race Street
The following streets will be closed as needed, starting at 5 a.m. Sunday. Crossings may be allowed with police or volunteer assistance.
- Second Street all access to Second Street will close
- Joe Nuxhall Way closed between Mehring Way and Third Street
- Broadway closed south of Third Street
- Taylor Southgate Bridge closed
- Roebling Suspension Bridge closed
- Clay Wade Bailey Bridge closed
- Third Street closed between Gest Street and Central Avenue
- Gest Street northbound closed between Mehring Way and Linn Street
- Seventh Street closed between Central Avenue and Gilbert Avenue (Vehicles from the garage at Seventh and Broadway will be permitted to exit at Seventh Street and continue across Broadway to E Seventh St)
- Seventh Street exit from SB I-75 closed
- Central Avenue closed between Seventh Street and Sixth Street
- Plum Street closed between Eighth Street and Seventh Street
- Elm Street closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Race Street closed between Garfield Place and Seventh Street
- Vine Street closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Walnut Street closed between Eighth Street and Seventh Street
- Main Street closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Sycamore Street closed between Eighth Street and Seventh Street
- Broadway closed between Sixth Street and Seventh Street
- Gilbert Avenue northbound closed between Seventh Street and MLK Drive
- Gilbert Avenue closed between Elsinore Place and Eden Park Drive
- Eden Park Drive closed between Gilbert Avenue and Victory Parkway
- Fulton Avenue closed between Nassau Street and Eden Park Drive
- Art Museum Drive closed between Ida Street and Eden Park Drive
- Lake Drive closed
- Victory Parkway northbound closed between Eden Park Drive and McMillan Avenue
- McMillan Avenue closed between Victory Parkway and Woodburn Avenue
- Woodburn Avenue closed between McMillan Avenue and Madison Road
- Madison Road eastbound closed between Woodburn Avenue and Erie Avenue
- Erie Avenue eastbound closed between Madison Road and Bramble Avenue
- Paxton Avenue northbound closed between Observatory Avenue and Erie Avenue
- Murray Avenue eastbound closed between Erie Avenue and LaCrosse Avenue
- Bramble Avenue eastbound closed between Erie Avenue and Settle Avenue
The race proceeds into Mariemont and Fairfax, then returns on westbound US-50/Columbia Parkway:
- US-50/Columbia Parkway westbound closed between Dragon Way to Beechmont Avenue
- Ramp from Red Bank Road to Westbound Columbia Parkway closed
- Eastern Avenue westbound closed between Columbia Parkway and Stanley Avenue
- Stanley Avenue southbound closed between Eastern Avenue and Kellogg Avenue
- Kellogg Avenue westbound closed between Stanley Avenue and Worth Street
- Riverside Drive eastbound closed between E. Pete Rose Way and Worth Street
- E. Pete Rose Way eastbound closed between Johnny Bench Way and Riverside Drive (may open earlier for garage access)
- Mehring Way closed between Central Avenue and E Pete Rose Way
The half marathon will follow the same course out but will turn back at Woodburn Avenue and Madison Road. The following streets will be closed as needed:
- Madison Road eastbound closed between Victory Parkway and Woodburn Avenue
- M.L. King eastbound closed between Gilbert Avenue and Victory Parkway
- Gilbert Avenue northbound closed between Eden Park Drive and ML King
- Gilbert Avenue southbound closed between McMillan Street and Florence Avenue
- Sinton Avenue closed between Gilbert Avenue and Nassau Street
- Nassau Street closed between Sinton Avenue and Gilbert Avenue
- Morris Street closed between Deerfield Place and Gilbert Avenue
- Deerfield Place closed to through traffic between Gilbert Avenue and Morris Street
- Elsinore Place closed between Reading Road and Gilbert Avenue
- Reading Road northbound closed between Central Parkway and Elsinore Place
- Central Parkway closed between Eggleston Avenue and Vine Street
- Eggleston Avenue southbound closed between Central Parkway and E Pete Rose Way
- Eggleston Avenue northbound closed between Third Street and Broadway
Both races finish on Mehring Way beneath and just west of the Suspension Bridge.
