Once a year, every year, I awake very early to the sounds of cowbell and long rips of "Wooooo!". It's the sounds of crowds gathered in Eden Park cheering on runners of the Flying Pig Marathon. Normally, I cover my ears and try to ignore it. But this year, I decided to gather up the dogs and walk down to the park to see what all the hubbub was about.
The Flying Pig Marathon, which started in 1999, is a 26.2 mile race across the city of Cincinnati. The route begins downtown, loops up around Mariemont, then circles back through Hyde Park and Walnut Hills. Since I'm not a runner, I've never really paid much attention to the race other than to try to figure out how to get around my neighborhood with all the street closures.
Once I made it down the street to view the runners coming through the park I was so glad I did! Not to be corny, but I really was amazed to see hundreds of everyday people running this marathon. It was rainy and cold, but they were running through this beautiful setting undeterred by the weather. I joined the cheering crowd along side the route and shouted words of encouragement myself; and after all these years, I found the source of the cowbell.
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