Marathon spectating is its own sport. Seeing a runner multiple times on the course requires meticulous planning, orienteering and usually a little running.
But it can be done. Julia Muntel has done it for several years now. She’s figured out how to see a half-marathoner at eight spots (nine if you count the entrance and exit to the Eden Park overlook) to cheer on a friend at the Flying Pig Marathon.
She wouldn’t divulge all her secrets but she had several tips for people hoping to spot a friend or family member this weekend.
How to see a Flying Pig runner multiple times
1. Study the course map and the road closures. Figure out where you want to go and how to get there. Muntel has run the course several times and knows it well. She drives and will park in a spot where she won’t be blocked in. She also wears running shoes so she can quickly get from her car to the course and back.
2. Pick spots that aren’t crowded. Lots of people gather on Seventh Street, at the entrance to Eden Park, in Hyde Park and Mariemont squares and at the finish line.
Spots that aren’t as crowded but still accessible:
3. Figure out when your runner will be at those points. Muntel figures out at what time the person she’s cheering for will be at which point in the course by using their estimated pace. When she’s at a spot, she’ll look for pace leader signs or ask runners who are looking at their watch how fast they’re going. The Flying Pig organizers offer a handy chart with estimated times runners will reach each mile marker for the half and full.
Maps of the half-marathon and marathon with mile markers are available on the Flying Pig website. If your runner turns on location sharing through their phone or the race app, you’ll be able to see if they’re ahead or behind of their anticipated pace.
4. Make big signs and wear something easy to spot. The easiest signs to see while running the course are large and high in the air – tape it to a broomstick handle or yardstick. Muntel sometimes wears a pumpkin costume, a tradition that started a few years back while spectating the Queen Bee half-marathon.
5. Remember why you’re there. There’s a lot of logistical planning involved in seeing someone at multiple points, but participants have spent several months or more training for the event.
“My philosophy is if you’re going to go cheer for somebody who’s put in that amount of time, you have to put a little effort into it also,” Muntel said.
Muntel often gets to “know” the runners around the people she’s cheering for because they keep seeing her. She cheers for them, too, and they are happy to see her even if they didn’t know her before race day. (Full disclosure: I was one of those people in 2024 and saw Muntel at least six times on the half-marathon course.)
“That’s what the Pig can do,” she said. “It’s this big sense of community. There’s something special about runners.”
Want to cheer in a crowd?
The race has several “party zones” throughout the course:
Want to spectate but also have a seat, get a bite to eat?
Many businesses along the course have planned early hours or special events during the Pig.
Here are a few:
Spectator etiquette and tips
Flying Pig organizers and runners had these tips for spectators:
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Tips for how to spectate the Flying Pig marathon
Reporting by Jackie Borchardt, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
