Cincinnatus Elite has its first Flying Pig Marathon winner. Katie Hallahan, a 2011 Indian Hill graduate, broke the tape in 2:48:43. Her teammate, Daniella Townsend, took second place in 2:49:46.
Morgan Gaskins, a 24-year-old from Cincinnati, rounded out the podium in 2:53:28.
“It was super exciting. Definitely something I would never take for granted,” Hallahan said.
She didn’t take any step for granted, only letting herself realize that she had won when she crossed the finish line and shared a hug with another teammate, Matt Beck, who helped pace her over the final mile.
“The club is great! What Kyle (Klingler) and Jack (Randall) are doing is super awesome, just building up the running community in Cincinnati” Hallahan said.
Hallahan and Townsend ran together in the early stages of the race before Hallahan was able to open up a two-minute gap as they made their way through Hyde Park and into Mariemont. Those final six miles can be grueling, especially with the skyline in sight, but Hallahan reminded herself to keep one foot in front of the other while enjoying the picturesque day.
She previously took second place in the 2023 race, finishing behind three-time champion Caitlin Keen. She also won the 2023 Queen Bee Half Marathon. According to her World Athletics profile, her personal best is 2:46:15, run at the 2025 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.
She played soccer in high school and ran track as a junior and senior, mainly running the 400-meter dash. Since graduating from Indian Hill, she received her undergraduate degree from St. Louis University and earned a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Cincinnati in 2017.
She ran her first marathon as a senior in college and estimates that she has run the Flying Pig four or five times.
Townsend, now the back-to-back runner-up, couldn’t have been happier for Hallahan.
“We train together all the time, so that’s the best result, right?” Townsend said.
As for what’s next?
“I’ll figure it out. I’m not quite sure yet,” Hallahan said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Katie Hallahan claims 2026 women’s Flying Pig Marathon crown
Reporting by Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
