Locals take home victories in the 17th annual Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

By Emily O'Connor, For The Miami Student

As Adam Gloyeske crossed the finish line, he knew he had just received his best time ever of 2:32:55. He was tired, but that couldn't fight his growing smile. He had just won his first marathon.

Cincinnati hosted its 17th annual Flying Pig races last weekend, April 29 to May 3. The weekend included a full marathon, half marathon, 10k, 5k, multiple relays and smaller races for kids. The winners of the Flying Pig Marathon, May 3, were both local runners.

Gloyeske, 25, is a resident of Hamilton and a graduate from Badin High School, where he fell in love with running in 2004 during his freshman year. Later, he graduated from Northern Kentucky University, where he ran cross country.

He has lived in Hamilton since 2008 but spends a good deal of time in Worthington, Ohio, where he attends the American Institute of Alternative Medicine, pursuing his Master's degree in Acupuncture.

Gloyeske is a brand ambassador for Reckless Running, which is a family-based company in North Carolina founded by Anthony Famiglietti, a two-time Olympian, and his wife.

"The biggest part of success in running is staying healthy and consistent," said Gloyeske.

He said he does most of his training in Oxford. He trains four months prior to running a marathon and will typically run 100 miles per week, spreading it into seven runs total. Once a week, he completes a 20-26 mile run and incorporates core strengthening workouts.

"I take my diet and recovery seriously," said Gloyeske. "Many athletes neglect that part of their training."

He has run a total of six marathons, including four Flying Pig Marathons, a race in Jacksonville, and another in Columbus. This was his first full-marathon win, but he won his first half-marathon in March.

"There have been a few ups and downs," said Gloyeske. "But they are short-lived because I take care of them quickly."

First place for females, Amy Robillard, is from Montgomery, Ohio, and finished with a time of 2:53:10. She is 35 years old, and is the assistant cross country coach at Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Along with local Ohioans, several Miami University students participated in the Flying Pig Marathon. Tess Cassidy, a sophomore and member of the MU Striders Running Club, completed the race after a dedicated four months training.

"I improved by 15 minutes and qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:32:53," Cassidy said. "Running in the Boston Marathon in one of my life goals."

Cassidy runs year-round along with her four months of marathon training. When training for a marathon, she will run 12-20 miles on weekends accompanied by one or two workouts, and runs three to nine miles during the weekdays.

"I trained with the Miami Running Club, as many of us were also training for the half or full," Cassidy said. "It is a supportive environment where we can motivate and keep each other entertained, especially on long runs."

According to Cassidy, her main goal during the race was to try and have even splits. A secondary goal was to keep with the 3 hours and 40 minute pace group. The first marathon Cassidy ran was the Chicago Marathon in October 2014. The Flying Pig Marathon was her second.

"Since I had one marathon under my belt, I wasn't very nervous and didn't place much pressure on myself," Cassidy said.

The Flying Pig Marathon hosted runners from all 50 states and 22 countries overall. According to WLWT, the event hosted the largest number of participants ever, with 37,770 registered participants spread throughout the various races. The full marathon brought in 4,458 and the half brought in 12,422.