Reyes wins fifth Flying Pig, Flower claims first
Californian Sergio Reyes wondered earlier this week whether his right foot would hold up for 26.2 straight miles after surgery derailed his defense of the 2014 Flying Pig Marathon title.
He needn’t have worried.
The 34-year-old flight test engineer won the 18th running of the marathon in 2:26:03 and secured his place in event history as the race’s first five-time champion. He also won the Pig in 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2009.
Reyes finished well ahead of second-place David Riddle (2:33:43) and Brendon Moody (2:41:12) Sunday morning. Anne Flower won the women's marathon in 2:55:46, followed by Kerry Lee (3:07:16) and Tami Christensen (3:07:36).
“I’m so thankful. I just thank God for giving me the strength to get through this race,” Reyes said. “It was one of those where I needed the support of the crowd and to be mentally strong the last few miles. Mentally I’d almost started to check out early and I’m like, ‘I’m not even close to the last hard miles yet.’”
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Compared to other Pigs, Reyes entered this race with the least amount of confidence and training. He developed Achilles tendinitis in both feet last year and had surgery on the right foot last May. He struggled in his lone marathon since then, the Olympic Trials in Los Angeles in February.
“I had to be strong out there today and just go do it and keep the pace. Not worry about the time. Not worry about people around me,” Reyes.
Reyes was alone in the lead by Mile 7 and never was seriously challenged. His right foot was fine throughout but his left foot started to bother him at the 22-mile mark and that, he said, “freaked me out.”
“I was like ‘Easy, easy. Back off. I’ve got four miles to go,’” Reyes said.
He pushed onward and received his fifth crown of laurels, medal and trophy after crossing the finish line.
Reyes hinted that this could be his last Pig based on his age and the fact that his Ohio family members are moving out of state. Reyes, who went to college at Cedarville, said he was grateful to return and end on a good note.
“I don’t know if this will be the last one or not but I’m definitely happy with the way I left it,” Reyes said.
Catching up with four-time Pig champ Sergio Reyes
The race was also a long way back for Riddle, an aerospace engineer for GE Aviation who placed second in the 2011 Pig. He hadn’t run a marathon in three years due to a pelvic stress fracture.
“I didn’t really know what to expect. I thought three guys could beat me and if anybody had a bad race or an off day, I had a chance to clean up at the end,” said Riddle, 34, of Oakley.
He made his move at Mile 12, picking off a runner at a time. Riddle navigated from fifth place to second in a matter of minutes and maintained the latter post from Mile 17 until the end.
Van Wert resident Moody, 34, finished about eight minutes later.
The women’s marathon featured a unique subplot between a runner (Flower) and her former high school coach (Lee). Lee led for much of the race and seemed poised for her first Pig title after placing second or third in the previous five editions.
Enter Flower, who ran cross-country at Anderson under Lee. Flower, 26, caught up to Lee, 41, and overtook her.
Although she was thrilled with the victory, Flower also found it bittersweet.
“I didn’t really want to (beat Lee). I knew she’d been trying for this for a long time,” Flower said. “I haven’t talked to her in a few years but I liked her when she was my coach.”
The marathon was Flower’s first. The Ohio University medical student and Columbus resident insisted her top finish was a result of luck and a good day of running.
She kept pace with a group of male runners while Lee, of Hyde Park, started well and found her groove in Mariemont. Lee's energy waned around Mile 21.
“The wheels really started coming off,” said Lee, who's also an Anderson math teacher. “I knew my (Anderson) kids were out there. I wanted to make them proud so I put on a smiling face.”
She didn’t recognize Flower until the race’s end but heaped praise on her former runner when she found out.
The Pig also was on Christensen’s to-do list, but for a different reason. The 36-year-old Liberty Lake, Wash. resident and mother of four plans to run a marathon in all 50 states.
She can now cross Ohio off her list.
“This is my 40th state. My 40th marathon,” Christensen said. “It was fantastic. It’s easier to run in bigger crowds and there’s the fun and excitement of the Pig theme.”
Christensen saw Lee ahead of her and tried to push it in the final mile but ended up 20 seconds short.
Sunday’s races capped a record weekend for the Pig, which drew entrants from all 50 states and 17 countries. The total field was an event-best 39,692, eclipsing the 2015 weekend’s total of 37,770.
