CINCINNATI - Former Northern Kentucky men's cross country/track athlete Zac Holtkamp won the 24th annual Flying Pig Marathon Sunday morning this past weekend. Holtkamp finished with a time of 2:27:18 overall.
The Alexandria, Kentucky native made his presence known during his first Flying Pig and only his second full marathon ever ran by capturing the race's top spot.
"I was never the best. I always just thought of myself as good enough," Holtkamp said. "Out of all the races I've won, I think this is the most satisfying."
Holtkamp attended Bishop Brossart (2011) before making his way to Highland Heights and running for the Norse. He went on to wrap up his collegiate running career at NKU during the 2014-15 season while majoring in biological sciences. During his time with Northern Kentucky Cross Country/Track & Field, Holtkamp several accolades which included Second-Team All-Atlantic Sun and was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Academic team.
In the 1980's when the riverfront was being developed, they commissioned a nationally renowned sculptor/artist to design something that was indicative of Cincinnati's history, and we now have Flying Pigs welcoming you to the riverfront. When the founders of the marathon were looking for a name for the event back in '97 "Flying Pig" brought smiles to everyone's face so that seemed most appropriate. This year's race (2022) saw a total of 3,235 runners fill out the men's race, all who Holtkamp bested with his time of 2:27.18.
"I did exactly what I said I shouldn't do. I started to run a little quick ... and in this race, you can't do that that early," Holtkamp said. "I saw my wife around mile 22. She was on a bike. I saw her a couple of times, but she just said, 'stay relaxed, stay positive.' She was great."
The Norse have been no strangers to the Flying Pig Marathon with former NKU runners Rachael Bea (2012), Adam Gloyeske (2015), and current Norse women's assistant coach PJ Ball (2004) all winning the race in the past.
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