'It's very exciting.' St. Henry High School alum Sean Ryan wins Flying Pig Marathon
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Independence native Sean Ryan couldn't have mapped out his first-ever Flying Pig Marathon any better.
Ryan, a St. Henry High School alumnus who had been planning to run in the event for four years, won the men's marathon Sunday morning, finishing in 2:22:41.
"It's very exciting. It went about as perfectly as it could have," Ryan said.
Ryan, an accountant, found a few hours each day after work to train for Sunday's marathon during a busy tax season.
"It was interesting to put in the tax season hours, then going out and running a few miles a day," Ryan said. "The training was tough. If you don't enjoy it, it can get monotonous just running as much as possible. I'm looking forward to having a more open schedule."
Over the last four years, Ryan typically used this weekend to train for conference championships while running cross country for Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois.
Over his collegiate career, Ryan logged 15 top-10 finishes and won a pair of events. He graduated in December, and the Flying Pig Marathon was the next step.
"I've been looking at this race since I got into college. I've been preparing to do it," said Ryan, who now lives in Florida. "I graduated in December and there is no time like the present. I was fresh off my college training and still in the groove."
Lewis said he found his groove Sunday around the fourth mile when he was hovering toward the top of the leaderboard.
Down the stretch, Ryan pulled away from the rest of the pack to log the seventh-fastest time in Flying Pig Marathon history. Bridger Altice was the runner-up in 2:26:05 and Ethan Davis finished third in 2:28.05.
"Around the 14th or 15th (mile), it really hit me. Not too much left and maybe you can actually do some good here. I said to myself, 'It's time to get this thing moving,'" Ryan said. "I'm not typically too emotional of a person. A lot of elation, a lot of relief. These races are not easy. To do this a lot and getting to the finish is very exciting."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Flying Pig Marathon 2025 winner is St. Henry alum Sean Ryan of NKY
