The team behind Cincinnati’s beloved Flying Pig Marathon is chasing a new finish line: a permanent home in Walnut Hills and a bigger regional footprint for one of the city’s signature events.
Pig Works, the nonprofit that organizes the Flying Pig Marathon, has launched the public phase of a $12 million capital campaign to build a permanent community headquarters and expand programming across Greater Cincinnati. The effort, dubbed When Pigs Fly, Anything's Possible, centers on an 18,000-square-foot headquarters and adjacent park planned for 792 East McMillan in Walnut Hills. Campaign leaders say the project will also underwrite expanded youth programs and help grow the marathon’s charitable and economic impact.
Lead Gift And Public Phase
A local foundation has stepped up with a $4 million lead gift, and Pig Works moved into the public phase after raising more than $8.5 million during a quiet fundraising period, according to Cincinnati Business Courier. Additional leadership donors listed in the campaign include Fifth Third, P&G, Steve Haussler and Peter Klekamp, and race founder Bob Coughlin is serving as honorary campaign chair.
A New Community Anchor In Walnut Hills
Pig Works says the planned facility will pull its operations under one roof, host training groups and packet pick-ups, and offer year-round space for youth programs and community events. The organization plans an 18,000-square-foot building, paired with a new park at 792 East McMillan, that it hopes will function as a neighborhood hub, according to Pig Works.
Numbers Behind The Pitch
“This campaign is about possibility,” Pig Works CEO Doug Olberding said in the organization’s announcement. The release notes that Pig Works currently stages 17 annual events serving more than 53,000 participants from all 50 states and 20 countries. It also says the Flying Pig generates roughly $45.9 million in annual economic impact and supports 671 jobs. With the added capacity from a permanent headquarters, campaign leaders are aiming to grow participation and push economic impact past $60 million, per Pig Works.
What It Means For Walnut Hills
Neighborhood boosters and development groups in Walnut Hills have been calling for more cultural and nonprofit anchors, and campaign leaders say the Pig Works headquarters is designed to ride that momentum and bring daily activity to the corridor. The push for a permanent home follows other local investments and is intended to pair community programming with economic spillover, as reported by Cincinnati Business Courier.
Pig Works says the public phase of the campaign invites individual and corporate gifts to close the remaining gap. The organization did not include a construction timetable in its announcement. Officials say campaign proceeds will also support sustainability initiatives and expanded youth programming as the group prepares for the 2026 race season.
