On the first weekend in May, Donny and Will Prater will take to the roads of Cincinnati in the Flying Pig Marathon to raise money for Rylan’s Miles to Miracles Foundation. Each year the Flying Pig draws thousands from around the country that converge on the Queen City for a three day festival dedicated to health and fitness. The festival itself is comprised of a 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Kids Marathon and even a “Diaper Dash” for the little ones (Rylan will be in this one for sure). Donny will compete in the Full Marathon (26.2 miles) on Sunday, while Will is competing in the Kid’s Marathon on Saturday.
You might ask: “How can a 5 year old run a Marathon?” Well, they do it in steps. The Flying Pig Kid’s Marathon was established to teach kids the value of exercise and nutrition. Every child that enters is given a “Hog Log” in which they log there mileage each week, along with other nutritional items such as “No Pop Today”, or “3 Servings of Calcium-Rich Foods”. Because the Kid’s Marathon is a progressive event, the kids have until May 2nd to run 25 miles and log them. What makes it fun is that on May 2nd, all of the kids line up and run their final mile in Cincinnati and cross the actual finish line that will be used for the marathon the following day. They receive a medal and tshirt for their effort!
Will is excited, and he ran his first mile last Sunday night at the YMCA. Now, he’s looking for sponsors to pledge money per mile so that he can raise money for the foundation that bears his baby brother’s name.
