The Flying Pig Bacon Station

By Nancy Clausen, Mariemont Church

The Mariemont tradition no one expected

In 2016 Rob Seetin, the then men’s ministry leader at Mariemont Church, had a crazy idea. The turnaround point for the full-length marathon had been right in front of Mariemont Church for years, and the church chose to serve the community with a fun station along the route instead of having regular Sunday morning services on Flying Pig Marathon day.

“What if we did a Bacon Station at the turnaround?” Rob floated the idea to two close friends at Mariemont Church as they discussed trying some new ideas to liven up the marathon stop that had been going since 2011. The idea got a huge positive reaction, and the Mariemont Church Bacon Station was born.

The day before the marathon, anyone walking by Mariemont Church will be able to catch the smell of cooking bacon wafting from the commercial kitchen located inside the church just off Plainville Road. In fact, for the past few years the church has taken over an entire intersection and gives away bottled water, sponsors a live band, creates a family play area, and offers prayer for those who need it.

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“Kroger donates and we give away about 150 pounds of bacon every year now,” said Paul Rasmussen, worship pastor at Mariemont Church, one of the original Bacon Station runners. “This year, we’re planning on about 200 pounds in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Flying Pig.”

The Mariemont Church Bacon Station has become a race favorite, and the whole congregation participates in the events at the intersection every year. “People in Mariemont and beyond look for us now,” Rasmussen explained. “We can’t let them down.”

A lot of people get the irony of The Bacon Station (Flying pig…?), but many wonder if eating bacon during a marathon is a good idea. “They love it,” explained Rasmussen. “It’s protein, it’s salt, it’s fat, and it’s delicious. In fact, an ER doctor I know said it makes sense.” Rasmussen added, “You don’t have to be a runner to get some, so there are lots of people enjoying the bacon even if they’re not in the race at mile 16.”

Mariemont Church will be hosting the Bacon Station at the Flying Pig turnaround again this year on May 7 at the corner of Murray and Plainville between 8 and 11 a.m. Everyone is encouraged to come down, bring your family to the race and grab some bacon, drink some water, listen to some live music, and support those running in the marathon.