Zach Kreft shattered the course record at the 28th annual Flying Pig Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 2 hours, 17 minutes and 40 seconds — more than two minutes faster than the previous mark set in 2006.

The 26-year-old from Sunbury, Ohio, broke the longstanding record by 2:44, according to reporting from the NKy Tribune. The previous record holder, Cecil Franke, ran 2:20:24 in 2006.

"I was targeting the course record and everything executed really well," Kreft said. "The crowd really brought us home, and the energy of Cincinnati was special."

In the women's division, Katie Hallahan of Cincinnati claimed victory with a time of 2:48:43. The Indian Hill High School graduate, who finished second in the Flying Pig Marathon in 2023, credited the city's supportive running community for her performance.

"The Cincinnati running community is so awesome," Hallahan said. "You're running through all the neighborhoods, and the energy and positivity are great."

The Flying Pig Marathon weekend, which also featured half-marathons, 10K races, 5K races and other events, drew a record-breaking number of participants. Organizers reported 45,197 runners registered for the various races throughout the three-day weekend, surpassing the previous record of 43,127 set in 2018.

The participants represented all 50 states and more than 30 countries, highlighting the event's growing national and international appeal. Doug Olberding, CEO of Pig Works, said the diverse field reflects the marathon's status as a premier racing destination.

In other divisions, Simon Heys, 24, of Wilmington, Ohio, won the men's half-marathon in 1:09:58, while Amanda Zerhusen, 20, of Cincinnati, won the women's half-marathon in 1:19:50.

Several Northern Kentucky runners also competed successfully in the weekend's various events, with Jason Wilke of Lexington placing third in the handcycle marathon division.