WLWT News 5 and the Flying Pig Marathon are teaming up to present the 8th Annual Flying Pig Marathon, May 5-7, 2006.

With pigs flying, tails wagging and people squealing, the Flying Pig immediately made a big mark on the running world. It was the third largest first-time marathon in the country, and it has been heralded as one of the top 20 marathons in the U.S.

The event has become a 26.2-mile parade throughout Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Beyond the race itself, there is a full weekend of activities and events for the whole family to enjoy, including walks, fun runs and the Health & Fitness Expo.

In 2005, race officials reported a record of 13, 279 participants in all of the weekend events -- a 9.5 percent increase from the 2004 record of 12,124. There were 4,351 in the full marathon and 4,235 in the half marathon.

About 100,000 people cheered along the course.

WLWT will again provide special live coverage of the Flying Pig in 2006. If you can't watch it on TV, you can watch the livestream on ChannelCincinnati.com.

If you plan to enter the race, you can register online and get more information at flyingpig.com