When was the last time you used the phrase "When pigs fly"? It is a question you have to ask yourself because these three little words can carry a lot of weight. They can help you tell another person that under no circumstances will he get his way. Here's what I mean . . .

Scenario #1
Husband: "Honey, can you spit shine my shoes for me?"
You: "When pigs fly!"

Scenario #2
Boss: "I know it's last minute, but can you work on Christmas day?'
You: "When pigs fly!"

Scenario #3
Kids: "Can I take your new car to the beach?"
You: "When pigs fly!"

Imagine yourself in each of these scenarios. Don't you feel empowered? Well, the emotions swirling through your body now are the same ones I imagine motivated the creator of a certain marathon. It is the Flying Pig Marathon. For over a decade, runners have been participating in this fun run, making it one of Cincinnati, Ohio's most coveted events.

Besides the weird name, the Flying Pig Marathon is unique because it incorporates so many types of runs. There is a wheelchair run, a pump-n-run for weightlifters, a kids' run and a four-person relay. In essence, there is something for everyone who wants to run a race. What is the grand prize? A big medal with a flying pig on it. However, if you don't cross the finish line first, you won't feel bad. The after parties are plentiful and full of people who are just happy that they made it through the event.

So, does the Flying Pig Marathon sound like a race you would want to run? (I bet you're not saying "When pigs fly!") If so, check out their Web site at www.flyingpigmarathon.com. The next race will occur on May 3, 2009, which gives you plenty of time to register. Don't miss out on a fun event. You can make it a part of your next family vacation.

If Dunkin' Donuts was a marathon, what kind would it be? Would it be a plain marathon with no special events and only a milky medal to help you wash it down? Maybe it would be a rich, chocolate race covered with sprinkles of active children, lumpy roads and colorful gifts? Either way, it would be good. You'd want to go back for a taste of it on a regular basis. I think this might be the reason Dunkin' Donuts is sponsoring the Cape Cod Marathon. Their name alone elicits a positive response from most people; it'll be an automatic draw for old and new runners.

The Cape Cod Marathon is held in West Falmouth, MA. For a little over three decades, runners from every corner of the earth have laced up their Adidas in order to tackle it. Although the course is very challenging, the scenery makes up for the difficulty of running this race. Participants get to see some of the most beautiful parts of the area like the Falmouth Inner Harbor, Green Pond and Cranberry Bogs. Outside of this plus, the Cape Cod Marathon also comes equipped with relays, medals, charities and opportunities to volunteer. It is a well-rounded marathon that gives everyone a chance to enjoy the day.

Have you figured out what kind of donut the Cape Cod Marathon is? Okay. You probably weren't even thinking about the question. However, you can keep it in mind and actually find out for yourself by running this marathon. The next race is on October 26th. You can sign up for it now by visiting www.capecodmarathon.com. If you go, don't forget to bring your coffee and milk.

If you live in the USA, the mention of Route 66 can conjure up images of romantic cross-country drives, heading west for fame and fortune. Well, at least it does for me (and I wear a Stetson in my dream too!) I once drove Route 66 from Amarillo, Texas to Santa Monica, California, and boy, did I feel cool when I got there. Nowadays though, much of Route 66 has been swallowed up by other roads, which is kind of sad. That's why, when I heard a friend talk about the 2008 Route 66 Marathon on November 16th, I knew I had to find out more.

The Route 66 Marathon is held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and includes a full marathon, a half marathon, a quarter marathon and a 5K. There's also a kid's marathon, which is a 1.2 mile run for the 6 to 12 year olds. There's also going to be live entertainment along the course with 15 local music bands playing for spectators' and runners' entertainment. (Isn't this becoming a mainstay of many marathons these days?)

The Route 66 Marathon is apparently quite a challenge, especially in the last few miles where a lot of it is uphill. You're already wiped out from having run 20-plus miles, and now they expect you to run up hills? Quit whining! It's good for you! (And a nice little challenge for serious marathon runners.)

The drawback about this race last year apparently was there was no pizza and beer at the finish for the majority of the marathon runners, because the runners in the 5K and 10K races got in earlier and gulped down the lot! This year, they've fixed that problem so there will also be food when you arrive at the finish line. (Ooh and there's a good pasta dinner the night before too.)

The race also has very snazzy T-shirts that are given to all race finishers, and because this is a completely closed race course (no cars to kill ya!), you can also wear headphones while you run.

The entrance fee is $65 to $100 for the marathon, depending on when you register, $45 to $70 for the half marathon, $25 to $40 for the quarter and $15 to $25 for the 5K. For more information, check out the race website at http://www.route66marathon.com.

I'm a huge kid advocate, having worked at tons of children's nonprofits in my professional fundraising career. So, when I saw a notice advertising the Run Wild For A Child 10K and 5K runs/walks in San Francisco, it really grabbed my attention.

The Run Wild For A Child 10K/5K runs are not only very fun runs; they're also a cool time to donate toys! The runs benefit the San Francisco Firefighters' toy drive. On race day, there will be drop offs to donate a new toy or a book for SF area disadvantaged kids, and proceeds from the race go to the toy drive. The toy drive distributes more than 200,000 toys every year to over 40,000 kids. They also help out kids all year long who are displaced because of fires, floods, earthquakes or any other natural disaster.

The Run Wild For A Child 10K/5K runs are held every year on Thanksgiving weekend. The runs start at JFK Drive and ends at Golden Gate Park. What could be more perfect than running early in the morning in beautiful Golden Gate Park and overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge? I mean, come on, you'd have to be a philistine not to think that was gorgeous.

But the coolest thing for me about this race is you can dress up as your favorite toy for the "Favorite Childhood Toy" costume competition. If I was running this year, I'd dress up as Winnie the Pooh (okay, maybe not - might be a bit too hot and heavy a costume to run in,) or as someone with superpowers like Wonder Woman. (That would help win the race, right?)

The race will be held this year on November 30, 2008, and starts at 8:30 a.m. You have two choices of entrance fee; either a straight $30 entrance fee, which will put you in the race, or a $50 fee with 20 bucks of that going directly to the toy drive. Come on, it's almost Christmas. Fork over your 50 bucks and help some kids have a nice Christmas. Christmas is for kids and these 10k/5k runs will help some of them have a great holiday.