'This is the most satisfying.' Bishop Brossart, NKU grad Zac Holtkamp wins 1st Flying Pig

For a long time, a question followed Zac Holtkamp, the same question that probably follows every runner.

"How fast can I go?"

On Sunday morning in the 24th annual Flying Pig Marathon, Holtkamp answered that question.

In his first Flying Pig – and only his second full marathon – Holtkamp won his hometown race in 2:27:18.

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Holtkamp grew up in Alexandria, Kentucky. He graduated from Bishop Brossart High School and Northern Kentucky University.

He ran in middle school, high school, and college.

"I was never the best. I always just thought of myself as good enough," Holtkamp said. "Out of all the races I've won, I think this is the most satisfying."

Holtkamp moved to Arizona for three years and while there, he ran his first marathon in Mesa and finished second.

Last July when he and his wife, Becca, moved back home, Holtkamp said he wanted to run in the Flying Pig "and I set the goal to win it."

Early on in the race, Holtkamp held steady in a pack of three runners. He was joined by eventual runner-up Will Cadwell and fourth-place finisher Tim Kaiser.

"Tim was a (Bishop) Brossart legend, actually," said Holtkamp. "Tim graduated in 2002. I graduated in 2011. So his name was like in the record books at Brossart. I never met the guy until I was on the starting line today. We were working together early on."

As they were making their way up to Eden Park, Holtkamp said his adrenaline got the best of him.

"I did exactly what I said I shouldn't do. I started to run a little quick ... and in this race, you can't do that that early," Holtkamp said.

The Flying Pig is known for its hills, but Holtkamp said the major hills are over after about eight or 10 miles and he was worried that he pushed his pace too much during the hill portion of the race.

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Holtkamp didn't see Kaiser the rest of the way after gaining some separation, but "Will would not go away. He was on my butt the whole time. I had people saying he's 200 yards back; he's 150 yards back. There was a moment at mile 23, I think it's Riverside, where the wind just hits you there.

"The wheels started to come off and I could feel that. I got worried there in the last 10 miles. I was looking behind me quite a bit."

Holtkamp's wife was following him on a bike.

"She told me that people keep texting me saying that you're looking at your watch and I was, I was looking down every quarter-mile, half-mile ... to see where I was," he said. "I saw my wife around mile 22. She was on a bike. I saw her a couple of times, but she just said, 'stay relaxed, stay positive.' She was great."

Holtkamp and his wife, who ran the Flying Pig last October, have a 16-month-old son named Ben.

"Apparently he was watching me (on TV) at home so I tried to say hi to him," Holtkamp laughed.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bishop Brossart, NKU grad Zac Holtkamp wins first Flying Pig Marathon