Where I Run: The Pig Farm 10 Miler...and Ultrarunning

I have blogged frequently about one of my all-time favorite runs, what I call the Pig Farm 10 Miler.  Seems that years ago, in the early 80s, there was a pig farm along this route, now long gone, but from back then till now, whenever I run that route, I leave a note for the bride saying "Pig Farm."  And she knows exactly where I am.

[image credit Gary]

This particular spot is around Mile 4 of the route (or Mile 6 if you tend to run counterclockwise as I usually do, to take advantage of this great, long gradual downhill).  We are looking west along the Marion Road, which in the far distance of this shot, just past the tidy white farm, intersects Swamp Fox Road.

These place names have to be among the coolest ever.  I posted a lengthy, nostalgic piece about the whole Francis Marion/Swamp Fox/Leslie Nielson thingy here for you baby boomers (I may be biased, but I think it's worth reading!).

Every runner or Ultrarunner needs a Pig Farm 10 Miler...or your local equivalent.  You gotta have a convenient, medium distance, go-to run, something beyond a mere 5 miles, but still doable in under 2 hours (see, since I'm old my pace has deteriorated to be in the 10-11 minute per mile zone, and I'm quite OK with that sort of pace).  The route has to be friendly, meaning that it's not arduous, yet still be interesting enough to stand up to many runs over the years.

What's your Pig Farm 10 Miler?