Race Review: 2024 Queen Bee Half Marathon

When it comes to races, I love signing up for different experiences. I have a few races that I love enough to do year after year—but, for the most part, I prefer to change it up. And for this year’s half marathon experience, my friend Kristin and I decided to do something completely different when we registered for an out-of-town race: Cincinnati’s Queen Bee Half Marathon.
The Queen Bee is run by the same people who organize the famous Flying Pig in the spring—and participants who complete both in the same year are awarded the coveted Snout & Stinger medal. But the Queen Bee is a little different—because it’s a women’s half marathon. Men are still allowed to participate, but the majority of the racers are female—which makes for a very different vibe.

The Expo
After spending months training for the big day, Kristin and I were excited to drive to Cincinnati on Friday afternoon to explore the expo (or Bee-U-Tique) before checking in at Kristin’s in-laws’ house for the night. The expo was held in the Northern Kentucky Convention Center just across the river from Cincinnati—and after a longer-than-expected drive from Columbus, we were eager to get our race swag and check out the vendors.
I’ve been to a variety of packet pickup events—from a quick drop-in at a local running store to a massive marathon expo, where I spent hours wandering from booth to booth. The Queen Bee expo was smaller than I was expecting, but there was still plenty to do and see—starting with the ASICS booth, where we were greeted with signs telling us that all Queen Bee merch was half off.
While our extended drive from Columbus meant that our expo time was limited—and many of the vendors were closing up shop when we arrived—we still managed to browse through several booths. Kristin picked up some Race Dots for her bib, and I helped a vendor sell a couple of pairs of goodrs. We took lots of pictures while grabbing our race swag at different points throughout the expo before heading out for dinner.
The Swag
The Queen Bee’s race swag is pretty awesome. When we arrived, we were given our race packets, which contained a bib and some extra freebies (hydration mixes, some candy, and more). The race shirt was a “lifestyle” (read: not tech fabric) long-sleeve shirt that was race-specific (4 mile or half marathon)—which, admittedly, I might not wear much because I’m more of a short-sleeve T-shirt kind of person. Half marathon participants also received a pretty oversized Aruna tote bag and a Queen Bee Sweaty Band. At the finish line, we also received a (surprisingly heavy) spinning medal that’s definitely worth showing off.
Overall: definitely an above-average haul.

The Energy
The female focus of the race gives it an energy that you don’t often experience in other races. Men aren’t prohibited from participating—they have a separate corral at the back of the pack—but the event is still predominantly female. There’s just something extraordinary about standing in a crowd of women as Beyoncé belts out “Who run the world?” before the race begins. The starting-line chatter is upbeat and friendly—and it continues as participants make their way up and down the hills of Cincinnati. There are more in-passing greetings and laughs along the route—and more “thank you”s called out to volunteers and spectators—and I have never gotten so many compliments on my leggings in the middle of a race (CVG Knockouts, of course).
The Extras
There were just so many fun touches throughout the race. Beyond the usual hydration stations—with the usual cups of water and Gatorade—there were also treat tables, where volunteers handed out everything from mini Snickers bars to Twizzlers to donut holes. There were also a couple of Powder Puff stations, with volunteers handing out tissues for those chilly-morning runny noses. And, throughout the last mile, the course was lined with inspirational quotes by women.

The Course
Cincinnati is known for its hilly terrain—and that definitely makes for a challenging course. Fortunately, though, the race is planned so that the most daunting climbs are at the beginning of the race instead of the end. As an extra bonus, that also means that participants reach the highest points in the course just in time for some absolutely stunning sunrise views.
Of course, the course isn’t always incredibly scenic, but there are plenty of beautiful neighborhoods, charming storefronts, and river views to explore. We also made note of a whole lot of cafes where we couldn’t stop for coffee.
I was surprised, however, by the number of roads and intersections that were partially open. There was one intersection where we were joined by a fellow racer who was nervous about the traffic and figured there was safety in numbers. And we also saw one oblivious driver attempt to drive around a barricade, right into the middle of the racers. Fortunately, there are plenty of volunteers police officers to manage traffic, but there were a couple of dicey moments.
Speaking of volunteers, I was amazed by the number of people who were there to help make the event a success—from the people handing out drinks and tissues and snacks to those who were just there to cheer the racers on. Volunteers were almost always in sight—and always upbeat and encouraging.
The Post-Race Party
Once we crossed the finish line and were handed our medals, we made our way into the post-race party. In the same way that the packet pickup can vary widely, so can the post-race party. The Queen Bee party featured live music playing on stage and a number of booths. We were given a crown and a couple of sunflowers as we entered—and we quickly made our way to the First Watch booth, where we got coffee and pancakes before moving on to the next course: our Skyline Cheese Coneys.
The challenge with being at the back of the pack is that the parties tend to be winding down by the time you arrive—so we missed out on some of the goodies (like those cute Stretch Lab totes, which would have been useful for carrying our snacks). We were surprised, though, that there was no ASICS race gear booth—and there was nothing to buy from the Fleet Feet booth, either. We were hoping for some good deals on race gear before we called it a day.
Overall, though, the Queen Bee Half was a fun experience. We were lucky to have perfect weather, and everyone involved worked to make it a fun and high-energy day. Though we were worn out after tackling 13.1 miles of Cincinnati hills (followed by another couple of miles trying to relocate our car—but that’s a story for another day), we drove home feeling accomplished and celebrated. And we might just have to come back again to take on the Snout & Stinger challenge.
Pros:
– Amazing female-focused energy
– The worst of the hills are at the beginning
– Lots of hydration stations, medical tents, and extra treat tables throughout the course
– Tons of upbeat, supportive volunteers
– Stunning views
– Great swag
Cons:
– Cincinnati hills
– Post-race party isn’t as big (or quite as lively and long-lasting) as I expected
– Race photos cost extra
– Not all roads are completely closed for the race
