The Vienna City Marathon

The Vienna City Marathon is the biggest marathon in Austria

It's also Austria's biggest sporting event and it's not hard to see why. As well as the full marathon, there's also a marathon relay, a half marathon, 8km and kid's run across the weekend. A highlight is 'Prater Hauptallee', which was awarded "World Athletics Heritage" in 2022. It was here that Eliud Kipchoge broke the magic sub-2 barrier and ran a marathon in 1:59:40.2 hours on 12 October 2019. A quarter of the marathon course runs over Kipchoge's 1:59 course. Be part of history!

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Vienna

Vienna is the capital of Austria. It's the sixth largest city in the European Union with a population of 2 million. Located in the east of the country on the banks of the mighty Danube, it developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a Mediaeval and Baroque city, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It's a stunning place, full of urban charm and history. The centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens, as well as the late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks. It also has a deep musical heritage from the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century. Vienna is undoubtedly the home of classical music, where Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms, Mahler, Bruckner, Schubert, Lehár, and many others spent much of their creative lives. You can visit landmarks associated with them in the city or hear their works performed in one of many concert venues. The city's opera house is beyond comparison, as is the classical music hall. The Musikverein was inaugurated by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1870. It's the permanent seat of the Vienna Philharmonic and the main stage of the Vienna Mozart Orchestra.

Located in the old town at the centre of Vienna, the Hofburg area covers a collection of formerly imperial and court buildings occupied by the ruling Habsburg dynasty between the 13th and early 20th centuries. Some parts now serve as visitor attractions, but others remain in use. The offices of the Austrian president, for example, fill part of the Leopoldine Wing. There is so much to see here. It's many days of sightseeing! Vienna manages to retain the feel of a large town thanks to the numerous parks, woodlands, and other open and green spaces.

The Marathon and half marathon courses take in many of the key landmarks so if you don't have a chance to see much beforehand you'll see much of it on your way round.

History of the Vienna City Marathon

This is another city centre marathon inspired by the jogging boom in the USA and the success of the New York City Marathon and the newly founded marathons in London and Rotterdam. In 1981 a group of running enthusiasts, supported by the Austrian Athletics Federation, wanted to start something similar in Vienna. As a result of insufficient backing the first event was held on the Danube Island in 1983, rather than in the city centre.

A new impetus came in from Vienna Tourism and the company Rank Xerox, whose manager wanted to sponsor a city marathon in Vienna. At that time Rank Xerox had the “marathon copy machine” on sale and sponsored other international marathons like Berlin. Eventually, in December 1983 it was announced that the first “Vienna Spring Marathon” would go ahead on 25 March 1984. The first edition of the marathon was held with a total of 794 competitors.

There are plenty of wide open roads

Race Organiser

The VCM Group organises the event and the race director is Wolfgang Konrad, a former Austrian middle distance runner, who has been in post since 1989.

When is the Vienna City Marathon?

The race is held annually in April.

Distances

Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half marathon, 5k and children's' races

Is there an Expo?

The Vienna Sports World expo is held at Marc Halle. 90 exhibitors show new products and trends in sports, health, travel and events. All race packets for all distances must be collected here.

How many runners?

There is a maximum of 35,000 registrations for the Sunday events; Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay.

The course

It all gets started at 9am, in wave starts, from the Vienna International Centre, home of the UN. Vienna is one of the four headquarters of the United Nations, and this complex, north east of the City, known locally as 'UNO City', opened in 1979 and is home to more than 5000 staff from 125 countries. It's an impressive place to start the half and the full and is really easy to get to. It's then immediately across the 864 metre long Imperial Bridge (Reichsbrücke) over the beautiful blue waters of the River Danube, accompanied by the world famous melody of the Danube Waltz by Johann Strauß. The route then takes runners past the 65m Riesenrad (Prater Ferris Wheel) at the 2km mark, and through the exciting expanse of Prater Park, an amusement park and a lot more. From 1km to 5km you're on the route of the historic sub 2 hour marathon course and you'll join it again from 27km to 29km and from 31km to 33km. 2019's epic run from Kipchoge gives this marathon course something that none other can boast and you're part of it!

From here it then runs alongside the RingstraBe (the ring road) to the Vienna State Opera at 11km. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. Built from 1861 to 1869 it's famous for its large repertoire, with programs ranging from the Baroque era to the 21st century. Each season there are over 350 performances of more than 60 different operas and ballets. It's then on to Schönbrunn Castle, the former imperial summer residence at 16km. After running south west for most of the race this is now the turn to head back into the city. Runners to the Heldenplatz where the half marathoners' day is done. Heldenplatz is a public space in front of the Hofburg Palace, home of the Austrian President.

For those doing the full marathon it's now past Vienna City Hall, the home of local government in Vienna and north across the Danube on Friedensbrücke (the Bridge of Peace), where the course turns south again. At just after 27 km runners are back in Prater Park, where it leads past the Ernst Happel Stadion at 30km. This is the Austrian national football stadium and one of the venues of Euro 2008. 3km later runners turn and head back to the city centre for the last leg of the run. At 38km it's across the Danube again, over the Franzensbrücke, following the Ringstraße to the finish at the Heldenplatz, the 'Square of the Heroes' in German.

There are 30 cheer zones on the course and more than 2500 volunteers giving you plenty of support.

There is history everywhere you look!

What's unique?

Running on a section of Kipchoge's marathon world record course. It doesn't get much better than that!

Do charities benefit?

The organisers are committed to giving charities opportunities to raise funds at their events. They worked with the following charities in 2023:

• MPS: Running for children with the rare metabolic disease MPS.

• Arche Herzensbrücken: A piece of normality for families with seriously ill children

• Kindernothilfe Austria: Pacesetter for children's rights

• RAINBOWS - Contact point for children and adolescents after separation/divorce of parents or the death of a loved one

• Children's palliative centre MOMO.

Since 2015 more than 725,000 Euros have been raised by the runners. Charity running is still in its infancy in this part of Europe but as it becomes more popular so these numbers will grow.

Our verdict

It's really well organised and has a genuine big city centre event feel. The course is excellent, with plenty of major landmarks included. It's definitely one to have a good luck at. With it being in April it will lose out to some of the more well known marathons.

How to register

Online via the website. As soon as the target of 35,000 is reached entries will close.

Race website

https://www.vienna-marathon.com