Each year, thousands of people take part in the various races falling under the umbrella of the Vienna marathon. And those of us with a little less energy get to watch.
- Major international marathon with a top-class field
- Plenty of ancillary races and events, too
- Participants run past various tourist attractions
- 2024 date: April 21
- with other events on the 19th & 20th
- See also:
The event and its route
(The final few metres outside the Burgtheater; press photo courtesy of and © Vienna City Marathon: VCM / Jenia Symonds)
Vienna occupies a prestigious place in the running world, not least because the city hosted Eliud Kipchoge’s successful attempt to became the first human to break the two hour mark for the marathon distance (at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge back in 2019).
As such, the Vienna event attracts competitors from all over the globe, including top-class athletes with Olympic experience.
The race begins at the United Nations building to the sound of the Blue Danube waltz before crossing over that very river towards the city centre.
This route takes participants on a tour of some of Vienna’s main historical sights. For example:
- The Prater with the Riesenrad and national football stadium
- Along the Donaukanal arm of the Danube
- The Stadtpark and around the Ring boulevard to the Rathaus (and then finish line)
- Schönbrunn Palace
Think of it as a sightseeing bus tour without the bus. Both runners and the watching crowds can also enjoy music and other entertaining or motivating features along sections of the race.
The 2023 marathon saw a new course record for the men’s event: Kenyan Samwel Mailu’s time of 2:05:08 knocked 33 seconds off the previous best set in 2014. Fellow Kenyan, Magdalyne Masai, won the women’s race.
Needless to say, the Vienna marathon is not just about a single run. Several ancillary races take place throughout the weekend, for example, as do related events. In 2024, these include:
- The Vienna Sports World expo in the Marx Halle (free admission) on April 19th and 20th
- The Wiener Städtische half marathon and Powerade relay marathon
- 5k and kids races
- The Coca-Cola Inclusion Run
(The marathon ends close to the Rathaus: Vienna’s city hall)
In 2024, over 40,000 participants have registered for the running events. (The absence of a 100m walk means I am, sadly, unable to be one of them.)
For full details on competing, official routes, locations, etc., see the official website.
2024 dates
The 2024 Vienna marathon takes place on Sunday April 21st. This will be the 41st edition.
The main race, half-marathon and relay marathon begin from 9am with the other races filling slots the day before.