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
- See also:
The event and its route
(One of the sights on the marathon route)
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 world, including top-class athletes with Olympic experience.
The race traditionally begins at the United Nations building before crossing over the Danube towards the city centre, where the 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 finish line)
- Schönbrunn Palace
Think of it as a sightseeing bus tour without the bus.
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 2023, these included:
- The Vienna Sports World expo in the Marx Halle
- A half marathon and relay marathon
- 5k and kids races
(The constant absence of a 100m walking event means I am, sadly, never able to participate.)
For full details on competing, 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 typically begin at 9am with other races normally filling slots the day before.
Where to see the Vienna marathon
The organisers provide a nice little overview of official routes for the races. Look out for that at the website.