Vienna City Marathon
The 41st Vienna City Marathon (VCM) set a record. Not a new best time on the 42.195 km route, nor a new maximum number of registrations, but a new record for finishers. A total of 37,633 runners reached the finish line in the various competitions over the weekend, exceeding the previous top number from 2017 by 1,279. According to the ideas of managing directors Dominik Konrad and Kathrin Widu, the reporting record should also fall in 2025.
22.04.2024 18.01
Online since yesterday, 6:01 p.m
“On Sunday we are very much at the limit,” said Widu at a media event on Monday, referring to the main day with the marathon, half marathon and relay marathon. “But on Saturday we have potential.” This is ensured by the new 5 km run around the Vienna Ringstrasse, which, like the longer routes, is precisely measured and in which 2,790 runners crossed the finish line this time. If this competition is even better received, the registration record from 2017 of 42,766 should fall next year. This year there was the third best mark with 42,625.
With 7,455, there were the highest number of finishes over the marathon distance since 2003. The fact that there were more than 2,500 fewer than the number of registrations is also due to the fact that many participants left at the halfway point and ran to the half marathon finish. This also explains the high number of 12,235 half marathon finishers. A total of 143 nationalities were represented.
Vienna City Marathon as a running festival
At the 41st Vienna City Marathon, Vienna was once again dominated by running enthusiasts from all over the world.
Wolfgang Konrad congratulates his successors
Konrad and Widu led the team of 14 employees for the first time; all in all, there were around 2,500 employees at work. “I wanted to get it on the ground,” Widu said. “It’s then a matter of delivering after the long months of preparation.” At least in Wolfgang Konrad’s opinion, that should have been successful; the former managing director officially handed over to his son and Widu at the beginning of the year. “He congratulated everyone afterwards,” reported Dominik Konrad about his father’s appreciation.
APA/Eva Manhart Kathrin Widu and Dominik Konrad drew positive conclusions after their baptism of fire as VCM managing directors
The supporting program should be strengthened
It was important to his successors to bring more activity to the side of the track, which they succeeded in doing. “It’s these entertainment stories that we wanted to amplify,” Widu said. Appreciative interviews by a moderator with the finishers in the finish area were also well received.
New to the offer was the afterrace party, in which 300 runners took part on Sunday. This meant that the possible capacity was exhausted; next year there should be more at another location. The premiere included, among others, half maraton winner Timo Hinterdorfer as well as Julia Mayer and Mario Bauernfeind, the best aces of the Austrian Athletics Association (ÖLV) in the marathon.
“We have many more ideas in the drawer,” said Dominik Konrad at the annual press conference on Monday. Some of these are scheduled to be implemented on April 6, 2025 at the 42nd Vienna City Marathon.
