Race review: Vienna Marathon Experience 2019

It’s been already a few days since I was in Vienna for the Vienna City Marathon, but the experience is still fresh in my head. Vienna has been named the best city in the world to live in, already the 10th year in a row, and hosts one of the marathons that are part of the IAAF Gold Label Road Races. If you have never been to Vienna, the city itself is not going to disappoint you, and the marathon nonetheless. There are plenty of places to see and a lot of races offered around the marathon weekend. Besides the biggest marathon in Austria, one can opt for a relay marathon, a half marathon, a 10k race, a 5k youth race, a kids race of 2k and an inclusion run of 800m for those with disabilities.

It was a hot marathon weekend in Vienna, but the organization was perfect. Despite its popularity, a major event with more than 40000 runners advertised,  is still one of the races where you don’t need to run a qualifying time or participate in a lottery in order to be allowed to join. You can just subscribe yourself, which I did quite late around the end of March. The later you subscribe, the pricier it is, not mentioning that it is in the middle-price range marathons.

Logistics

Vienna Marathon was one of my goals for this year. We arrived there on Saturday morning, the 6th of April just in time to collect the race number in Marx Halle. It was enough time to visit the Kaiserschmarrn & Pasta Party held at the Wiener Rathaus (this is the city hall of Vienna), where the finish line will be.

Apart from the two mentioned places, there is also the start line situated in front of the United Nations Office in Vienna. Nice to see all these places, but then the disadvantage is that you have to travel between them and your accommodation while some of the car routes might be blocked by the event at hand. This happened for us in the evening before the marathon when we had to walk a considerable amount because the tramway had to stop suddenly since it was intersecting with the 10k route.

I would recommend using the Ubahn to arrive at the start line because that has no traffic restrictions and runs frequently. The best station would be Alte Donau station closer to the baggage drop trucks, where you can enter in the start blocks from behind. If you want to reduce the time spend in the queue for the bathroom, take some cents with you and go to the NH hotel nearby.

Pasta party

What Vienna cannot lack at, is the scenic course, great crowd support, and wide enough streets to accommodate the marathoners. The entire event is under the sign of the classic. ‘Enjoy the classics‘ is one of the motos of the VCM. At the pasta party and at the start line we could enjoy some classical music. There was even some Viennese waltz happening towards the end of the pasta party at which a couple of pairs contributed voluntarily. All this happened inside the nice ballroom of the Vienna City Hall. Quite fancy I would say.

The course

The route starts over the Reichsbrücke on the Danube Waltz by Johann Strauß, turns left at the famous Ferris Wheel Riesenrad and winds up in the city, through the green Prater Park. It then continues on Vienna’s Ring Road, past the famous Opera House. Between kilometers 15 and 16 you will reach the Schönbrunn Palace, then head back on another route towards the historical center close to the Museum quarter and Rathaus. Kilometer markers were easily spottable mostly on the right side with an approximation of plus 200m to what my watch was measuring. The route elevation profile is marked by going slightly uphill towards the Schönbrunn Palace, 40m up along 8km. And in total, you will only have 120m of elevation, so not entirely flat.

At the start, there are 6 start blocks divided as such: 1,3,5 on one side and 2,4,6 on the other side, starting at intervals of a few minutes from each other. Because the marathon starts at the same time and from the same start blocks as the half marathon and the relay, this could become frustrating for those who try to keep up with those who try to score a PR on the half or the legs that don’t need to moderate themselves for the next 21km. I haven’t seen any pacers, but I didn’t ask either, I just relayed on my own pacing abilities. Also, I personally think is not a marathon where you can beat your PB if you don’t start really in the front since it’s packed with people.

Vienna Half Marathon point

But as any disadvantage has an advantage, for this one will be the quitting point introduced at the 20km. One can decide to continue the entire marathon (go left) or to go straight for the half at this point during the race. Every runner of Vienna Marathon that decides to change his distance at this point will be counted as half marathon finisher and will get the deserved medal.

I remember the start with overflowing runner crowds and expected that this situation will better after a few kilometers. I started in bock start 3, the one with runners aiming a sub 4h marathon, around the middle of it. And I was wrong with my assumption that the congestion will loosen up. Even after the half, there were still a lot of runners at the same pace around me. I tried to run optimally on the middle of the road and don’t do too many zig-zags so that I don’t toll up much more than the necessary 42.195km, but because of the heat, being in the center I could not benefit from the occasional breeze and even felt like suffocating. So I decided to go along one side of the road. Better safe than sorry.

At different places in the race, you can see the relay switching points with blocks for a specific range of starting numbers. At kilometer 30 this one is separate from the marathon course.

The route goes along the river on the Prater Park where it does one loop at kilometer 30. There was less public here, but there were a few large speakers trying to boost the runners by playing some loud music. Between kilometer 30 to 35, there is another loop, another big U in the course with runners facing each other. After kilometer 35 the route is overlapping a few kilometers with what we have passed before at the beginning of the marathon. The finish line is located on the Ring Boulevard in between the Rathaus and the Burgtheater.

Facilities

Given the warm weather, during the Vienna Marathon, there were plenty of refreshment stations manned: giving water, Gatorade, and bananas and unmanned, these were less crowded but useful. Haven’t seen if there were any gels given, but I was carrying mine.

The water stations where volunteers were helping looked like a sea of plastic cups tossed on the ground, and the sound of people stepping on that hard plastic was grueling. Luckily I had my own music, so volume up until I pass through.

At the 35 kilometer point, there was a Coca Cola sponsored refreshment station. Even though I don’t drink this regularly, I must admit I was very impatient when I saw it from the other side of the course, around kilometer 30.5. Really needed some sugar fix or something to change the taste of too much water.

By now I only used 2 Maurten gels and decided to skip the third one since my stomach didn’t yet absorb all the water and iso that I gave it. I tried to cool down my head and forehead with water every time there was the chance to do so. Unfortunately, there were no sponges offered, but there were some buckets of water where you could put your cap in. I had no cap. As for the porta-potty or dixies, I remember I saw a few, but not really when I needed one at kilometer 37. The water stops and toilet break must have cost me more than 3 minutes. Even though I tried to drink as much as possible while walking.

Finish line

Towards the finish line, there were lots of supporters screaming and encouraging the participants, cheerleaders dancing on a stage, and noise in general. And there was I sprinting, towards the finish of marathon number 6, towards a new medal and hopefully some shadow.

After the finish line, you received your medal, water bottle/s, a post-race bag with some food and alcohol-free beer. However, no finisher t-shirt like in other marathons. And you also need a chip for your shoes, either rented or that you already own.

At the exit from the runners’ space, which is short, there will be the truck with the drop baggage and some shower tents. In the same area, there is a massage tent from Vienna Marathon. By chance, I was amongst the last ones to be accepted for a massage. So I got the best and longest ever complimentary a massage received after a race.

• 

• 

• 

• 

In front of the City Hall, there is a festival area organized with stalls of food and drinks. Nearby, in between this and the Burgtheater, there is the cheering area with tribunes which can easily be accessed by fans.

Medical service

One thing that I need to point out is the great service offered by the VCM. This included a team of the medical staff at the sports expo which could check your last doubts and offer advice before the race. Not only did we took advantage of it but I also found it very professional.

I was checked up by an orthopedic doctor for my knee pain and stiffness. He confirmed my physiotherapist diagnosis: Pes anserine bursitis, an inflammation of the bursa located between the shinbone (tibia) and three tendons of the hamstring muscle at the inside of the knee. Nothing serious but good to be checked earlier than later. I had it taped and got some stretching pieces of advice that could help on the following day. So this is how I run a marathon with a small injury. Even though it was worth it and the pain didn’t worsen up, don’t try this at home. But I would definitely recommend this running location.