New Record Set for Vienna City Marathon as Course Adjustments and Traffic Plans Unveiled

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Vienna is gearing up for the largest running event in Austrian history, as the Vienna City Marathon (VCM) once again breaks its own participation record. Organizers announced a total of 49,000 registrations across all races taking place this Saturday and Sunday—surpassing last year’s unprecedented 46,000.

For Sunday’s full marathon alone, 13,000 runners have signed up. The half marathon (14,000) and the relay marathon (10,800) sold out six months ago, reflecting the event’s enduring popularity and the city’s growing running culture.

New 10K Race Debuts on Sunday

Saturday’s program—featuring the 5K, children’s and youth races, and the Inclusion Run—continues to draw strong interest, with 8,700 participants registered.

In a notable addition, organizers are introducing a new 10‑kilometer race on Sunday. Starting at the Reichsbrücke and finishing at the Burgtheater alongside all major events, the race aims to give even more runners a taste of the marathon atmosphere. 2,500 runners have registered for the inaugural edition. Late registrations remain possible only for the 10K, the 5K, and the Inclusion Run.

The 10K will begin at 8:00 a.m., one hour before the marathon start. With roughly 38,000 runners expected on Sunday, organizers say the event has reached the upper limit of what is logistically feasible. To safely guide the massive field through several early bottleneck areas, the marathon start will be divided into six staggered waves, with the final group setting off at 9:33 a.m.—by which time the fastest athletes will already be 11 kilometers into the race.

Gruen Targets National Record in Vienna Debut

Whether new sporting records will fall remains to be seen. The current course records are held by Samwel Mailu (2:05:08, 2023) and Vibian Chepkurui (2:20:59, 2022).

One athlete with high ambitions is Aaron Gruen, who lives in the United States and will be making his Vienna debut. Gruen aims to break his own Austrian national record of 2:09:53, adding an extra layer of anticipation to Sunday’s elite field.