FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                  Contact: Andreas Maier
                                           Press Officer
                                           Vienna City Marathon
                                           (+43 – 650 350 1488)
                                           

    Defending Champion Tomo Morimoto returns to Vienna City Marathon

Tomo Morimoto will come back to the Vienna City Marathon (VCM) to defend 
her title on 29th April. The Japanese winner from last year, who had 
clocked a first class 2:24:33, is the first major international signing 
announced by the organisers of Austria's biggest and most prestigious road 
race. As last year more than 20,000 runners are expected to take part in 
various races of the event.

When Tomo Morimoto won the Vienna City Marathon a year ago she achieved a 
huge improvement of her personal best of more than three minutes. She had 
entered the race with a personal record of 2:27:46 and finally clocked 
2:24:33. Running so fast on Vienna's picturesque and flat course Tomo 
Morimoto came unexpectedly close to the course record of 2:23:47. This was 
set by Maura Viceconte back in 2000 and still also stands as the Italian 
record. Depending on how well training will go in the next weeks the course 
record could come under threat by Tomo Morimoto. "Last year's race was a 
very impressive experience for me and the support of the spectators was 
great. I really felt great in Vienna and I am looking forward to coming 
back", 24 year-old Tomo Morimoto said.

"We are happy and proud that our defending champion Tomo Morimoto will run 
the Vienna City Marathon again. With her extraordinary performance and her 
charisma she has become very popular among the people in Vienna", said Race 
Director Wolfgang Konrad, who earlier had already announced the signing of 
Susanne Pumper. Last year Pumper had broken the Austrian marathon record in 
Vienna, clocking 2:32:21.

After experiencing difficult training conditions in Albuquerque (USA) due 
to snow and very cold weather conditions Tomo Morimoto had missed 
qualification for the Japanese marathon team that will run in the World 
Championships in Osaka this summer. At the Osaka Marathon in January she 
finished only 12th with 2:38:24. While this was bad luck for Morimoto it 
could turn into good luck for Vienna. It is here where the Japanese now 
wants to prove that she can do much better. Additionally she wants to make 
an impression in Vienna before it goes for the Olympic qualification in 
late autumn or winter.

Mild winter may result in bigger field at VCM:

While Tomo Morimoto experienced a hard winter in the USA the last few 
months have been unusually mild in Austria. This of course was a major blow 
for Austria's skiiing business. But for the Vienna City Marathon it could 
well turn into an advantage. Runners were able to train well throughout the 
winter and interest in Austria's number one running event so far is bigger 
than in the past few years.

For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com.
 

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