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May 8, 2024

Vienna City Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 4.1

Spectators 3.9

Number of comments: 67 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > ]

M. S. from Bavaria (4/17/2014) "Beautiful Race through a Beautiful City" (about: 2014) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Vienna City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed the race a lot. The course through the City of Vienna is amazing, passing all the sights of this really, really nice city. Picking up all the documents (including the number) was a really easy task at the well organized expo. Also the spectators were really friendly and enthusiastic, although there were a few spots along the course where almost no one stood (easy to notice where no subway station is nearby). All in all I can really recommend participating at the Vienna City Marathon, you won't regret it. I already signed up for the 2015 race again!
M. T. from Germany (4/15/2014) "Nice Marathon" (about: 2014) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Vienna City Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Overall a very nice marathon in a great city. The organizers do a great job with getting information out to runners in the months leading up the marathon. The organization for package pickup was great. Quite a few people on Saturday picking up packages but the process was quick and efficient. You have to pick up a chip at a different table than the race number, but since it went really quickly I have no complaints (outside of an additional 5 euro fee for the chip rental). The race day organization was great. Easy to find the starting blocks from the Ubahn, and the bag drop behind the starting blocks. The staggered 6 starting blocks went off smooth (last group leaving around 30 minutes after the official 9AM start). There was a quite a bit of congestion at times (to be expected with 40K runners) throughout the first 20K (Im a slower 4:00 runner). With 9K marathoners + several thousand marathon relay runners and 20K plus half marathoners, this race really could/should be split off into two races (on different dates or stagger the starting times by several hours, like Koln). Congestion cleared up totally after the half marathoners left the course after the first half. Overall the course was good. Not entirely flat, but just a few smaller inclines/declines to mix it up a little. There are two separate switchbacks during the latter stages of the race that were tough mentally. The second one around KMs 33 to 37 (or so) was the least enjoyable part of the course (and no crowd support in the area). They set up some loud speakers with music on this part to try to help, but still part of the course that could be improved. The finish in the Heldenplatz was great and a good ending to a nice marathon.
M. S. from USA (5/15/2013) "Such a disappointment!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Vienna City Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Very disappointing race! Poorly organized start. No color-coding for the speed/pace groups or separation for half-marathon and full marathon - everybody was clamped together to start and to run the same course. The half marathon participants finished, and the full marathon runners had to go 13.1 more miles! No free t-shirts - you have to pay money and get at EXPO. Outdated time-chip - they charge money to rent it, and after we returned it, they gave us some money (not the full amount)back. At the finishers villiage was total chaos, and very little assistance if you have questions or help. The best thing about this race was a pasta party at the City Hall day before. The course was not much to look at, but pretty flat.
J. P. from Dallas, TX (4/23/2013) "Disappointing for slower runners" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 As mentioned they ran out of medals for half marathoners. I emailed the race director and they will mail me one - not quite the same but I'll take it.
K. B. from London (4/16/2013) "No finisher medal as they run out" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 They run out of medals for the half-marathon even though they knew the numbers and took our money for one months before. Beautiful course, shame about the lack of organisation. No info about how to get one.
Ariel Hessing from NJ, USA (2/5/2013) "Beautiful race through the streets of Vienna." (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Vienna City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 One of the most beautiful cultural cities in the world. The course starts along the Danube River and then takes you through the ancient streets of the city, past many historical sites. The course is narrow at times, particularly in the later stages, but by then the field has spread out. The fans are sweet, if a bit reserved. One of the best marathon courses in Europe I would say.
James Skinner from Gloucestershire, England (6/27/2012) "Ultra efficient race in Austrian capital" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Vienna City Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The Vienna City Marathon has the feel of a big event. It is one of the better marathons to run in Europe. The organisation is superb with several neat features, such as the ability to download an app for the event onto your mobile phone in the weeks' preceding the race. Meanwhile, the registration expo is vast with masses of exhibition stands selling merchandise. Mizuno have the contract as the official merchandise supplier and whilst the t-shirts were nice, it would have been good to have a greater choice of products to buy such as sweatshirts and hooded tops. This is where the bigger marathons such as Berlin and New York stand out. Another feature of the organisation was the pre-race information pack that was available to download as a PDF file. Written in English and German, this was one of the best event guides that I have seen for a marathon. The results from the race appeared online within hours of finishing, together with an SMS text being sent to your mobile phone. The results diploma was also available the following day and a nice touch was having an image of the finishers' medal displayed on the diploma. The medal is beautiful and one of the best within my marathon collection. The course starts across the Danube River and thereafter remains within the city centre, taking in all of the magnificent buildings in Vienna. The course is flat but tight in places, particularly towards the later stages. One improvement would be the removal of the out and back section between 31km to 35km. Here the road is split into two, with runners facing each other. It is not so good seeing competitors who are several km ahead of you pulling away. In truth, it is a fairly uninspiring part of the course. The finish makes up for this though, as you run underneath an arch into historic Heldenplatz, surrounded by crowds on either side of the plaza and with a red carpet guiding you up to and across the finish line. The weather could have been better. It was a grey, overcast day that felt chilly with temperatures never rising above 11ÚC to 13ÚC / 52ÚF to 55ÚF and slight drizzle in the air towards the later stages of the race. It could have been far worse though, had the heavy rain forecast materialised. This was quite a difference from 2011, with race reports indicating a particularly hot day without a cloud in sight. Vienna therefore comes highly recommended, particularly given the fast course together with the super efficiency of the event. Just be prepared for all kinds of weather, given the mid-April date.
Mark Woodhams from Rochester, NY USA (5/6/2012) "Loved everything except the heavy smoking." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Vienna City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 A great city and great course for sure. The medals were actually not that good and a t-shirt would have been nice. The starting lines can be confusing with one side of the street starting 300 yds back compared to the other side of the street. The volunteer people could not explain to me why that was. The reason is in the back of the book they give you at packet pick-up, which I read later. Trying to find a smoke free restaurant is impossible and I was even faced with many people smoking at the post race area. I strongly suggest that they at least make that area smoke free. WE are running to be healthy!
g. m. from Ireland (4/22/2012) "Enjoyed it but a couple of gripes..." (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Vienna City Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Vienna is a beautiful city to run a marathon in. The course is very nice and supporters were good. 36000 runners entered but many were doing the half marathon (or a relay) so I felt green with envy seeing them head for finish half way! I'd prefer if they started later to give us a push for the 2nd half. Main negative comments are; T-shirt should be included in the price. Glad I didn't opt for the shirt as an extra - for 25euro it just was not worth it. Having to pay a rental for a timing chip is just mean. Not only do you have to queue to return it after running 26.2 miles, but they dont' even provide a plastic tie so it can be snipped off your laces. You have wobble around and undo your own laces and then queue up. C'mon organisers..this is an easy fix and an unnecessary hassle to your entrants. Staff at the expo had little knowledge of the event, course or where to find things like timing splits wristbands (which I discovered by accident on way out after asking 5 members of staff). If you know about the above in advance, then go for Vienna and enjoy it. The actual race day experience was good and the city and park is a nice setting.
M. S. from Coburg, Germany (4/18/2012) "VCM got potential but some homework to do" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Positive: Run through a scenic city / very good accessibilty through public transportation (start, finish and pasta party) / music on course where only a few spectators are (e.g. Hauptallee in Prater) / very nice last 200m (through gate 'Heldentor') / splits taken every 5k / visible km-marker / pasta party (Int. friendship party) at the Ballroom in the City Hall Negative: Expo very crowded (floor layout with little aisle space) / long lines for pick-up of bib at Expo / access to corrals needs to be enforced (slow runners were in 1st corral) / water stations were not prepared for slower runners (cups were not filled) / tons of banana peel on the ground after water stations / webpage down through the entire race day (live stream for family members could not be followed) / published app did not work at all (text message service was discontinued) / pick-up of checked bags without clear signs (appr. 25 trucks!) / insufficient amount of port-a-johns in start area Suggestions: Display race course on a board and/or video sequence on screen at the Expo / consider registration through a reference race in order to give runners a chance to get into a corral where similar paces are ran / introduce pace groups / more locations where pictures are taken (finisherpix)

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