Vienna City Marathon Winter Race Series 2010 - 3rd Race

The "Wurstelprater" on the edge of the Prater in Vienna (Photo: Karin Kacetl)

The Vienna City Marathon offers a series of three races over the winter in preparation for the big event on 18 April 2010.

1st race: Sunday 24 January 2010

2nd race: Sunday 14 February 2010

3rd race: Sunday 7 March 2010

All races are held on a 7km-lap in the large Prater park, on the same course that is used in many other running events like the LCC-Eisbärlauf, a similar winter race series. The course is certified and very flat and fast but it includes one turning point in each lap as most of the route is on an out-and-back section of the Prater Hauptallee.

You can choose to run either 7km (one lap), 14km (two laps), or a half marathon (three laps and an additional 97.5 metres). Some may like the idea that you can decide during the race how many laps you want to run. You just finish when you feel like it.

The 3rd event of the series also offers the possibility to run 28km (four laps).

For your entry fee of 16 Euros (20 Euros on the day) you don't seem to get much apart from chip timing on an accurately measured course (but you pay another 3 Euros if you don't have a ChampionChip). Expect only one feed station at the end of each lap, changing facilities in frosty tents, no attended baggage storage and no showers.

In 2009, the winners of the third half marathon of the series were Michael Schmid (1:12:14) and Marion Waiss (1:35:15).

Country: Austria

Venue (Map): Vienna-Prater

Date: 24 January 2010 (Sunday)

Race distance: 7km; 14km; 21.1km; 28km (certified by AIMS)

Start time: 10.00

Start and finish: Hauptallee in the Prater park, near Ernst-Happel-Stadion and Stadionbad

Entries: advance entries until Thursday 21 January online (payment by credit card or bank transfer) or in person in the VCM running store (Favoritenstraße 16); late entries on the day

Entry fees: 16 EUR (advance entries), 20 EUR (late entries)

Timing: ChampionChip - bring your own chip or rent a chip for 3 EUR (25 EUR deposit) 

Race centre: at the start (from 8.00 to 9.30)

You get: ?

Prizes: first 3 M/F (half marathon only)

Changing facilities: tents with limited capacity, no attended baggage storage

Number of finishers 2009: 115 (7km), 152 (14km), 190 (21km)

Event website: www.vienna-marathon.com

No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or thoroughness of the information on this page.