Vienna City Marathon outdoes itself in 2025

The current running boom is leading to record numbers at the Vienna City Marathon. The Corona setback with the cancellation in 2020 is long forgotten. The fact that the rush for starting places, already noted last year, intensified significantly before this week's event even surprised the VCM team. 45,000 registrations for all events and 13,000 for the marathon are unprecedented figures.

"Really surprised us"

However, the VCM is by no means a sure thing despite the good conditions, as Managing Director Dominik Konrad emphasizes. "We didn't just rely on the boom, but invested a lot of work. We have strived to bring the quality of the event back to where it was since Corona and to further develop it," said Konrad before the 42nd edition in an APA interview. The rush for starting places, with the main events sold out by the turn of the year, came unexpectedly. "The fact that the demand was so strong already in December really surprised us," said Konrad.

The internationally flourishing running sport is increasingly supported by 20- to 30-year-olds and more women. The Vienna Marathon is simultaneously a driving force of the boom in this country, organized and lived out through various online communities and social media. "A lot is happening at the moment. It all creates a beautiful picture - there are many cogs that interlock," said Konrad.

Running meetups and winter running series

The VCM, which was led by his father Wolfgang for many years, organizes its own running meetups and hosts an in-house winter running series. On the marathon weekend, they offer various events for a wide-ranging target group from beginner runners to children and ambitious hobby runners. At the forefront of the massive field, the focus for international top athletes is the annual pursuit of course records.

To move the nearly 40,000 runners more safely and smoothly through the city on marathon Sunday, the VCM is now relying on the expertise of a renowned crowd science analyst. "If we want to be the best and want to grow, we must also work with the best experts," said Konrad. This expertise optimizes processes such as wave starts and allows for higher participant numbers. Additionally, it aims to enhance the marathon experience for all participants.

VCM does not see the ceiling reached

This year, there will be about 13,000 on the full marathon distance. Last year, there were more than 10,000, with the previous record from 2001 being over 11,000. Across all events, 45,000 registrations have been received, with the previous best mark from 2017 being just under 43,000, and in 2024, they recorded 42,600.

Konrad does not see the ceiling reached yet. "Of course, we are motivated to grow. The best development would be if we eventually have 45,000 marathon runners at the start, but that will probably not happen so quickly," said Konrad. Therefore, the son of the long-time VCM chief Wolfgang Konrad wants to continue finding a "good middle ground" to offer something to all target groups with various distances and formats.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.