Vibian Chepkirui aims for history in Vienna, but Rebbeca Tanui will challenge her

Vibian Chepkirui hopes to become the joint record winner of the Vienna City Marathon on Sunday. The Kenyan has taken the race in 2021 and 2022 and holds the course record with 2:20:59 which is also her personal best. The only female runner to have recorded three wins in the history of the Vienna City Marathon is fellow-Kenyan Nancy Kiprop (2017 to 2019). However Vibian Chepkirui will be challenged by another Kenyan on Sunday: Rebecca Tanui’s personal best of 2:21:08 is just a couple of seconds slower than Chepkirui’s course record.

A record number of over 13,000 runners has entered the 42nd edition of the Vienna City Marathon, one of Europe’s classic races over the distance and a World Athletics Elite Label event. Including other races staged during the weekend the total entry figure is over 45,000 runners, which is a record as well. “Our race has developed tremendously and we are well prepared to stage an event that will be emotional for everyone involved,“ said Kathrin Widu, the managing director of the Vienna City Marathon. “We record much more interest from younger people and from women, which is a great development.“

Indeed it could well be the women who will produce the highlight on Sunday. Vibian Chepkirui and Rebbeca Tanui look ready for a fast race. The course record might become a goal. However the current weather forecast suggests that it will be very cold with some wind, which could spoil any record attempts.

“Vienna has a special place in my heart,“ said Vibian Chepkirui during the press conference in Austria’s capital. Four years ago she won her debut marathon here with 2:24:29 and in the following year she took the course record with 2:20.59.  Now she is back for her third Vienna City Marathon and wants to stay undefeated here. „I am well prepared and my form is not bad,“ said Vibian Chepkirui, whose brother in law is Justus Kangogo. He is the leading runner in the men’s field. Asked about the prospect of a double family triumph in Vienna Kangogo said: “Please pray for us!“

Victory number three looks unlikely to be a straightforward affair. Rebecca Tanui will most likely make it a Kenyan duel on Sunday. She has some good Vienna City Marathon experience as well, having been fourth here two years ago and third in 2024. “I came back again to win the race,“ said Rebbeca Tanui, who ran an impressive 2:21:08 course record and personal best in Kosice last autumn. “My goal is to run a PB, I have prepared well. I expect that we will run together for much of the race and in the end there will be a winner.“

Kenyans Catherine Cherotich and Risper Chebet are number three and four on the start list with personal bests of 2:22:42 and 2:23:45 respectively. Cherotich ran her PB in Frankfurt last year, where she finished fourth. Chebet’s personal record is from Milan in 2021. Faith Chepkoech is another Kenyan who is expected to do very well on Sunday. A year ago she ran her first major international race in Vienna and improved her PB by over twelve minutes taking second place with 2:26:22. „My goal is to break this personal best on Sunday. Last year’s race has changed my life“, said Chepkoech.

The fastest European runner in the women’s field is from Germany: Fabienne Königstein has a 2:25:48 PB from Hamburg in 2023. She has however run a marathon just four weeks ago. In Nagoya Königstein clocked 2:28:20 which is her second best ever. „After a long period with injuries I started with a careful approach when I resumed training. My weekly mileage for the Nagoya race was far less than normal during a marathon preparation. I felt really fine after the marathon and immediately wanted to run another race.“ Königstein recovered for five days, then started training again and could even increase her milage in these two weeks. She then decided to run the Vienna City Marathon. „I am an athlete who puts quite some pressure on myself before major races. I was really happy with my Nagoya performance and because of that the pressure is off. Now I can simply enjoy running in Vienna.“ The cold weather forecasted is not what she favours. „However it will be the same for everyone and it might become a more open contest. I hope to achieve a good position on Sunday.“

Once again the Vienna City Marathon will include the Hungarian Marathon Championships. While national record holder Nora Szabo will be the big favourite for the women’s title she might well achieve a top overall position as well. She has a 2:25:52 PB from last year’s Valencia Marathon.

Womens Elite runners with personal bests

Vibian Chepkirui KEN 2:20:59
Rebecca Tanui KEN 2:21:08
Catherine Cherotich KEN 2:22:42
Risper Chebet KEN 2:23:45
Fabienne Königstein GER 2:25:48
Nora Szabo HUN 2:25:52
Faith Chepkoech KEN 2:26:22
Zaida Ramos PER 2:29:49
Eva Wutti AUT 2:30:43
Rutendo Nyahora  ZIM 2:32:00
Betty Chebokel  KEN 2:34:52

Kenyan frontrunners want to make it a fast Vienna experience

A trio of Kenyan favourites are expected to make the 42nd edition of the Vienna City Marathon on Sunday a fast one. Justus Kangogo, Asbel Rutto and Stanley Kurgat all said during today’s press conference that they will be attacking their personal bests. Kangogo heads the start list with a PB of 2:05:57. The Vienna City Marathon is Austria’s major road running event and a World Athletics Elite Label race. Including running events at shorter distances staged parallel on Sunday, organisers registered a record total of more than 45,000 athletes. Over 13,000 of them will run the marathon which is a record figure as well.

„For some time now we are experiencing another running boom. We received many more entries for the Vienna City Marathon at an early stage and that wave never really stopped. We accepted the challenge and will stage an event with extraordinary atmosphere,“ said Dominik Konrad, the General Manager of the Vienna City Marathon, who is the son of former long-time Race Director Wolfgang Konrad. „The Vienna City Marathon has become an enormous factor for Vienna’s economy with so many people traveling to the city for our race. Runners come from 146 nations, which is another record broken before the start.“

„We have an interesting elite field that should provide a thrilling race,“ said Johannes Langner, who coordinates the elite races on Sunday. „Our plan for the first group is a half marathon split time of 62:30 to 62:45. A second group will probably run around a minute slower.“ However the weather conditions will probably not be ideal. While it will be dry it will most likely be very cold with temperatures expected to be just above freezing level at the start at 9 am. So it remains to be seen if the 2:05:08 course record can be challenged.

Since there is no obvious favourite in the men’s field organisers hope for a thrilling battle for victory. Asbel Rutto and Justus Kangogo are seen as runners who do not mind taking the initiative during a race. Rutto produced a great solo run when he broke the course record in Rome last year with a 2:06:24 personal best. „I am a frontrunner,“ said 23 year-old Rutto. „When you are staying behind you can not win the race! On Sunday my aim will be to run a personal best.“

Fellow-Kenyan Justus Kangogo, who ran his personal record of 2:05:57 in Berlin two years ago, welcomed Asbel Rutto’s approach. “I am a frontrunner as well, so we will work together. And once we finish we will celebrate,“ Kangogo said. „I looked at the course of the Vienna City Marathon on the website. It is attractive and if the weather will be okay I hope to run a PB here.“

Behind fellow-Kenyan Douglas Chebii, who has a PB of 2:06:31 from 2022, Stanley Kurgat is number four on the start list with his 2:07:05. The 25 year-old has the advantage of knowing large parts of the course. „I was pacemaker here in Vienna a year ago and I know that the course is good. I ran up to the 32k point last year. This time I will of course run 10 more kilometers with the aim to break my personal record“, said Kurgat. „Even if it should be cold, it will still be a good race.“

Another runner who knows Vienna’s course is Bernard Muia. The Kenyan was runner-up last year with 2:10:42. It was in autumn 2023 when he ran his best marathon so far, winning in Munich in 2:09:17. While Muia could produce a surprise so could Wisley Kibichii. The Kennan is a 59:57 half marathoner who will run his marathon debut on Sunday.
 

Elite runners with personal bests

Justus Kangogo KEN 2:05:57
Asbel Rutto KEN 2:06:24
Douglas Chebii KEN 2:06:31
Stanley Kurgat KEN 2:07:05
Charles Ndiema KEN 2:08:12
Benard Kimeli KEN 2:08:34
Bernard Muia KEN 2:09:17
Mica Cheserek KEN 2:09:26
Kipsambu Kimakal KEN 2:09:41
Geoffrey Koech KEN 2:10:12
Haftamu Abadi  ETH 2:10:33
Lemawork Ketema AUT 2:10:44
Gadisa Tajebe ETH 2:11:02
Edward Koonyo KEN 2:11:24
Evans Yego KEN 2:12:56
Henry Kichana KEN 2:13:06
Andreas Vojta AUT 2:13:43
Andrew Davies GBR 2:14:23
Daverso Ramos PER 2:14:25
Wisley Kibichii  KEN Debut
Mogos Tuemay ETH Debut