Record Crowds and Elite Fields Set the Stage for a Fierce Vienna City Marathon on April 6

Thursday, 27 March 2025

The 42nd Vienna City Marathon is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and unpredictable races of the spring season. Set for April 6, it will be the first of the traditional major marathons in April and features a stacked field with no clear favorite in either the men's or women's races. With over 45,000 participants registered—a record for the event—13,000 of them tackling the full marathon distance, Vienna promises fast times, possible course records, and a thrilling battle for the podium.

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This year’s Vienna City Marathon will kick off the spring marathon season on April 6, and it’s set to deliver a close and competitive race. With no standout favorite in either the men’s or women’s field, the stage is set for an unpredictable showdown among world-class runners. Leading the charge are Kenyans Justus Kangogo and Vibian Chepkirui—Chepkirui being the current course record holder in Vienna—with personal bests of 2:05:57 and 2:20:59 respectively.

The 42nd edition of the marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label event, has drawn a record 45,000 participants across all events. That includes a record 13,000 runners in the marathon itself.

The men’s race looks particularly tight. The top four contenders are separated by just over a minute in personal bests. Kangogo leads the pack with his 2:05:57 from Berlin in 2023. Asbel Rutto, a late addition to the field, could be a key factor—he broke the Rome Marathon course record last year with a time of 2:06:24, a personal best that also marked a massive improvement. Douglas Chebii (2:06:31) and Stanley Kurgat (2:07:05) round out the top four, all with times well below 2:08.

Behind them, five more runners have broken 2:10, including Wisley Kibichii, who will be making his marathon debut. With a half marathon best of 59:57, Kibichii could surprise.

The men’s course record of 2:05:08, set by Samwel Mailu, will be tough to beat. But on the women’s side, the record could be under threat. Chepkirui shattered it in 2022 with her 2:20:59 and now aims for her third straight win in Vienna.

She won’t have it easy. Rebecca Tanui, who finished third last year, has since posted a 2:21:08 and set a course record in Kosice. Catherine Cherotich made a massive leap in Frankfurt last year, cutting over 15 minutes off her previous best to finish in 2:22:42. Germany’s Fabienne Königstein (2:25:48) leads the European contingent, alongside Hungary’s Nora Szabo (2:25:52) and Poland’s Aleksandra Brzezinska (2:27:20).

With deep fields, strong contenders, and ideal conditions expected, Vienna could deliver one of the most exciting marathon races of the year.

Elite runners with personal bests:

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