VIENNA CITY MARATHON ON 12 SEPTEMBER: Strong Ethiopians and the two Swiss record holders in Vienna, by Race-News Service

The Vienna City Marathon is the beginning of the 2021 super Fall marathon season. Vienna has a grand tradition in the European running scene and the course, the attention to the care of athletes is second to none. This is an update, from our friends at Race News Service. Joerg Wenig and Andy Edwards, who provide their partners with updates with some of the finest races in Central Europe and the United Kingdom.

The start of the 2019 Vienna City Marathon, photo by Leo Hagen

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VIENNA CITY MARATHON ON 12 SEPTEMBER:

Strong Ethiopians and the two Swiss record holders in Vienna

Ethiopians Betesfa Getahun and Gelete Burka will be the fastest athletes on the start list for the Vienna City Marathon next Sunday. They feature world-class personal bests of 2:05:28 and 2:20:45 respectively. The 38th edition of Austria’s biggest road running event is the first major international marathon featuring a strong international elite field and a mass race since the start of the Corona pandemic. Including races at shorter distances a total of 25,000 athletes have registered for the event. 6,000 of them will run the marathon. The Vienna City Marathon is a World Athletics Marathon Label Road Race.

Betesfa Getahun heads the elite start list which includes ten runners who have personal bests of sub 2:10. The Ethiopian ran 2:05:28 in his debut marathon in Amsterdam two years ago. Returning to the Vienna City Marathon will be Switzerland’s record holder Tadesse Abraham, who was the runner-up here in 2019 with 2:07:24.

With a personal best of 2:06:40 Tadesse Abraham is among the fastest European marathon runners. Due to breathing problems he dropped out of the Olympic marathon in Sapporo (Japan) a month ago. While this was of course a major disappointment he then quickly decided to go for the Vienna City Marathon. â€žI am in form and I want to show it. I am really looking forward to Vienna as I have such great memories of this race,” said Tadesse Abraham.

The women’s field includes six runners with personal bests of sub 2:28. Gelete Burka is the fastest on the start list with 2:20:45. She achieved this time in Dubai in 2018 and then won the marathons in Ottawa (2018) and in Paris (2019). The women’s race will also feature the Swiss marathon record holder: Fabienne Schlumpf ran 2:26:14 in her debut in Bern earlier this year and then finished in a very strong 12th position at the Olympic marathon.

Elite runners with personal bests

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Betesfa Getahun ETH 2:05:28

Tadesse Abraham SUI 2:06:40

Kento Kikutani JPN 2:07:26

Bethwell Rutto KEN 2:07:41

Edwin Kosgei KEN 2:07:51

Fikre Workneh ETH 2:07:58

Derara Hurisa ETH 2:08:09

Yuta Koyama JPN 2:08:46

Edwin Kangogo KEN 2:09:12

Isaac Kosgei KEN 2:09:17