Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 3/8/22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
                   Vienna City Marathon on 24th April:

          Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui returns to Vienna

Defending champion Vibian Chepkirui will return to the Vienna City Marathon 
on 24th April. The Kenyan surprised last year in the Austrian capital when 
she won her debut at the classic distance. Organisers announced some top 
contenders of the women's elite field today and there are currently six 
athletes on the start list who feature personal bests of sub 2:25:00. 

Adding events at shorter distances around 25,000 runners have so far 
registered for Austria's biggest one day sporting event. Online entry for 
the Vienna City Marathon, which is a World Athletics Marathon Label Road 
Race, is still possible at: www.vienna-marathon.com

The Vienna City Marathon is among the major spring road races coming back 
to their original event date. While the race had to be cancelled at short 
notice in 2020 due to the Corona pandemic it was moved to the autumn season 
last year and took place in September. The Vienna City Marathon then became 
the first major marathon worldwide with a strong international elite field 
and a mass race since the start of the Corona pandemic. 

"We are happy that we are now able to return to our traditional spring 
date. The Vienna City Marathon is a huge motivator for sports and activity 
in Austria and we recognize great anticipation to our race among the 
runners," said Race Director Wolfgang Konrad. With regard to the women's 
elite runners he said: "The quality of the women's elite field looks very 
promising and the course record may well be challenged by a group of 
runners."

It will be little over seven months ago when Vibian Chepkirui returns to 
the race where she achieved her biggest career victory so far. Last 
September she came to Vienna as an underdog and had to cope with travel 
problems: Flying to Austria via Doha with a group of fellow-Kenyan runners 
they missed their connecting flight and had to sleep on the floor at Doha 
airport. In very warm weather conditions Vibian Chepkirui then was the only 
woman to run under 2:25. The Kenyan took the race with 2:24:29. "Without 
the heat I would have run at least two minutes faster," she said. 

In more favourable conditions Vibian Chepkirui might be able to make a 
significant improvement in her second marathon and could attack the Vienna 
course record of 2:22:12. One of the challengers of the 27 year-old is 
Sheila Jerotich. She also took a major international marathon in the 2021 
autumn season. The Kenyan won the Istanbul Marathon, coming from behind and 
producing a stunning finish in 2:24:15. However there are three runners who 
have faster personal bests than Chepkirui and Jerotich: Juliet Chekwel of 
Uganda and Ethiopia's Bontu Bekele took first and second in the Sevilla 
Marathon in 2020 with 2:23:13 and 2:23:39 respectively. Kenya's Ruth 
Chebitok has a personal best of 2:23:29 from Toronto 2018. 

Jessica Augusto is the leading European runner on the current start list. 
The Portuguese, who was sixth in the London Olympic marathon in 2012, 
features a personal best of 2:24:25 from 2014. Jessica Augusto then took 
the Hamburg Marathon in 2017 but could not match her best performances 
recently.

For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com
 
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