Press Release - Vienna City Marathon - 2/28/23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
                    Vienna City Marathon on 23rd April:

              Vienna features promising mix for jubilee race

The men's elite race of the Vienna City Marathon promises to present an 
interesting mix of athletes with different time goals on 23rd April. While 
there will be a group of Africans who aim to break the long standing 
2:05:41 course record for a number of other runners the qualifying time for 
the World Championships this summer in Budapest is a major goal. 2:09:40 is 
the standard for the global championships and Norway's Sondre Moen will be 
among those targeting this mark in Vienna.

Organisers of Austria's biggest one-day sporting spectacle expect to 
register up to 35,000 entries for their event, including races at shorter 
distances staged parallel to the marathon. With such a figure the 40th 
edition of the Vienna City Marathon (VCM) will almost reach the dimensions 
of pre-pandemic years. Entry for the VCM, which is   a World Athletics 
Elite Label Road Race and the only one in Austria that features such a high 
standard, is still possible at: www.vienna-marathon.com

There are hopes that the jubilee edition will be crowned by a course 
record. It was back in 2014 when Ethiopia's Getu Feleke clocked 2:05:41. An 
athlete who could be capable of such a performance is Samwel Mailu, who ran 
his debut in last year's Frankfurt Marathon although he was only entered 
into the race as a pacemaker. However the Kenyan carried on after leading 
for 30k and managed a fine 2:07:19 debut. He was runner-up in warm weather 
conditions. While Mailu will be running in Vienna for the first time 
fellow-Kenyan Charles Ndiema returns to the Vienna City Marathon. He 
finished fourth here a year ago when he clocked his PB of 2:08:12. At least 
two other athletes are expected to join a leading group which targets the 
course record: Kenya's Elvis Cheboi and Abe Gashahun of Ethiopia have run 
very fast half marathons of 59:14 and 59:46 respectively. While Cheboi will 
run his marathon debut in Vienna Gashahun will be eager to improve his 
marathon PB of 2:09:25.

After a period with injuries and below par performances Sondre Moen intends 
to bounce back at the Vienna City Marathon. The main goal for the Norwegian 
record holder, who ran a European record of 2:05:48 when sensationally 
winning the Fukuoka Marathon in 2017, will be to qualify for the World 
Championships at the Vienna City Marathon. "I hope for a positive race in 
Vienna - physically as well as mentally", said the 32 year-old 
Scandinavian. "I plan to run a controlled race with a negative split. Last 
year was one to forget because of injuries. Now I want to have a good race 
experience again."

Another non-African runner who opted for the Vienna City Marathon to 
achieve the 2:09:40 qualifying time for the World Championships is Ser-Od 
Bat-Ochir from Mongolia. While the 41 year-old multiple national record 
holder ran the Mongolian marathon record of 2:08:50 back in 2014 in Fukuoka 
he broke 2:10 again in Otsu, Japan, two years ago where he ran 2:09:26. 
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir, who lives in Japan with his family and is sponsored by 
the Shin Nihon Jusetsu company, has already participated at ten World 
Championships. He now wants to improve this record by qualifying for his 
eleventh start. Last year he finished 26th in Eugene. Ser-Od Bat-Ochir also 
has been an Olympic marathon runner five times, first competing at the 
Games in Athens in 2004. "I opted for Vienna because the race is known for 
producing fast times and the level of the elite field will suit me," said 
the Mongolian.

Andreas Vojta could be among others who are expected to join Sondre Moen 
and Ser-Od Bat-Ochir in the chase for the World Championships' qualifying 
time. There are high hopes in Vienna that the 33 year-old will establish 
himself as a top Austrian marathon runner on 23rd April. "I want to be 100 
percent ready when I will at the starting line. And I am looking for a time 
of 2:10," said Andreas Vojta. The former middle distance runner, who 
competed in the 1,500 m at the London 2012 Olympics and at two outdoor 
World Championships, has an eye on the 2:09:40 standard as well. While he 
finished last year's Vienna City Marathon in 2:23:21 after running as a 
pacemaker this will be his proper elite marathon debut.

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

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