Vienna City Marathon receives IAAF Road Race Gold Label

For the 30th jubilee Austria’s biggest sporting event is again ranked in the highest racing category. 6500 entries suggest early registration deadline!

The team of the Vienna City Marathon is honoured to be awarded the IAAF Road Race Gold Label. For the second time Austria’s biggest sporting event with more than 36,000 participants from 110 countries is included in the highest category of road races by the IAAF, the International Association of Athletics Federations.

“On our way to the 30th edition of the Vienna City Marathon on 14 April 2013 this is a wonderful acknowledgment for our efforts. It clearly shows that we operate on a very high level and it underlines the quality of our event as a whole”, says Race Director Wolfgang Konrad. The Vienna City Marathon is in good company indeed.

In 2012 only 22 marathon races worldwide, such as London, New York, Berlin, Frankfurt or Tokyo, have been awarded the Gold Label. The IAAF also assigns Road Race Labels in Silver and Bronze. The Vienna City Marathon is the only running event in Austria with the right to hold an IAAF Label of any category.

A number of criteria had to be fulfilled in order to achieve the IAAF Gold standard. These include an extended live coverage on TV, the quality of medical services for the participants, technical standards, media services and the number and quality of elite athletes. Interestingly enough, the two superstars of the Vienna City Marathon 2012, Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Radcliffe, did not contribute to the Gold Label recognition as they ran the half marathon distance in the OMV Champions Race. The IAAF did only look at the elite field in the full marathon. Led by new course record holder Henry Sugut, who clocked 2:06:58 on 15 April 2012, the quality of the top marathon runners was more than suitable for “Gold”.

As the 30th anniversary of the Vienna City Marathon coming up next spring, demand for places is especially high. The fact that it’s an anniversary edition is making it a huge attraction. More than 6500 runners have entered the race already.

Starting places will be sold out earlier than in previous years. That applies all the more so to the Marathon (42.195K), the OMV Half Marathon and the Relay Marathon. Places might be gone at the end of 2012. Additionally there a two kids races, the Coca-Cola Run 4.2 and Run 1.0.

If you want to be part of the great anniversary celebrations next year, don’t delay!

 
[REGISTER NOW]  for the 30th Vienna City Marathon on April 14, 2013!