Vienna Marathon Race Report – Jim Bonner

Race: Vienna Marathon

Runner: Jim Bonner

Race Date: 9/12/2021

Location: Vienna, Austria

Results: 3:29:13

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

  1. Streets and crowds. Hearing Hop, Hop and laughing. It’s Da-E in Italy Rome.
  2. Flat.
  3. Finish area with food, beer, docs, place to rest, etc.
  4. Race staff were great at communicating when my flight from Paris was delayed and I couldn’t get to the Vienna Expo for packet pickup (8 hr flight delay). Lisa Ban and staff were great at replying and were willing to stay late or get the bib to me early next race day if needed. All worked out and actually made it to the expo, which was very well put on.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

  • Late start at 9am was good and bad. Good for stomach, not so good for heat, which approved 80F by finish.
  • Tshirt was biggest disappointment. I did learn sizing is 2 sizes off from US (I take small for singlet in US, L or XL in Europe – 5’10”, 155lb)
  • Bibtags (magnets for holding on a bib don’t work, had to keep my bib in pocket last half of race.)

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

See Hop, Hop.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

Boston Qualified! Nearly 6 minutes better than BQ, so I should get in for April 2022.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Your watch will be a little off. My Garmin 945 said 2.5 km to go when I saw the 3 km sign in distance.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Not as pretty as I expected.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

No. It’s flat. Perfect for BQ.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Yes, very well organized.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

No, but likely Covid related. We stayed in Airbnb off Schwedenplatz and really enjoyed the train being downstairs and Pho LaLa post race.

Weather and typical race conditions

Warm at start and finish.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes.

How’s the Swag?

Medal very nice. T-shirt needs a lot of work.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

4.5 of 5.