Strong fields could produce thrilling races in Vienna

Kenyans Justus Kangogo and Vibian Chepkirui, who holds the course record in Vienna, head the start list with personal bests of 2:05:57 and 2:20:59 respectively.

Organisers of the 42nd edition of the Vienna City Marathon, which is a World Athletics Elite Label event, have registered a record total of more than 45,000 entries. 13,000 of them will run the classic distance, which is a record as well.

The personal bests of the top four men on the start list differ by just over one minute. This could point to a close race for victory. Justus Kangogo remains the leading runner on the list with his PB of 2:05:57 which he ran in Berlin 2023. Fellow-Kenyan Asbel Rutto is a late addition to the field. A year ago he established the current course record of the Rome Marathon with 2:06:24, was over three minutes faster than before and over one and a half minutes ahead of his nearest rival. The time is still Rutto’s personal best. Two other athletes are on Vienna’s start list who have run well below 2:08. Kenyans Douglas Chebii and Stanley Kurgat have personal records of 2:06:31 and 2:07:05 respectively.

While these four runners look the strongest on paper, there are another five men who have run below 2:10. A debutant who has the potential for a strong marathon time is Wisley Kibichii. The Kenyan has run the half marathon in 59:57.

With Vienna’s very strong 2:05:08 men’s course record from Kenya’s Samwel Mailu, the women’s mark is the more likely one to fall on 6th April. When Vibian Chepkirui defended her title in 2022 she smashed the course record with 2:20:59. The Kenyan now hopes to make it three starts and three victories at the Vienna City Marathon.

Fellow-Kenyans Rebecca Tanui and Catherine Cherotich are two strong challengers who may well be on the same level as Chepkirui. Tanui was third here a year ago before she ran a 2:21:08 PB and course record in Kosice. Cherotich made huge steps when she improved by over a quarter of an hour to 2:22:42 in Frankfurt last year. Germany’s Fabienne Königstein is the fastest European on the current start list with a PB of 2:25:48. She will be challenged by Nora Szabo of Hungary and Poland’s Aleksandra Brzezinska who have run times of 2:25:52 and 2:27:20.