Vienna Symphony Mile, cheers at the Türkis Rosa Lila Villa: this is how Vienna will celebrate the marathon!

The Vienna City Marathon (VCM) will bring positive vibes to the whole of Vienna on the weekend of 20 and 21 April. For the first time in four years, the organisers are expecting more than 40,000 registrations in all competitions.

There is huge interest from participants for both days of the event. The Saturday with the Vienna 5K, which will be held for the first time in 2023, and the atmospheric start-finish area in the Burgtheater and Rathausplatz area will grow significantly this year.

In addition to the large number of participants and the sporting highlights with top Austrian and international runners, there is a clear focus:

"Together with all runners, spectators and participants, we want to create a unique experience that will be remembered. Everyone who takes part should feel this special enthusiasm. The people of Vienna should be able to support the event and say: 'This is OUR marathon!", says Kathrin Widu, Managing Director of the Vienna City Marathon.

Unique marathon party

A Vienna Symphony Mile at the Lusthaus, a water and cheering station under the motto "Embrace Diversity" at the Türkis Rosa Lila Villa, newcomer music bands along the route, interactive motivational videos in the Wiener Städtische Motivation Mile and a focus on the "Grande Finale" between the State Opera and Burgtheater: all of this is intended to help celebrate the marathon with even more drive than before and create an atmosphere that accompanies and celebrates the runners on their sporting and emotional journey through Vienna. The marathon experience continues into the night. The official after-race party will take place for the first time in the attic of the 25hours Hotel.

"Hero Zone" at the finale

"Together with existing and new partners, we are stepping up the activities along the route and at the finish line. We are designing the last kilometre and the area after the finish as a rousing "Hero Zone". We are particularly pleased about projects that carry a message and fit in with the marathon and Vienna in a distinctive way," emphasises Dominik Konrad, VCM Managing Director.

Inspiring note from the Vienna Symphony Orchestra

The Vienna Symphony Mile will be created for the first time around the Lusthaus on Prater Hauptallee. A classical playlist will welcome the runners at this neuralgic point of the marathon route and motivate them for the last nine kilometres to the finish. Strauss, Beethoven, Symphony Jazz, Conchita Wurst - the pieces specially selected by marathon enthusiasts and originally performed by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra showcase the full range of this top orchestra.

The playlist with plenty of tempo, energy & Viennese feeling is already available on Spotify to get you in the mood.

At the start, the "Danube Waltz" by Johann Strauss will accompany the runners as they take their first steps across the Reichsbrücke - also in an original recording by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

"We see this commitment as a musical and sporting tribute to the Viennese and to the running guests of our city," says Jan Nast, Director of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra.

"The Orchestra of the City of Vienna is one of the most renowned orchestras in Europe and will give the Vienna City Marathon a special, inspiring flavour. Vienna is the city of classical music, so this cooperation is particularly fitting," says VCM Managing Director Kathrin Widu, delighted with the start of the collaboration, which is already working on projects for the coming years. A VCM fanfare and a special marathon concert are in preparation.

Support under the sign of the rainbow

The entire marathon, with participants from 125 countries, stands for diversity and openness. This is particularly visible and tangible in the area around the new water and cheering point in front of the Türkis Rosa Lila Villa at kilometre 13 of the race. Helpers from the queer community will provide the runners on Linke Wienzeile not only with fluids, but also with applause and motivation.

The EuroGames Vienna 2024, which will take place from 17-20 July in Vienna with around 4,000 athletes, will be presented there. Some 500 participants are expected to take part in the 5 km and 10 km races in the Prater Hauptallee alone.

"As the City of Vienna, this year we are emphasising the importance of sport for queer people, who are often already affected by discrimination and exclusion in school sports. But sport, and the Vienna City Marathon in particular, can bring people together: Everyone runs for themselves, yet together! With a water point and a rainbow-coloured lighting station, the Vienna Anti-Discrimination Office for LGBTIQ Affairs (WASt), in cooperation with the Türkis Rosa Lila Villa and the EuroGames 2024, which are taking place in Vienna for the first time this year, is supporting the marathon runners on the Linke Wienzeile, thus creating an innovative form of encounter," says Wolfgang Wilhelm, Head of the WASt.

"Sport is often male-dominated in our society. One aim of this year's EuroGames is to make women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people, i.e. FLINTA*, more visible in sport. We particularly want to invite them to take part," say Maria Schinko and Gerhard Marchl, co-presidents of the EuroGames Vienna 2024 organising team.

Marathon to "join in"

The Vienna City Marathon is motivating more and more people who are willing to contribute to the success of the event through their commitment and creativity. This also applies to the runners who are actively involved in the VCM - as Erste Bank final runners, as Wien Energie Boombox Runners, as pacemakers for specific pace groups and as charity runners for various initiatives.

After race party for the first time

When the runners leave the finish area with their medals and hopefully full of euphoria, the Vienna City Marathon is far from over. For the first time, the VCM is organising an official after-race party on the evening of the big running day. In the attic of the 25hours Hotel, partying and dancing are the order of the day. Tickets are available now.

"The VCM is and will be colourful, classic and unforgettable in many dimensions. We are looking forward to this together with our partners, our team and all runners and participants," say VCM Managing Directors Kathrin Widu and Dominik Konrad.