One lake. One lap. One marathon. New running event attracts visitors to Carinthia.
On 27 September 2026, Carinthia will be saying: ‘Run the Lake’! At the new Wörthersee Marathon, which starts and finishes in Klagenfurt, runners will experience the fantastic running route around the largest lake in the province. Turquoise water, golden autumn light and 42.195 kilometres along the shore create the perfect setting for a unique running experience.
Marathon, team marathon and ‘The Wild Beauty - 21K’
Teams of two to ten people can also share the marathon route around the lake and enjoy running together – a competition for everyone to actively experience the fascination of Lake Wörthersee together. Those who prefer a shorter run can enjoy ‘The Wild Beauty - 21K’, the half marathon along the breathtakingly beautiful and hilly southern shore from Klagenfurt to Velden. Slow running or walking is expressly welcome. ‘Walk the Lake’ offers all active people the chance to experience this extraordinary day at Lake Wörthersee at their own pace and rhythm.
Registration is open for all events at www.woerthersee-marathon.at.
Special offer for VCM 2026 participants
Are you running the marathon or the Wiener Städtische half marathon at the VCM? Then take advantage of this exclusive promotional offer now!
• Starting place Wörthersee Marathon: € 58 instead of € 69
• Starting place The Wild Beauty - 21K: € 38 instead of € 44
Limited to 500 starting places for the marathon and 400 starting places for the 21K – valid until 31 December 2025 at the latest. The discount will be automatically deducted in the shopping basket.
Top combo
Secure your starting place for the Wörthersee Marathon 2026 at the regular price and register now for the Vienna City Marathon on 18 April 2027!
• Find out more here: www.woerthersee-marathon.at
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We look forward to seeing you for a fantastic active weekend full of lake vibes!
Nature, running, lifestyle
"The Wörthersee Marathon combines nature, running and lifestyle into a modern active sports event with a clear focus on hobby and recreational sports. We are experiencing a new era of running enthusiasm and health awareness - driven by young people and especially women. The Wörthersee Marathon picks up on this development and focuses on the experience and the community," says Kathrin Widu, who launched the new running event together with Dominik Konrad and initiator Mario Theissl.
A strong team for marathon excitement
Widu and Konrad are managing directors of the VCM Group and thus organisers of Austria's largest active sports event, the Vienna City Marathon. Theissl is an organiser of running competitions in Carinthia and has been pursuing the idea of a marathon around Lake Wörthersee for some time.
"The Wörthersee Marathon will be a new highlight for all running enthusiasts and fulfils the dream of many to run completely around the lake. The combination of an attractive route and an autumn date is an enrichment for the entire sporting landscape and at the same time provides impetus for tourism in Carinthia. It will be an event that moves Carinthia and attracts people from all over Austria and beyond, especially from Italy and Slovenia," explains Mario Theissl, who manages the organising company together with Widu.
‘With its clear concept, the Wörthersee Marathon will mobilise new target groups and is an attractive addition to the VCM Group's event portfolio. We are contributing our expertise and our team to the new venture. We believe in the event and look forward to making this running experience possible for the community,’ says Dominik Konrad, Managing Director of the VCM Group.
Experience the route
The start and finish of the Wörthersee Marathon are at the Klagenfurt lido. The first half of the route leads along the varied southern shore via a challenging profile through Reifnitz and below the Pyramidenkogel to Velden, where the half marathon distance is reached in front of the Schlosshotel. Via Pörtschach and Krumpendorf, participants in the marathon and team marathon reach the finish line in the provincial capital on the fast second section of the route.
Long active weekend
Running enthusiasts and their companions can look forward to an extended weekend starting on Thursday – with workation opportunities and relaxing wellness offers in Klagenfurt and the Wörthersee region. On Saturday, 26 September, the Runner's Beach Club at Klagenfurt lido invites you to get in the best possible shape for the race: exhibitions, yoga, shake-out runs and other activities will get everyone moving and in the mood for the big day. Thanks to hotel partnerships and Wörthersee Medal Monday in collaboration with local businesses, the running community can look forward to a varied programme.
Broad support: Voices on the new Wörthersee Marathon
"I am delighted that the Wörthersee Marathon 2026 will be a new sporting highlight with international appeal in Carinthia. The great interest and professionalism of the organisers in realising this unique marathon around Lake Wörthersee once again demonstrate how attractive Carinthia is as a venue for high-calibre competitions.
The route around Lake Wörthersee is unique in Europe and gives us an international selling point that will attract a lot of positive attention. I have already run the route myself as part of ‘Wörthersee car-free’ and know how beautiful and challenging this marathon is. All participants can look forward to a special running experience and unforgettable impressions. The date at the end of September is also worth highlighting: the Kärnten Läuft half marathon, which takes place a few weeks earlier, is ideal preparation for the Wörthersee Marathon, where the focus is not on records but on establishing a popular sporting event that offers a health-promoting experience in our unique natural arena of Carinthia.
From a tourism perspective, this also extends the season, which is something that many people have been calling for. The 2026 Wörthersee Marathon will therefore not only be a sporting event, but also an economically significant one for our province. I would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment and I am already looking forward to this new highlight in Carinthia's sporting calendar."
Peter Kaiser, Governor of Carinthia
"The Wörthersee Marathon offers us the opportunity to bring a new, international mass sporting event to Carinthia and Klagenfurt in the off-season and to make a necessary statement that can have an impact far beyond the city limits. The Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Tourist Board expressly supports this initiative. We would like to take advantage of the opportunity for long-term, cooperative positioning together with the experience and capabilities of the Vienna City Marathon team."
Adi Kulterer, Chairman of the Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Tourist Board, and Helmuth Micheler, Managing Director of the Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Tourist Board
"A Wörthersee Marathon in autumn 2026 is an enormous opportunity for Velden and the entire region. This new flagship event not only strengthens our positioning as a year-round destination for sports and active pursuits, but also creates precisely the season extension that we have been consistently pursuing for years. A marathon in golden autumn – a weather period that has been exceptionally stable in recent years – combines sporting excellence with the natural beauty of our lake landscape and provides clear impetus for length of stay and added value.
A major event of this magnitude gives our businesses additional planning security to stay open longer and make October a strong month for tourism. The marathon perfectly complements the Harley-Davidson meeting in late summer: after an event full of emotion, lifestyle and the sound of engines, we focus on sporting energy, health and nature – an ideal balance that also positions Lake Wörthersee internationally as a versatile adventure region.
The new public transport connection from the greater Graz area is particularly attractive: the Koralmbahn railway takes guests to Velden in just under 60 minutes. This fast, climate-friendly connection opens up a whole new catchment area for athletes and spectators, who can travel to the event comfortably and sustainably.
The Wörthersee Marathon 2026 is more than just a running event – it is an investment in the future in terms of quality, year-round tourism and economic stability. Velden is ready to open a new chapter in sports tourism together with the region."
Hannes Markowitz, Managing Director of the Velden Tourism Board
“The market town of Velden supports the implementation and execution of the Wörthersee Marathon as a positive development for the region. Based on the excellent and professional cooperation with Mario Theissl and his team over the past seven years in the course of the Pink Ribbon Women's Run, we are looking forward to this new event in September 2026.”
Helmut Steiner, Deputy Mayor of the market town of Velden
