Vienna Calling
It is a cold morning. We are standing on Reichsbrücke, counting down the final seconds to the start of the "preparatory" half marathon for the big Vienna City Marathon (VCM) in April.
Zehn, neun, acht... drei, zwei, start!A crowd of over a thousand hopeful "half-marathoners" surges forward towards the city centre. Directly in line with the bridge, the impressive spire of St. Stephen's Cathedral is visible, and the elevated deck of Reichsbrücke enhances the view.
VCM Winter Running Series: Half marathon through the Eyes of a Runner - 3rd VCM WINTER RUN - Sunday, March 2, 2025
It is a cold morning. We are standing on Reichsbrücke, counting down the final seconds to the start of the "preparatory" half marathon for the big Vienna City Marathon (VCM) in April.
Zehn, neun, acht... drei, zwei, start!A crowd of over a thousand hopeful "half-marathoners" surges forward towards the city centre. Directly in line with the bridge, the impressive spire of St. Stephen's Cathedral is visible, and the elevated deck of Reichsbrücke enhances the view. However, there is little time to admire Vienna's beauty - we must watch out for the other runners who are charging ahead with all their might.
I set off together with Elenka, happy that we made it to the start on time. We had it all planned out, but... things do not always go as expected. This time, though, everything worked out. Since Elenka is thorough, she picked up our (three) race numbers on Friday and even scouted parking spots near the finish line. In the end, everything went smoothly - we parked near the Ernst Happel Stadium in Prater, just a short distance from the finish area.
Sunday, March 2 – Race Day, 6:30 AM
That was the time we, the three of us – Elenka (Elena Malíková), Gabo (Gabriel Bogdányi), and I (Viliam Novák) - had planned to set off for Vienna from Petržalka, where I live. Elenka arrived first (even a minute early), and then we picked up Gabo near the Botanical Garden. Our plan was simple: reach Vienna in an hour and use the next hour for transportation to the start and race preparation. Well thought out and (thankfully) well executed.
We left Gabo near the parking area because he was running the 5K race, which alongside with 10K, both starts and finishes in Prater's Hauptallee, not far from where we parked. We, the aspiring half-marathoners, had our finish line there as well. Now, it was time to head towards Reichsbrücke and Donauinsel.
We had about 50 minutes to get to the starting area, which should have been enough, but - you know how it goes - things never quite work as expected. We jogged to Stadion metro station, only to see the train leave right in front of us. The next one was not due for another 8 minutes. That left us with just 30 minutes before the start... Finally, the train arrived, and five minutes later, we reached our transfer station, Praterstern.
Navigating the maze of corridors leading to the U1 line felt endless, but eventually, we made it to the platform, where we joined other half-marathoners. The bad news? The train had just left a minute ago, and the next one would not arrive until 8:15 AM. The half marathon was starting in just 15 minutes - at 8:30. I was starting to feel nervous. "Worst case scenario, we start late - our net times are recorded anyway," I reassured myself.
Finally, our train arrived, and five minutes later, we exited at Donauinsel station - just 10 minutes before the race was set to begin. Nevertheless, we still had things to do: change into running gear and drop off our belongings in the buses. First things first - changing. The start line and baggage buses were about 100 meters away. I quickly pinned on my race number, 2239, with "Viliam" printed on it, stashed my jacket in my backpack, and dropped it in one of the two double-decker buses parked on Reichsbrücke. Then, I hurried back to, where I was supposed to meet Elenka before heading to the start.
It was 8:28 AM. I jogged towards the agreed place quickly, and luckily, I saw Elenka approaching me - dressed in a stylish, knee-length, quilted grey coat with gold zippers. I checked my watch: 8:29 AM. "Perfect," I said, "we made it. Let's line up."
It was a close call, but we did it. And then - BANG! The starting gun fired.
Reichsbrücke and Beyond…
We set off. The beginning of any race (including this one) is always the same - slower runners tend to start too fast, only to exhaust themselves and slow down later. I prefer a steady start, but Elenka was fuelled with adrenaline and surged ahead. We had not discussed any specific strategy - just that we would start together and see how things went.
It was not warm. I estimated the air temperature was around freezing, but in the crowd, the wind was not that noticeable. I wore thin running tights, a long-sleeved shirt, a vest, a windbreaker, a light cap, and gloves. My shoes were my reliable road-running HOKA. Was it too much? Probably, but I could always take off the vest if needed. The strong northwest wind was a concern – we would see how it played out.
For now, I felt good
Elenka set a fast pace. I tried to keep up, but it was probably a bit too fast for me. After a few hundred meters, I settled into my own sustainable pace, while Elenka gradually pulled ahead, running down the slight decline of Reichsbrücke.
She was about 10 meters ahead, and I could still see her outfit clearly. Probably the only runner in the entire field wearing an elegant knee-length, quilted grey coat, cinched with a belt for good measure! From a technical standpoint, it was not a bad idea - at near-freezing temperatures, standing around on a windy bridge before the race, staying warm was crucial.
Nevertheless, after about a kilometre, near Praterstern, she decided to change outfits. I was about 15 meters behind her when, mid-stride, she took off her (beautiful) coat and tossed it onto the grass beside the road, continuing without breaking stride. And that was the end of her "coat run."
She was running well today, I thought. I was curious to see how she would hold up.
Prater, Hauptallee
About a kilometre in, we turned left into Prater, onto Hauptallee. This would be our main course for the entire 21.1 km race - four full laps plus half its length.
I felt okay, though I lacked the lightness in my legs that usually comes at the start of a race when I am still fresh. I needed a few more kilometres to properly warm up.
I glanced around. I was running in a dense crowd of runners, but I had lost sight of Elenka - she was probably ahead. The surroundings were dull - lined with leafless trees. The flat asphalt of Hauptallee made for a good course - it was here that the only marathon under two hours had been run. It was not an official race by the rules, but it proved that a sub-two-hour marathon was possible.
For us to finish our half marathon, we would have to run four laps of Hauptallee and an additional half-lap. It was getting warm. I unzipped my windbreaker a bit - it felt better. Most runners were dressed similarly to me, with tights and at least two layers on top. Some, however, wore just singlets and shorts - not the best choice, especially in the stretch from Lusthaus to Praterstern, where the cold wind blew from the west.
We passed under the blue arch that would eventually mark our finish line - but before that, we had to run the entire Hauptallee four times! The route was monotonous. Unlike Bratislava or Košice marathons, where there was always something to catch the eye, here it felt endless…
Finally, the turnaround near Lusthaus came into view
I scanned the runners going in the opposite direction, hoping to spot Elenka. And there she was! She is a few hundred meters ahead of me, running swiftly. We exchange a nod. Where does this girl get her energy from? Even though I know her capabilities, competing this confidently and effortlessly is something else...
After the turnaround, we run against the wind; I feel cold. I zip up my windbreaker and continue back. We still have three and a half laps to go, meaning three-quarters of the half marathon remain. In a monotonous setting. I look out for Elenka at every turnaround and note that she is maintaining her pace and, therefore, pulling away from me; at the last turnaround, it was almost a kilometre. She is still holding her pace.
The final lap
We are approaching Praterstern, where a sign with the number 18 is attached to a tree, meaning we have three kilometres left. I do not know why, but after that 18th kilometre, I suddenly felt a surge of energy, picked up speed, and felt better. Must be the adrenaline and the finish line getting closer, I think. Finally, I feel good. My bandaged right knee occasionally reminds me that I am no longer twenty, but it is not pain, more like a reminder: do not overdo it, stick to your own pace. I look for the blue finish arch – it is not in sight yet, but after a kilometre, there it is. I speed up, but the younger runners around me are faster and pass me.
Finish
I stop my stopwatch: 1:53:58 at an average pace of 5:24 min/km, or 11.1 km/h. The time does not matter; what matters is that I am here and in one piece. After all, my wife tried to talk me out of it this morning, saying I should finally let it go - my peers do not run anymore. I call her to say I made it to the finish and she will not be a widow today... I meet up with Elenka and Gabo. "So, how did it go?" Elenka says, "1:49:13." Great, she beat me by about 800 meters. Quite a lot. Given that she had not run such a long distance in a while (20 years) and is not exactly a junior (57), it is impressive. She finished eighth in the W50 category, with an average pace of 5:10 min/km, or 11.5 km/h.
At 11:00, the 5 km and 10 km races started, and among the "five-kilometre" runners, Gabo shot out like a jack-in-the-box. He finished in a solid time of 23:49, placing fourth in the M55-60 category.
The awards ceremony
The awards ceremony took place near the finish. The men's half marathon was won by local runner Andreas Vojta (1:05:52), while Michelle Schaub (1:14:09) took the women's title. In the 10 km race, Peter Ďurec from Banská Bystrica, Slovakia won in 29:57; any time under 30 minutes by a non-African runner is remarkable, and this one was just three seconds off the race record. Besides, medical doctor Peter Ďurec, a specialist in orthopaedics, is a personable young man. Since the 5 km and 10 km races started together, an interesting moment occurred when the leading 10 km runner, Peter Ďurec, turned around ahead of the leading 5 km runner. Moreover, the charming Lucia Pelikánová (from the same town and car) finished second in the 10 km with a time of 35:18. The winners received nice boxes on the podium. What could be inside? "What prizes did you get?" I asked Peter. He opened the box and said, "Take one." Inside were four carnival doughnuts with jam. "Thanks, I've already had some," I replied.
The road home, a beautiful journey
The road home was made in Elenka's white car, with a satisfied crew, full of sweets from the finish line. The car (lightened by the coat left behind in Austria) purred contentedly both in Austria and Slovakia and brought us home safe and sound. Another successful Run and Smile event...
P.S. One more interesting thing is worth mentioning. The organizers, although awarding only the top three in each gender and race, published a complete results list with age categories.
There, in the PDF format, in the M80 category (80 years and older), I was listed as third with the correct time of 1:53:59, born in 1942. However, the first two places were quite amusing. First place was Marcin Kozlowski with a time of 1:43:29, born in 1925 - meaning he is 100 years old. Second place went to Bence Darvas with a time of 1:45:32, born in 1933 - "only" 92 years old. Most likely, there was a mistake in their birth years, or someone was having a bit of fun. These details were not verified; all it took was entering a birth year in the online registration.
In the end, FUN IS A MUST...
Written by Viliam Novák (translated into English by Elena Malíková)