Vienna City Half Marathon 2025

Race morning started with the soft chill that only April in Vienna delivers: clear skies, 1 deg C that felt like -6 deg C thanks to a 23 km/h wind from the north-west. I warmed up in the chute on Wagramer Strasse between Schuettaustrasse and Erzherzog-Karl-Strasse beside UNO-City, wrapped in throwaway layers while the sun crept over the Donau. The plan stayed simple: stay relaxed across the city and trust the limited training.

The first kilometres flew by as we surged over the Reichsbruecke, slipped into the Prater via Praterstern, and traced the left bank of the Donaukanal. Splits landed right around four minutes per kilometre as the course settled onto the Ringstrasse past familiar landmarks. The city sounded like a live soundtrack, tram bells, cowbells, and brass bands bouncing off the museums.

Schoenbrunn delivered its familiar sting once the route swung out along the Ring and back toward the palace. The gentle rise past the gardens slowed things slightly, but the legs stayed lively. I tucked behind two other runners, sharing the headwind, and seeing 39:34 at 10 km told me the rhythm was locked in.

From 11 km onward it turned into a controlled squeeze, steady effort, heart rate in the high 170s. I hit 15 km in 59:08 and committed to the negative split.

The final stretch carried a touch more drive: consistent rhythm, a strong push toward Rathausplatz, and a last-minute sprint past the Burgtheater. I stopped the clock at 1:23:55 for 21.28 km, 79 m of gain, and 176 bpm average, a new half-marathon personal best.

I hung over the barricade for a while on the Rathausplatz cobbles, shoes dusted in blue confetti, soaking in the morning. Vienna City Half remains my favourite test: fast, honest, and close to home. Legs hurt, heart full, onto the next build.