Vienna City Marathon: Tigist Gezahagn breaks course record, Fanny Kiprotich surprises in Vienna

Tigist Gezahagn delivered one of the most compelling performances of the spring marathon season on Sunday in Austria’s capital, rewriting the Vienna City Marathon record books with authority and poise. The 26-year-old Ethiopian stopped the clock at 2:20:06, a personal best and a course record, adding another remarkable chapter to a career already defined by resilience and excellence.

For those who follow the sport closely, Gezahagn’s victory carries deeper weight. A visually impaired athlete and Paralympic 1,500-metre champion in both Tokyo and Paris, she once again demonstrated that elite distance running is as much about instinct and courage as it is about physiology. Locked in a prolonged duel with compatriot Haftamnesh Tesfaye, Gezahagn waited until the race’s final moments to strike, pulling clear inside the last few hundred metres. Tesfaye, in her first marathon since 2020 following maternity leave, matched her seven-year-old personal best with 2:20:18 for second. This was a performance nearly as impressive as the win itself. Kenya’s Hellen Chepkorir rounded out the podium in 2:23:48.

While the women’s race delivered a high-calibre showdown, the men’s race produced an upset that few predicted.

Kenya’s Fanny Kiprotich, largely overlooked in the pre-race conversation, surged to victory in 2:06:53, slicing more than four minutes off his previous best. In increasingly warm conditions, the 24-year-old ran with patience before asserting himself just before 30 kilometres—a move that ultimately broke the race open. Eritrea’s Oqbe Kibrom, the pre-race favourite and fastest entrant on paper, finished second in 2:08:11, while Kenya’s Charles Mneria took third in 2:08:43.

Kiprotich’s progression is notable. Just a year removed from his marathon debut win in Tallinn (2:11:21), he now finds himself among the sport’s emerging names. “I was confident because my training was very good,” he said post-race. It was a concise statement that undersells the magnitude of his leap forward.

Austria’s Andreas Vojta led the home contingent, finishing ninth in 2:15:07, while Eva Wutti was the top Austrian woman in 10th place with 2:42:37.

Race dynamics told their own story. An early blow for local hopes came when Austria’s Aaron Gruen, a surprise national record-setter last year, dropped out before halfway. Up front, a 63:06 split suggested early ambition, but once pacemakers stepped aside after 25 kilometres, the contest shifted from time-chasing to tactical racing. Kiprotich proved the most decisive when it mattered.

In the women’s race, Gezahagn and Tesfaye had separated from the field early, passing 10 kilometres in 33:30 with a commanding gap. A mid-race scare saw Tesfaye stumble after clipping Gezahagn’s heel near 30 kilometres, but she quickly regained composure. The pair pushed through halfway in 70:24, setting the stage for a late-race battle that ultimately tilted in Gezahagn’s favour.

“At around 41 kilometres, I thought I should now push the pace,” Gezahagn said. The move was subtle at first, then definitive, an elite racer’s instinct executed to perfection.

The weekend’s racing began a day earlier with a national breakthrough.

Austria’s Lisa Redlinger delivered a headline performance in the Vienna 5K, clocking 15:34 to set a new national record. The 23-year-old improved the previous mark by six seconds and positioned herself well within qualifying standards for the Road Running World Championships in Copenhagen this September.

“This is an unbelievable moment,” Redlinger said. “I was targeting the qualifying time, but I never thought about the Austrian record.”

Her run now stands as the second-fastest in the event’s history, trailing only Slovenia’s Klara Lukan.

In a weekend defined by records, breakthroughs, and unexpected turns, Vienna once again proved that marathon racing—at its best—remains beautifully unpredictable.

The 43rd edition of the Vienna City Marathon underscored its status as one of Europe’s enduring road racing fixtures. A record 12,995 marathon entries—and nearly 50,000 participants across the weekend’s events from 150 nations—highlighted both the race’s global reach and the continued growth of the sport.

Results

Vienna City Marathon Results

Men

Women