Preparation guide · Vienna City Marathon
Vienna Marathon 2027: split times, aid stations and how to run it
The next edition is on Sunday 18 April 2027, starting in Vienna (Wagramer Straße, by the Reichsbrücke, Austria) at 9:00. Here you have the Vienna Marathon route, split times for your target, what's at each aid station, how many gels to carry and the usual weather.
Vienna Marathon: route and profile
Official 2026 route (organisers' GPX). In 2026 the start was at 9:00 in blocks until 9:33 (the start closed at 9:40) and the finish was on the Rathausplatz; the 2027 schedule hasn't been published yet.
Climbs and descents
Sections of at least 400 m with a grade over 1.5 %, and how much a typical runner's pace changes at the same effort. Run by feel (or heart rate), not by watch pace.
| Section | Grade | At the same effort |
|---|---|---|
| km 19.3–20.1 | -1.9 % | -12 s/km |
| km 21.7–22.4 | -1.7 % | -11 s/km |
Route keys
- You start by crossing the Reichsbrücke over the Danube, early in the morning and very exposed to the wind: wait in your block in something you can throw away and don't get carried away on the way down the bridge.
- Between km 10 and 16 you climb gently along the Wienzeile towards Schönbrunn (about 20 m): it's the highest point. From there it's almost all flat or slightly downhill, so don't push the climb.
- The cup stations (water and Powerade, bananas from km 15 and cola at 34 and 39.6) come roughly every 5 km, with a gel at 33.5; in between there are tap-water points. Carry your gels.
- At km 20.3 the marathon and half split: the half turns right and you go straight on. Suddenly there are far fewer runners around you; don't change pace because of it.
4 more keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat, and your split times at your pace.
Split times
At an even pace (the profile hardly changes anything), with the clock time counted from the 09:00 gun. If you start from a later corral or wave, add the time it takes you to cross the start. Write yours down or wear them on a pace band: watch GPS usually reads long.
| Point | 3 h | 3 h 30 | 4 h | 4 h 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:16 /km | 4:59 /km | 5:41 /km | 6:24 /km |
| km 5 | 0:21:13 9:21 | 0:24:45 9:24 | 0:28:17 9:28 | 0:31:49 9:31 |
| km 10 | 0:42:39 9:42 | 0:49:46 9:49 | 0:56:52 9:56 | 1:03:59 10:03 |
| km 15 | 1:04:10 10:04 | 1:14:52 10:14 | 1:25:34 10:25 | 1:36:15 10:36 |
| km 20 | 1:25:31 10:25 | 1:39:46 10:39 | 1:54:01 10:54 | 2:08:16 11:08 |
| Halfway | 1:30:11 10:30 | 1:45:13 10:45 | 2:00:15 11:00 | 2:15:17 11:15 |
| km 25 | 1:46:38 10:46 | 2:04:24 11:04 | 2:22:10 11:22 | 2:39:57 11:39 |
| km 30 | 2:07:52 11:07 | 2:29:11 11:29 | 2:50:29 11:50 | 3:11:48 12:11 |
| km 35 | 2:29:07 11:29 | 2:53:59 11:53 | 3:18:50 12:18 | 3:43:41 12:43 |
| km 40 | 2:50:31 11:50 | 3:18:56 12:18 | 3:47:22 12:47 | 4:15:47 13:15 |
| Finish | 3:00:00 12:00 | 3:30:00 12:30 | 4:00:00 13:00 | 4:30:00 13:30 |
Aid stations: what's there and how much to drink
For a typical runner finishing in about 3 h 30: sip without stopping and take each gel just before an aid station, to wash it down with water. The organisers hand out gels at km 33.5: if they match your plan, those are gels you don't need to carry.
| Where | What's there | Time (for 3 h 30) | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| km 4.8 | water, sports drink | 9:24 | ~200 ml |
| km 9.5 | water, sports drink | 9:47 | ~200 ml · gel just before |
| km 15.0 | water, sports drink, fruit | 10:15 | ~250 ml · gel just before |
| km 19.6 | water, sports drink, fruit | 10:38 | ~200 ml |
| km 24.8 | water, sports drink, fruit | 11:03 | ~200 ml |
| km 29.4 | water, sports drink, fruit | 11:26 | ~200 ml · gel just before |
| km 31.4 | water | 11:36 | ~100 ml |
| km 33.5 | organiser gels | 11:46 | no gel due here |
| km 34.0 | water, sports drink, fruit, cola | 11:49 | ~100 ml |
| km 38.6 | water | 12:12 | ~200 ml |
| km 39.6 | water, sports drink, fruit, cola | 12:17 | ~100 ml |
How many gels and how much to drink
What a typical runner (68 kg) needs depending on their time, with 35 g gels. When running the stomach tolerates less than on the bike: more than 60 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Gels alone don't reach that figure (the first one comes around 45 minutes and none are due in the last half hour): the rest comes from drinking sports drink instead of water at a few aid stations.
| Time | Carbs per hour | Gels | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 h | 60 g/h | 4 × 35 g | 1.5 l | 300 mg/h |
| 3 h 30 | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 1.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 2.0 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h 30 | 60 g/h | 6 × 35 g | 2.2 l | 300 mg/h |
Nothing new on race day: gels, breakfast, shoes and socks, all tested on your long runs. Vaseline on your feet, groin and armpits, and protect your nipples. If it's cold at the start, wait in your corral in old clothes you can throw away.
Vienna Marathon: weather in April
What the weather was like during the race (from 9:00 to the finish of a 3:30 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 14 ºC | 18 ºC | 0.0 mm | 33 km/h |
| 2023 | 14 ºC | 18 ºC | 0.0 mm | 5 km/h |
| 2024 | 5 ºC | 8 ºC | 0.0 mm | 20 km/h |
| 2025 | 1 ºC | 3 ºC | 0.0 mm | 23 km/h |
| 2026 | 14 ºC | 21 ºC | 0.0 mm | 4 km/h |
When running, heat slows you down: allow roughly 2 % more time for every 5 ºC above 12 ºC.
Your Vienna Marathon, tailored to you
This guide uses a typical runner. In WinWatts we calculate it with your data:
- Your time, your pace and your split times from your threshold pace and the expected heat.
- The race-day forecast, and what to wear at the start and during the race.
- How much to drink at each aid station and where to take each gel, with your own gels.
- Your training plan until Sunday 18 April 2027, adjusted every week to how you're doing.
WinWatts is not affiliated with the organisers of the Vienna Marathon. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Route measured on the official 2026 GPX (the marathon and the relay share the course); aid stations from the official website (2026 edition); weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.