Vienna City Marathon 2027 : the course km by km, race week and travel

Vienna is a race of two halves that do not look alike. The first half is a long, almost unnoticed climb: from about km 5 in the Prater the road rises 51 m, out along the Linke Wienzeile and back up Mariahilfer Strasse, to its high point at km 19. The second half drops away from there, down to the Danube Canal and then to the Prater Hauptallee, where the course reaches its lowest point at km 33.6. The half marathon runners, more numerous than the marathoners in 2026, leave at km 20.3, so the road thins out just as it turns downhill. The Hauptallee is where the 2026 men’s race was decided, and the Ringstrasse, run twice, is where the women’s was.

The marathon is a point-to-point course from the Reichsbrücke to the Ringstrasse. The kilometres and heights below are measured along the organiser’s 2026 course line on an open elevation model. The organiser’s maps are still those of the 2026 race, and it has not said whether the course changes for 2027, so check its course page before you plan your pacing.

Km 0 to 2.6: over the Danube

The start is on Wagramer Strasse beside the Vienna International Centre, home of the UN offices. Within 100 m the field is on the Reichsbrücke, which carries it across the Danube to about km 1.0. Lassallestrasse leads to the Praterstern roundabout at about km 2.1, with the Riesenrad, the giant wheel of the Prater, just off the course at about km 2.8. The road loses about 12 m in the first 5 km, so the opening is quick if you let it be.

Km 2.6 to 9: the Prater and the canal

The course turns down the Hauptallee, the long straight avenue through the Prater, and leaves it at about km 4.8 for Stadionallee and Lusthausstrasse. The first refreshment points are at km 3.9 on Kaiserallee and km 4.8 on the Hauptallee. Schüttelstrasse and Untere Donaustrasse then run along the Danube Canal from about km 5.8 to km 8.9, where the course crosses it on the Aspernbrücke. This is the low ground of the first half, around 160 m to 167 m.

Km 9 to 11: the Ring, the first time

The first lap of the Ringstrasse lasts under 2 km: Stubenring, Parkring past the Stadtpark and its Kursalon at about km 10, Schubertring, Kärntner Ring and the Opernring, which the course leaves at about km 10.8 for the Linke Wienzeile.

Km 11 to 16: out along the Wienzeile to Schönbrunn

The Linke Wienzeile passes the Naschmarkt at about km 11.4 and runs west for nearly 5 km, with refreshment points at km 11.7, 12.5, 13.1, 15.0 and 15.5. It climbs all the way, but only about 14 m, from roughly 175 m to 189 m, which a runner barely notices. The turn comes at about km 15.8 by Schönbrunn, where the first relay handover is.

Km 16 to 20.3: Mariahilfer Strasse, the climb

Mariahilfer Strasse brings the course back towards the centre, across the Gürtel at about km 18.1, and this is the real climb of the race: about 21 m in 3 km, to the high point of 210 m at km 19.0. The refreshment points at km 17.8 and km 19.6 sit either side of the top. Straight after it the road falls about 1.9% between km 19.1 and km 20.3, the steepest stretch of a kilometre or more on the course, down to Museumsplatz and Museumstrasse. At km 20.3 the fields separate: marathon runners keep left and go straight on, half marathon runners turn right into Bellariastrasse. The organiser allows a marathon runner to switch to the half here “in exceptional cases”, with no refund of the fee difference.

Km 20.3 to 27: behind the Rathaus and along the canal

Auerspergstrasse and Landesgerichtsstrasse lead behind the Rathaus to Universitätsstrasse at about km 21.7, by the Votivkirche. From there the course drops to the Danube Canal, about 18 m in a kilometre, and follows Rossauer Lände to the second relay handover. It crosses the canal on the Friedensbrücke at about km 23.6 and comes back down the other bank on Brigittenauer Lände, Obere Donaustrasse and Untere Donaustrasse. Praterstrasse leads back to the Praterstern at about km 26.9. These kilometres are flat, between about 165 m and 170 m.

Km 27 to 35: the Hauptallee

The second visit to the Prater is the long one. The Hauptallee runs out to the Lusthaus, where the course turns at about km 32.7, and back as far as about km 34.8. It is the same avenue on which Eliud Kipchoge ran 1:59:40 for the marathon distance in October 2019, on laps between the Praterstern and the Lusthaus. The road keeps falling gently to the low point of the course, 156 m, at km 33.6, and refreshment points come thick here: km 27.2, 28.5, 29.4, 30.5, 31.4, 33.5 and 34.0. The third relay handover is at Meiereistrasse by the Ernst-Happel-Stadion. In 2026 the men’s winner, Fanny Kiprotich, broke away at a refreshment station on the Hauptallee and dropped the favourite around km 32.

Km 35 to the finish: back to the Ring

Stadionallee and Schüttelstrasse take the course back along the canal, the same street as at km 6. It crosses on the Franzensbrücke at about km 38.3 and reaches the Ring by Radetzkystrasse, Vordere Zollamtsstrasse and the Stubenbrücke. From here the course climbs 21 m over its last 8.6 km, and most of that, about 12 m, comes between km 39.4 and km 41.4, on the Ring itself. The second lap passes the Parkring, the State Opera at about km 40.9, the Burgring and the Parliament at about km 41.9 before the finish on the Ring between the Burgtheater and the Rathausplatz. In 2026 the women’s winner, Tigist Gezahagn, shook off her last rival on this stretch and said she knew she could win at 41 km.

Expo and race numbers

Race numbers are collected at the expo, Vienna Sports World, in the Marx Halle at Karl-Farkas-Gasse 19 in the third district, with 100 exhibitors and brands and free entry for companions. The 2027 pick-up hours are not published yet. In 2026 the expo ran on the Friday from 9am to 7pm and the Saturday from 9am to 6pm, with no numbers on race morning, and the 2027 bag drop is expected at the Marx Halle on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 April (the organiser has not yet published the 2027 days). You need the pick-up confirmation sent to you by email, and photo ID. Someone else can collect for you with your confirmation, a signed power of attorney and their own ID.

Start blocks

Your target time decides your block. For 2027 a marathon target of 3:35 or faster needs proof: a result from 2025, 2026 or 2027 uploaded by 12 March 2027, which is also the last day to change your target time. Without proof you go to a rear block. In 2026 the field started in six blocks, A to F, from 9:00 to 9:33, and the start closed at 9:40; your block letter and its colour are printed on your number, and blocks cannot be changed once you have it. Timing is net, from the moment you cross the line.

Getting to the start

The organiser names the U1 underground as the way to the start. In 2026 it advised Alte Donau station for blocks E and F and for anyone dropping a bag, and Kaisermühlen/Vienna International Centre for blocks A to D without a bag. On race morning in 2026 the U1 ran every two and a half minutes instead of every five, and the organiser warned that when crowds built up, trains could run through Donauinsel, Kaisermühlen and Alte Donau without stopping. Your race number is a ticket on Vienna’s public transport around your start, from 2 hours before to 6 hours after it in 2026.

Bag drop

The bag drop must be booked, for EUR 3, by 12 March 2027, and there is no drop-off without a booking. Bags go in at the Marx Halle on the Friday or Saturday before the race (expected to be 16 and 17 April; 9am to 7pm and 9am to 6pm in 2026), or at the start on Wagramer Strasse from 7am to 8.30am on race morning, in the VCM 2027 clothing bag with its sticker. You collect it in the finish area from 9am to 4.30pm by showing your number; in 2026 the marathon bags were at Lichtenfelsgasse, next to the Rathaus. The wait between the 8.30am bag deadline and your wave can be long, so bring old clothes: those left at the start are collected by the city’s waste department and reused where possible.

On the course

There are eight refreshment stations with water and Powerade, one every 5 km, with bananas from 15 km, and 15 more water points. Official pacemakers run for 3:00, 3:15, 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30 and 4:45, and sweep runners accompany the end of the field to the finish. The organiser counts more than 60 cheering zones along the course and 2,500 volunteers.