Happy Birthday, VCM!

The City celebrates its 25th Anniversary on 27th April 2008.

The Vienna City Marathon celebrates its 25th anniversary on 27th April 2008. Over 26,000 participants will be running along Vienna’s avenues in one of the competitive races between UNO‐City and Heldenplatz. The marathon jubilee marks the incredible development the event has undergone since its first occurrence in 1984. At that time exactly 794 marathon finishers were counted in. Today the Vienna City Marathon is a brand name, enjoying considerable popularity, international recognition and top performances.

Shining Jubilee

Under the motto “Run Vienna – Enjoy Classic”, ’s largest running event and classical culture weld together to form a singular experience. This is all the more apparent now, at its 25th anniversary. On Saturday 26th April 2008, the day before the race, the Vienna Boys’ Choir will give a concert in the “Wiener Kursalon”, exclusively for the participants of the Vienna City Marathon. The medals will be embossed with precious Swarowski crystals – a gift from the VCM organisers to the runners, whose enthusiasm has contributed no end to the value of the event.

Run Vienna – Enjoy Classic

The marathon leads you through the most impressive, most modern and most historical sights of Vienna. Along parts of the course the runners will be swept forwards by the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss. Another surprise awaiting participants shall be termed the “museum visit in shorts”: you start out before the skyline of the UNO building, cross the Donau over the “Reichsbrücke”, run past the Ferris Wheel through the Prater park. You pay a brief visit to the former imperial residence, Schönbrunn Palace, and sample many of the magnificent classical buildings along the ring‐road. You will be guided through the Prater by classical music, as if through a huge, green concert auditorium. And finally you run through the city gate and into Heldenplatz (“Heroes‘ Square”) in the heart of the city, to the finish line. In a nutshell: for 42km, “Run Vienna ‐ Enjoy Classic”.

Information / Registration: www.vienna‐marathon.com

25th Vienna City Marathon

Your date: 27th April 2008 – A quick overview

COMPETITIONS

Vienna City Marathon (42,195 km)

ANKER (21,097 km) tele.ring Relay‐Marathon (Teams of 4 runners: 16,1 km / 5,7 km / 9,1 km / 11,295 km)

Coca‐Cola Junior Marathon (4,2 km – for children between 10 and 18 years)

Coca‐Cola Kids Challenge (1 km – for children between 6 and 10 years)

Kronenzeitung Bambinilauf (1 km – for children between 3 an d 6 years)

The finish line for all competitions is in Heldenplatz.

MARATHON records for this course: Lahoucine Mrikik / MAR 2:08:20 (2006) / ITA 2:23:47 (2000)

SPECIALS (A Selection) • Exclusive concert for VCM participants by the Vienna Boys‘ Choir, presented by OFID • Special jubilee medals with Swarowski crystals • Tchibo get2gether – Pancake Party in the ballroom of the Vienna Town Hall • “Marathon Sound of Vienna” – Music and Entertainment Programme along the course • Interim times every 5 km • Live texting of interim‐ and final‐times, a total of 120,000 text messages! • Trade show „Wien Aktiv“ on the 25th and 26th April 2008 • VCM Medical Centre at the “Wien Aktiv” trade fair • Online training programme, on www.vienna‐marathon.com • The face of the start number: VCM Insider Profile, on www.vienna‐marathon.com

FACTS Runners come to Vienna from over 80 nations. 300,000 spectators cheer the runners on from the side of the course. On the television around 300,000 viewers watch the race live. The event generates, year upon year, an internal expenditure of 18 million Euros. In the preparation for the Vienna City Marathon the participants complete 1.8 million hours of training, making the event one of the greatest aerobic and health initiatives in the country. At the 2007 VCM the participants ran a total of 535,000 kilometres.

PRESS CONTACT: Mr. Andreas Maier, E‐Mail: andreas.maier@vienna‐marathon.com