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Vienna City Marathon (VCM) 2026

19 Apr

As mentioned on International Haiku Poetry Day, this will be shorter than usual. I’m glad I got to see the Marathon, though, and can write a little bit about what I saw.

Maybe this time I’ll start with the end. For the first time (I think), I’m uploading screenshots of the list of top 10 runners, women and men.

The men’s race was not at all close. The three top runners came in quite far apart, as you can see from the times listed. There was some hope that the record might be broken in the men’s race, but by Oqbe Kibrom, who was the favorite but came in second. In the women’s race, Tigist Gezahagn did break Vibian Chebkirui’s 2022 record. She ran the marathon in 2:20:06 compared to Chebkirui’s 2:20:59. In fact, Haftamnesh Tesfaye, who was a close second in the women’s race, also came in under Chebkirui’s record.

The women’s race was especially interesting because of those two top runners, who ran as a group with their pace setter. Apparently, they train together and it all looked very collaborative — at one point Tesfaye, who ran almost exclusively right behind Gezahagn, slipped and very briefly went down and Gezahagn took time to look over her shoulder and check — until the two of them entered the Ring, down at Wollzeile, and then Tesfaye made a move. It was quite suspenseful for a bit and then Gezahagn found it in her to simply pull away, to cross the finish line 12 seconds ahead.

First Austrians were, as you can see, Andreas Vojta and Eva Wutti, the same runners to come in first for Austria in 2025. Both were somewhat disappointed with their performances. Andreas Vojta was hoping for a personal best but did more or less as well as he did last year, both in terms of time and position. Eva Wutti was struggling at times and at one point in the Prater simply stopped, clearly in distress. She later mentioned that she was having muscle problems and that the heat affected her. (In fact, a lot of people talked about the heat. By the end, the ORF was saying that it was 23°C [about 73°F] — my thermometer showed about 18° [64°F] but OK. In any case, it was well over the 8° to 9°C that they last year, when it was barely above freezing, said are ideal.)

A couple of things I want to remember:

  • Once again there was a running reporter, Peter Herzog. Sometimes it was really hard to understand what he was saying because he, understandably, was breathing so hard. At one point, the reporters in the studio told him to stop talking and breathe! But in Viennese. Something like: “Schnauf dich jetzt a bisserl durch. Sprechen abstellen und atmen.”
  • To encourage Eva Wutti, a fan held up a quickly made sign that said “Zieh durch, Oida!” (“Keep going” or “Hang in there”) using the Viennese expression “Oida” that can mean almost anything (see link to YouTube video below). In this case, it was clearly affectionate and meant, I felt, to bring a smile.
  • In fact, the Viennese dialect and accent made a particular impression on me this time. One organizer of the race sounded German to me and that really stood out. Otherwise it was the Viennese, or perhaps simply Austrians, “unter sich” — among themselves.
  • Michael Buchleitner, a former top Austrian marathoner, now 56 years old, on hearing one of the no longer young Austrian runners say he was hoping to improve next year that there comes an age where there is no more room for improvement. True in other aspects of life as well — although not all aspects!
  • I find myself surprised at how young the runners are. The top runners seem to be mainly in their 20s. Obviously, I’ll have to jettision my idea that the marathon favors older runners because of the need for experience. I grew up with that perception. I now have no idea where it came from. (I thought it was from Frank Shorter, but he was 25 when he won his (first?) gold medal.) Ah, well.
  • How much attention was given this time to the “Verpflegung” or, basically, refreshments for the runners, and how important a role they play both in terms of what and when
  • The repeated emphasis from both commentators and runners that, while the outcome of any sporting event is unpredictable, those of marathons are especially so.
  • And, finally, that at the beginning the commentators were talking about a Harvard Medical School student who was running and had to be back in time for classes because attendance is mandatory. This is possible, they explained, because tomorrow is a holiday in Massachusetts because the Boston Marathon is being held — never realizing that the Boston Marathon is being held tomorrow because it is a holiday (Patriots Day). 😉

Some links:

Officially Ewa’s priceless video on the many uses of “Oida”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuXR53ex4iI

The official VCM website: https://www.vienna-marathon.com/

And it turns out the VCM has its own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_City_Marathon

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That Glass of Water at a Coffeehouse

1 Mar

That glass of water in Viennese coffeehouses has been under fire for a number of years. True, you still get one small glass of the fabulous Viennese tap water with your coffee, but you can no longer count on it being considered “perfectly normal to ask for another glass, or even several extra glasses” as my Baedeker’s Vienna assured its readers in 1988.

In fact, a year or two ago, I was breakfasting at Landtmann. Knowing that they had started charging for tap water, I pointed, to be explicit, to the small glass that had come with my coffee and said, “Noch ein Glas Wasser, bitte.” They brought a mini carafe and charged EUR 1.50 for it. A reason not to go back, if you ask me.

In the Kurier, picked up at the supermarket yesterday as the Trafik is still closed, there was a story about precisely this — but Café Landtmann came off better this time. A family had been celebrating the birthday of a great aunt at Landtmann. Once all the others were gone, one family member asked if he might stay for a bit and read the newspapers. The waiter’s answer? “We close at 11 p.m.” (Quite an open invitation these days when, even in Vienna, you are sometimes informed that you have the table for two hours only.)

The author of that piece, Wolfgang Kralicek, is himself the owner of a café and added a story from his own experience. The record for number of glasses of water to one coffee is seven(!). He then writes that the guest in question left such a large tip that he could easily have ordered a second Melange. Just goes to show it’s not always about the money.

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Zentangle(R) in Vienna

21 Feb

I spent the morning at a Zentangle(R) course at that wonderful institution, the Volkshochschule — or VHS, as it is known informally. The VHS is the extensive, varied, and affordable network of continuing ed institutions in this case run by the city of Vienna.

The course exceeded in every way my expectations and was a really good investment of my time and money.

What I also wanted to report on was an intercultural aspect — the perception of punctuality. I arrived two or three minutes before the official starting time, was the last person to arrive, and felt a little as if I had kept people waiting. And this on a Saturday morning! For a leisure time activity! Note to self: two to three minutes before the official starting time is already late.

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Sad news

2 Feb

My Trafikant (proprietor of the Tabak Trafik I always go to) has died. He was in his 80s and had been in bad health for a long time, but it is sad news for me. He was a complicated person — I thought he might be on the autism spectrum and from a time when no one understood that — but he was a fixed point in the neighborhood, and he loved Maylo. (In fact, he loved all dogs.)

The women who worked for him, who, quite possibly are now out of a job as concessions for this kind of shop are so limited, have written in the announcement of his death that he was more than a boss and employer. He was a person (a Mensch) with a heart, principles, and open ears. They should know. They worked with / for him for many years and took care of him when he had no family left.

I fear, given government efforts to reduce the number of Trafiks, that this is the death knell also for my Saturday ritual of picking up the Kurier and an instant lottery ticket, at least at this one place.

To see what kind of place this Trafik and its Trafikant had in my heart you can check out these previous posts shown below. I think my favorite is “Our Trafik”. That captures him well.

Stories from the Trafik
Today in the Trafik
Much ado in the Trafik
Our Trafik
The Trafik
Special coronavirus opening hours

Looking old?

28 Sep

Maylo and I seem to be looking a bit old today. Two people commented on Maylo clearly not being a young dog anymore and someone about 50 just gave up her seat on the tram for me. Nice and a bit discouraging at the same time.

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Mobility in the time of the corona virus

15 Mar

Yesterday I picked up A4 paper at Libro, as announced in yesterday’s post, and, I must confess, I picked up something else–a bicycle helmet.

I’ve been meaning for a couple of years to replace mine, which is over 25 years old, but the truth is that for various reasons I haven’t been riding my bike. Now, though, even with the relatively empty trams, I’ve been thinking I might want an alternative form of transportation.

I had already gone to the sports store near me a month or so ago to look and get some information, and yesterday I decided the time had come to act.

At the cash register the woman in front of me in line was buying a city scooter. The process was taking some time–the salesperson was making some adjustments for her–so I started a conversation. (This is something I ordinarily wouldn’t do in Vienna as it is frowned upon but seems more acceptable under these exceptional circumstances.)

I pointed to the helmet I was buying and said,”Are you thinking in terms of alternatives to public transporation, too?” She opened up, telling me that she wants to make sure she can check in on her elderly parents without taking the tram and would prefer to get to work that way, too. (She is in a job where her presence is required.) Then she pointed to the bike helmet and said, “I don’t like riding on the street so I’m getting something I can use on the sidewalk.”

By then her scooter was ready to go. She rolled away, and I finally purchased my helmet.

Somehow I have the feeling that, before this virus is under control, I’ll be getting done a number of things that have been on the back burner for quite some time.

On today’s to-list: Get bike out of cellar, pump up tires, and take bike for a spin.

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A city in corona mode (and I don’t mean beer)

14 Mar

Greetings from Vienna in an “Ausnahmesituation”. (I’ve just realized I am not sure of the English for that. “Ausnahme” is not as strong as “emergency” but it does tell us that it is certainly not business as usual. LEO tells me it means “exceptional circumstances”.)

So how has the coronavirus so far changed how we live and do business?

One of the biggest changes I see at the moment (other than the fairly empty trams ;-)) is that, as the ORF website put it this morning, “Nichts mehr ist selbstverstaendlich” or “We can’t take anything for granted anymore.” The ORF has been sending out updates every hour or so instead of every few days. From hour to hour the situation changes.

Yesterday St. Anton and Panzauntal were put under quarantine. This morning a ski resort in Carinthia, Heiligenblut, was added to the list.

The universities switched to online learning last Wednesday. As of Monday, schools will be closed.

A few days ago, indoor public gatherings of more than 100 people (and outdoor gatherings of more than 500) were banned. (Vienna without concerts–otherwise unimaginable!) Yesterday we heard that as of next week restaurants and so on will only be open until 3 p.m. and night spots will be closed until further notice. Most stores will be closed as of Monday, although (luckily) for the time-being supermarkets, pharmacies, and banks, among other exceptions, will stay open as usual. (More about the supermarkets in another post.)

Many employees have already started working from home. As of next week it will be more. (I’m wondering how well that will work with the schools closing and am glad that I “only” have a dog.)

Of course, all of these measures are being imposed by the government. I will say openly that I am not a fan of the current chancellor in general, but I feel the Austrian government under his guidance (as well as the City of Vienna government) is responding well–clearly, calmly, unequivocally, and willing to make what could be unpopular decisions.

There have been calls for solidarity, a very special word in European politics, not just because of the Solidarity movement in Poland, and apparently people are responding. In a city where, in many cases, people are only on nodding terms with their neighbors, we are being encouraged to look out for older people and others who are especially at risk, and offer to run errands for them. Exceptional circumstances, indeed!

This will not be my only post on the subject, I’m sure. In fact, I’m creating a special coronavirus tag. But I need to go now. I got my groceries at 8:00 this morning but have realized that I need more paper for the printer if I’m going to be working from home, and Libro (office supply store) is presumably one of the ones that will be closed after today.

May my readers be of good health and cheer through these exceptional circumstances!

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A glossary

4 Mar

For a long time I’ve been meaning to write up a glossary for the Viennese concepts I find hard to translate. This seems like a good time to get started. (I’ll add to this as I go along.)

Magistratsabteilung or MA – a city office responsible for a specific task, e.g., the MA 48 is the city sanitation office.

Melange – a kind of coffee typically made from espresso, hot milk, and milk foam. Anyone who has ordered a melange knows, however, that this is not carved in stone. (In fact, it’s somewhat disputed.)

Schmäh – a special kind of Viennese humor that should come with a winky emoji.

Trafik – a small store with a special license to sell cigarettes, tickets for the public transportation, and lottery tickets, for example. The practice started after the First World War, if I remember correctly, to create jobs for wounded veterans.

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A new corner of Vienna, and a new idea

2 Nov

It is (still) autumn and for me, after so many years of living according to the academic calendar, it is (still) the time to start new endeavors.

In my last post, I said I’d like to start exploring the neighborhoods around underground (subway / metro) stations I don’t know. Rather without meaning to, I seem to have started a second project along the same lines. I have done two sections of the Rundumadum hiking trail, the trail that takes you through Vienna’s “Grüngürtel” or “green belt”, and am thinking I’d like to walk the whole thing.

Stay tuned and keep an eye out for the dedicated tag “Rundumadum”.

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Three Kings 2018

6 Jan

Just went out with my dog and discovered a large group of Japanese tourists walking around looking somewhat at a loss. It’s Three Kings today and a holiday in Austria  and therefore the shops are closed. Poor things. Their tour guide doesn’t seem to have taken that into account.

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