Vienna City Marathon 2027: 12 weeks to April 18, every workout on your Garmin

Your training, timed for April 18

The plan lasts 12 weeks, starting on Mon, January 25. With more time, it can start on December 28 with 4 lead-in weeks.

1. Weeks 1–3

   Base

   Jan 25 → Feb 14

   Settle volume, wake threshold up

2. Weeks 4–7

   Development

   Feb 15 → Mar 14

   Marathon pace comes in, long runs get longer

3. Weeks 8–10

   Specific

   Mar 15 → Apr 4

   Long blocks at marathon pace, 2-hour-plus runs

4. Weeks 11–12

   Taper

   Apr 5 → Apr 18

   Two weeks to arrive fresh

A city course from the Reichsbrücke to the Ring, 44 m (144 ft) of relief

The Vienna City Marathon starts on Wagramer Straße at the Reichsbrücke bridge and finishes on the Ringstraße, by the Burgtheater. The organizer says there are only 44 meters (144 ft) between the lowest and highest points of the course, a varied city route where, in its words, you can run fast times.

After a first stretch in the Prater, the race reaches the Ring around mile 6, follows the Linke Wienzeile out to Schönbrunn (mile 9.5), comes back along Mariahilfer Straße and the Danube Canal, then takes the long Prater Hauptallee section, roughly from mile 17 to mile 21. The Ring comes back at mile 25, just before the finish.

Three workouts for this course

On a course with almost no hills, it all comes down to even pacing, especially on the long Prater straight when fatigue sets in. Ask your AI assistant to create these workouts: it sends them to your watch, with paces worked out from your MAS (maximal aerobic speed).

• — A 2 h 15 long run, with the last 45 minutes at marathon pace (76 to 80% of MAS): the dress rehearsal for the Hauptallee, miles 17 to 21.
• — 3 × 3 miles at marathon pace, half a mile of easy jogging in between: hold the same pace mile after mile, with no hill to break the rhythm.
• — Threshold: 3 × 10 min at 85 to 88% of MAS, 2 min recovery, so that marathon pace starts to feel easier.

A build from late January to mid-April

With the race on April 18, training runs through the heart of winter, with long runs in February and March, often in the cold, early in the morning or after dark. With more lead time, the plan stretches to 16 weeks and starts on Monday, December 28, 2026, between the holidays.

Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027, at the end of week 9, the week with the plan's longest run. If that weekend is already booked, tell your assistant ahead of time: it moves the workout or notes the constraint. After a missed week, the weekly review compares what was planned with what your watch recorded; the plan's rule decides whether to repeat the week or move on, and the next week goes to your watch.

Entry and race day

Entries for the 44th edition closed on September 20, 2026; the organizer runs a waiting list, and spots may open up until March 7, 2027. You must be 18 to run the marathon. For race day, the plan puts the "Marathon race" workout on your watch: the first 1.9 miles a little slower than goal pace, then steady marathon pace to the end.

Frequently asked questions