Edwin Kemboi is the first Kenyan national champion in Austria

They were dramatic images at the end of an exciting marathon. Plagued by muscular problems, Kemboi crossed the finish line with his last strength and won the Salzburg Marathon for the first time in a time of 2:22:00 hours. This makes Edwin Kemboi the Austrian state champion at the same time. Since he has had his main residence in Klagenfurt for over a year and has been married to Anja Prieler from Carinthia since the summer of last year, he was eligible to start at the state championships for the first time. "I'm very happy to be national champion!" was Kemboi's first statement at the end of a hard day's work. With this novelty, Edwin Kemboi has secured an entry in Austrian running history.

Course record was out of reach
The Kenyan leaders of the race with Kemboi, Julius Koech and Sammy Kiptoo set the pace from the start in such a way that Eliud Kiplagat's course record from last year was within the realm of possibility. Only in the final phase and especially in the last three kilometers did the leading duo Kemboi-Koech have to slow down considerably due to total exhaustion - the last passages of the 42.195 kilometers were the hardest for the two. “I had muscular problems in my legs. But I really wanted to finish,” the winner pursued his big goal of winning the state championship title to the end. Competitor Julius Koech finished second, just two seconds behind, the third Kenyan in the field, Sammy Kiptoo, finished third in a time of 2:23:07 hours.

Rotich creates a Salzburg hat-trick
For the third time in three years she is the winner of the Salzburg Marathon for women, Nancy Joan Rotich. The 26-year-old is the first triple winner in the history of the event. “This win was by far the hardest of all the successes here. But it's wonderful to have won here three times," Rotich said happily at the finish. The Kenyan pulled away from her competitors from the start and crossed the blue carpet at Residenzplatz in a time of 2:48:30 hours.

State championships: Aumayr secures second place
Local hero Karl Aumayr (CLUB LaufImPuls) crowned a great performance with silver at the state championships. The man from Salzburg finished fifth in a time of 2:24:38 hours. "The motto was all or nothing!" said the 2012 state champion after the race, who missed his personal best by a good minute. “After very good training performances, I dared myself to set a best time, up to 27 kilometers I was on course 2:22 hours. But then I deliberately took it out to secure second place at the state championships.” This was successful, albeit narrowly: Robert Gruber (Kolland Topsport Gaal) crossed the finish line just 13 seconds behind Aumayr and took the bronze medal.

Friday for the third time state champion in the women
For the third time in three years, the women's state champion is Karin Freitag (LG Decker-Itter). The experienced Tyrolean won in Salzburg in 2012 and, after her triumph in Graz last autumn, completed the state championship hat-trick in the city of Mozart. "I'm particularly pleased that I managed to win my third title in a row," said the 34-year-old after a good performance. In a time of 2:49:45 hours, she was only 1:15 minutes behind the highly favored Rotich, which put Freitag in a clear second place. The new state champion ran a good two minutes faster than three weeks ago in Vienna. "It was important to me to start quickly because I didn't want to have a direct competitor for the state championship title," the Tyrolean explained her tactics. Behind Freitag, Katharina Zipser (SK Rückenwind) took second place in a time of 2:53:06 hours, just ahead of Andrea Weber (SV Reutte LA Raiffeisen) in 2:53:18 hours, with all three podium places going to Tyrol.

Salzburg triple victory in the half marathon
The men's half marathon was a home affair. Wolfgang Stabauer (Team Vitalwolf) broke away from the rest of the field early on, but towards the end of the race his pursuer Klemens Bernegger (ASV Salzburg LA) came threateningly on his heels. In the end, Stabauer saved a ten-second lead over Bernegger with a final time of 1:13:27 hours and was very happy: "It's a great atmosphere on a great track! I ran under 1:14 for the first time." Alex Knoblechner (Lauftreff Nussdorf) was third in 1:14:04 hours.

In the women's race, Maria Hochegger (Running Team Lannach) finished in 1:20:59, clearly ahead of Laura-Nicoleta Ghelmez (UAB Vienna) in 1:23:28 and Eva Trost (LG Festina Rupertiwinkel) in 1:24:17 hours through. The Bavarian Eva Trost was the premiere winner of the Salzburg Marathon in 2004 and recently decided at the age of 45 to make a comeback. The victorious Styrian was enthusiastic about the event and about her performance, which meant a new personal best - and that only eleven months after the birth of her child.

There was a Swiss victory to admire in the Salzburger Nachrichten 10k City Run: Manuel Wyss (team-wyss.com) won in a time of 33:16 minutes ahead of Martin Kjäll-Ohlsen (Dodo Runners) in 33:30 minutes. The Swede, who lives in Norway, has often been on the podium at the national championships in Norway in the half marathon and marathon. Salzburg's Michael Holzner (ASV Salzburg LA) was the best Austrian in a time of 34:03 minutes, taking third place.
Last year's result turned around for the women: Maria Theresa Handlbauer (SV Gallneukirchen), who finished second last year, won this time in a time of 37:38 minutes. Londoner Lauren Greil (ASV Salzburg LA), who has lived in Salzburg for 18 years, last year's winner and former winner of the half marathon, achieved second place this year in a time of 38:50 minutes. Third place went to Victoria Heugenhauser (LC Saalfelden) in 41:23 minutes.

At the Römerquelle pleasure run, Philip Pertl (Skin Fit Racing Tri Team) won in a time of 18:55 minutes and Eleanor Evans from Bergheim in a time of 22:36 minutes.

Fantastic mood
All runners were enthusiastic about the excellent atmosphere in Salzburg. Tens of thousands of spectators lined the course of the 21.1 km long course and loudly cheered on the participants. Already at 9:00 a.m. at the start at Residenzplatz, numerous spectators gathered to witness the beginning of the spectacle. Salzburg presented itself with ideal running conditions. With a light cloud cover, no wind, drying roads and temperatures between 7 and 8°C, the participants started in the respective competitions. In the course of the morning the mercury continued to climb on the thermometer, and in the last quarter the marathon leaders even enjoyed the first rays of sunshine.

A total of 6,709 participants started at the 11th running festival in the city of Mozart, which presented itself as international as never before: participants from 62 nations enjoyed the weekend in Salzburg. One year after the anniversary edition, which was particularly attractive for many runners, the Salzburg Marathon almost matched the participant record of 2013. 1,146 children and young people took part in the Coca-Cola Junior Marathon on Saturday evening. In the marathon, the half marathon and the Salzburger Nachrichten 10k City-Run, the Salzburg marathon recorded impressive new record numbers of participants; for the first time, well over 1,000 runners started over the traditional distance of 42.195 kilometers.

Results Salzburg Marathon:

marathon
Ladies:
1. Nancy Joan Rotich (KEN) 2:48:30 hours
2. Karin Freitag (AUT) (LG Decker Itter) 2:49:45 hours
3. Katharina Zipser (AUT) (SK tailwind) 2:53:06 hours

Men's:
1. Edwin Kipchirchir Kemboi (KEN) 2:22:00 hours
2. Julius Cheruiyot Koech (KEN) 2:22:02 hours
3. Sammy Kiprop Kiptoo (KEN) 2:23:51 hours

Austrian State Championships
Ladies:
1. Karin Freitag (AUT) (LG Decker Itter) 2:48:30 hours
2. Katharina Zipser (AUT) (SK tailwind) 2:53:06 hours
3. Andrea Weber (AUT) (SV Reutte LA Raiffeisen) 2:53:18 hours

Men's:
1. Edwin Kipchirchir Kemboi (KEN) 2:22:00 hours
2. Karl Aumayr (AUT) (CLUB LaufImPuls Salzburg) 2:24:38 hours
3. Robert Gruber (AUT) (Kolland Topsport Gaal) 2:24:51 hours

half marathon
Ladies:
1. Maria Hochegger (AUT) (Running Team Lannach) 1:20:59 hours
2. Laura-Nicoleta Ghelmez (AUT) (UAB Vienna) 1:23:20 hours
3. Eva Trost (GER) (LG Festina Rupertiwinkel) 1:24:17 hours

Men's:
1. Wolfgang Stabauer (AUT) (Team Vitalwolf) 1:13:27 hours
2. Klemens Bernegger (AUT) (ASV Salzburg LA) 1:13:37 hours
3. Alex Knoblechner (AUT) (Run Club Nussdorf) 1:14:04 hours

Salzburg News 10k City Run
Ladies:
1. Maria Theresa Handlbauer (AUT) (SV Gallneukirchen) 37:38 minutes
2. Lauren Greil (GBR) (ASV Salzburg LA) 38:50 minutes
3. Victoria Heugenhauser (AUT) (LC Saalfelden) 41:23 minutes

Men's:
1. Manuel Wyss (SUI) (team-wyss.com) 33:16 minutes
2. Martin Kjäll-Ohlsen (SWE) (Dodo Runners) 33:30 minutes
3. Michael Holzner (AUT) (ASV Salzburg LA) 34:03 minutes

5 km Römerquelle pleasure run
Ladies:
1. Eleanor Evans (AUT) (Bergheim) 22:36 minutes
2. Catherine Centanni (AUT) (Seekirchen) 24:19 minutes
3. Melanie Baldauf (ITA) (St. Valentin) 24:51 minutes

Men's:
1. Philipp Pertl (AUT) (Skin Fit Racing Tri Team) 18:55 minutes
2. Albert Hinterstoisser (GER) (SC Anger) 19:03 minutes
3. Rudi Urban (AUT) (ASV Salzburg LA) 19:40 minutes

all results