With the running festival in the city of Mozart, Salzburg's most important and international active sports event is just around the corner. The varied, diverse and intensive program promises an emotional running experience for everyone. It will culminate on May 12th with the 21st edition of the Salzburg Marathon and the participation of Salzburg's best runner, Peter Herzog.
With the new start of the main competitions on the Staatsbrücke, the most important connection between the left and right sides of Salzburg's old town, the marathon start of Olympic participant and local hero Peter Herzog, as well as good registration numbers for all competitions, Johannes Langer, organizer of the running festival in the city of Mozart, finds several good reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming active days: "From the very beginning, the mythical marathon has accompanied us with a little of the 'magic' of running. This indescribable atmosphere, which arises all by itself when running enthusiasts meet on these days and exceed themselves amidst the spectacular backdrop of our world cultural heritage, already makes me feel the typical tingling sensation. I invite all Salzburg residents to experience this event up close!"
Versatile running festivals
The running festival in the city of Mozart remains true to its claim of being an international running event with a clear profile and a high quality of experience on the one hand, and an active sports event for all Salzburg residents with the widest possible range of exercise options on the other. "Without exception, everyone who wants to be active at the running festival will find exactly the right challenge for themselves. We ensure that special impressions lead to great running enjoyment and generate intense, unforgettable emotions," promises Langer.
Running festivals becoming increasingly popular
With the end of pre-registration, there is a clear increase in the number of registrations compared to last year. Online registration is currently open again up to and including the registration opportunity next weekend at the SportMall in the ice arena. The biggest increases are seen in the Salzburg Sparkasse Half Marathon and the Salzburg Women's Run, which has found its fixed date in the running festival program on Friday evening. The supreme discipline, the marathon, traditionally a strong and very international competition in Salzburg, is also enjoying its usual dimensions. "In our fast-moving times, it is not a given that thousands of people are constantly being inspired, that social trends and crises are being confronted. This makes the situation for the running festival in the city of Mozart all the more pleasing for us. Thanks to our long and intensive preparation, together with the city, our partners and, above all, our committed team, we are always able to win new fans and bring them to Salzburg. The Salzburg Marathon and the many other competitions that make the diversity of running come alive have mutated into an indispensable part of the running year in two decades," emphasizes Langer.
The importance of the Mozart City Running Festival is also increasing. The week of events will generate an estimated economic value of almost six million euros for the city and state of Salzburg. In addition, over 35,000 overnight stays are directly attributable to the Mozart City Running Festival. These figures are estimates based on scientific surveys.
Local heroes as loyal participants
With ÖLV record holder Peter Herzog (Union Salzburg LA) as the local Salzburg hero, the 21st Salzburg Marathon has a prominent draw. The Leogang native completed his first marathon competition at top level in one and a half years at the Vienna City Marathon on April 21st and felt such marathon euphoria that the desire to start a marathon in Salzburg grew in his head. Since the recovery from the "submaximal load", as trainer Johannes Langer called it, because Herzog did not take full risks in the competition due to a previous illness, was also good and quick, the 36-year-old feels fresh enough for a marathon at a sporty pace.
Of course, Herzog will be taking part in his home race sensibly, given that the VCM took place just three weeks ago on Sunday and the upcoming European Championships in Rome, where Herzog has a good chance of qualifying for the half marathon on June 9. But just the possibility of taking part in the Salzburg Marathon for the first time makes him particularly excited: "It was a decision based on desire, not necessarily on logic. I have rediscovered my marathon euphoria and am happy that I can enjoy this special marathon feeling for a second time in the next few weeks. And besides: As a top Salzburg runner, you have to have run the Salzburg Marathon at least once!"
For the Pinzgau native, it is the sixth start at the running festival in the city of Mozart, and the first in the marathon. An even more loyal participant is Cornelia Stöckl-Moser (SC Leogang), who has already celebrated a total of six victories in the Salzburg Women's Run. The 30-year-old is expecting her second child and will therefore take part in both the Salzburg Women's Run on Friday evening and the Hervis-10K CityRun on Sunday morning at an adjusted pace.
Herzog calls for Kenyans
At the front of the race, Peter Herzog will probably be accompanied by a runner from the Austrian-Kenyan running team Run2gether. Peter Wahome Murithi will try to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Simon Kamau Njeri, who won the 2023 Salzburg Marathon. The last Austrian marathon victory in Salzburg was achieved by Mario Bauernfeind two years ago, when the national championships were held in the city of Mozart. The last home victory at the Salzburg Marathon was in 2015 with Karl Aumayr.
The 39-year-old Kenyan has an official marathon best time of 2:18:05 hours. Murithi has, of course, run much faster before. At last year's course record race at the Graz Marathon, he crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 2:09:40 hours. However, since the event was not entered in World Athletics' Global Calendar, this achievement does not appear in the athlete's official profile at the World Athletics Association. Murithi most recently competed in the Vienna City Marathon 2024, but had to end the race early due to health problems and is now hoping for a second chance to finish with a result this spring.
Eva Wutti (Club RunAustria) is another top Austrian runner taking part in the running festival in the city of Mozart. The Carinthian, former ÖLV record holder in the marathon, will be taking part in the Salzburg women's run on Friday and will be running in a Powerade relay on Sunday. The best international runners on the weekend of the running festival are the Swiss Nicole Egger and the Swede Sanna Mustonen, who want to use the AIMS-certified routes in Salzburg as a stage to improve their starting position for qualifying for the European Championship half marathon in Rome. The two will try to do this with different approaches: Egger will be taking part in the Salzburg Sparkasse half marathon, Mustonen in the Hervis-10K Salzburg CityRun. In both disciplines you can collect points for the European ranking, which will be used to fill up the starting places in the European Championship half marathon in addition to those who have qualified via the direct limits.
Statements from the press conference
Bernhard Auinger, designated mayor of the city of Salzburg
"Sport is close to my heart. That's why I'm very proud that the city has been on board as a supporter since the first edition of the Salzburg Marathon. Together with Johannes Langer and his team, we have been working together for years in a solution-oriented manner. The running festival in the city of Mozart is proof that sport and culture belong together and can mutually benefit from many synergies.
Salzburg will present itself at its best this weekend, especially with the new optimal start on the Staatsbrücke. I hope that all participants achieve their personal goals - because that is exactly what makes this running event so special."
Mag. Christoph Paulweber, Chairman of the Board of Salzburger Sparkasse
"The whole week surrounding the Salzburg Marathon not only moves the entire city of Salzburg, but also us at Salzburger Sparkasse. As a proud and long-standing partner, we are delighted every year that almost 30 colleagues will be lacing up their running shoes again this year.
Supporting the Salzburg Marathon and running in Salzburg is a tradition for us; we have been a reliable partner of many running events since the 1970s. We wish all participants a great running week with lots of incredible moments."
Peter Herzog, top runner from Salzburg and ambassador of the Salzburg Marathon
"I'm really enjoying running again! After I crossed the finish line of the Vienna City Marathon, the thought quickly came to me: I'd like to run another marathon in Salzburg. I don't know if that's sensible. But I really want to do it and the Salzburg Marathon is an event that simply attracts me. It's always been like that, even before I started my professional career."
Cornelia Stöckl-Moser, top runner from Salzburg and ambassador of the Salzburg Women's Run
"I associate very intense emotions with the Salzburg Women's Run. This is where I achieved my first major success. Memories that will last forever were created. It is also my home race, many people in Salzburg know me. I notice this in the cheers when my name is called at the side of the track. This atmosphere all around combined with a fast running course - that is what makes the Salzburg Women's Run a unique experience.
I am six months pregnant. I am doing well, I am training hard and will do my best given the circumstances. This appearance at the running festival in the city of Mozart is also very important to me because I want to convey that exercise and sport go very well together during pregnancy and are important."
Johannes Langer, organizer of the Mozart City Running Festival
"Over the last 21 years, we have gradually put Salzburg on the international running map and anchored it there. Today we are an international event that attracts participants of 85 different nationalities from all over the world. Our goal is for them to arrive in Salzburg with anticipation and a good feeling and to return home with excellent personal experiences."