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Priority for the handbikers: they are the first to pedal at the Linz marathon

Priority for the handbikers: they are the first to pedal at the Linz marathon
Paralympic winner Walter Ablinger (left) and last year’s winner Florian Brungraber (right) are among the regular guests in the state capital.
Image: photo studio Eder

LINZ. At 8 a.m. they are the very first to start the marathon Sunday in Linz, and with good reason. Many disabled athletes set the pace with their handbikes and reach speeds of over 40 km/h on their fast companions. And it is also the only city marathon in Austria that offers the brisk crankers this unusual stage.

“It’s a top-organized event, the start on a motorway bridge is really unique, and it’s inclusion in practice,” says Walter Ablinger, a Paralympic winner on the handbike and a multiple participant in Linz. Also this year the parade athlete from the RSC heindl Oberösterreich, like many other athlete colleagues, will set the pace again on the 21.1 kilometers with the power of his hands.

Just like the no less motivated Florian Brungraber, who was recently voted Europe’s Para-Triathlete of the Year because of his many successes. “In 2014, the Linz marathon was my first handbike race that I completed,” says Lasberger, who, like Ablinger, will already be in the throes of qualifying for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris this year.

Another regular guest in Linz is Elisabeth Egger from the Innviertel, who took part in the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo.

The route in Linz is identical to the half marathon course for the runners down to the last kilometer. Due to the road conditions, the destination is on the country road in the area of ​​the Wiener Straße/Union crossing. This year, the ranking in the Ascendor Handbike Half Marathon is divided into para and tetra classes.

Supporter Ascendor

Ascendor is the main sponsor and namesake of the handbike competition for the fourth time. The company was founded in 2006 and has since developed into one of the leading providers of retrofit lift systems. Production takes place 100 percent in the Rohrbach district. A total of 90 people are currently employed.

The Austrian quality company was able to realize over 1000 projects in 2022 and achieve a new record turnover of more than 13 million euros. The company has developed into an expert in the construction and retrofitting of lift systems.

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