Linzers love to run: Even the sun showed up

• Here are the results

A warm-up together before the starting gun, a high-five and a motivating smile for the neighbors, then there was only one thing left: full concentration on the rain-soaked running track, where the profiles of the running shoes were tested yesterday, Sunday. After a rainy Saturday, on which the junior marathon had to be cancelled, the weather gods were kind to the around 11,000 marathon participants yesterday: the blue sky appeared every now and then – even if only for a few moments.

“Look, I told you, the sun will come through when we run,” said a group of runners wearing JKU shirts. “There’s even more motivation. Hop, hop, we can do it together,” the five women encouraged each other while walking along the Mühlkreisautobahn (A7).

Already at 8 a.m., when the participants of the Ascendor Handbike Half Marathon turned the crank and a little later the inline skaters covered the same distance of 21.1 kilometers, the marathon atmosphere could be clearly felt throughout the state capital. A comfortable Sunday with a lie-in was hardly to be thought of yesterday, quite the opposite: The most loyal fans, family members and friends accompanied the marathon participants to the start at the Voest Bridge, and after the Linz-Dornach descent enthusiastic spectators were already lining the Running course at Freistädter Straße and cheered on the runners.

audience enthusiasm

“Dad, you can do it”, “Don’t falter”, “Sweating is sexy” – motivational slogans on large banners accompanied the runners during the race, drummers at the tram stops indicated the running rhythm.

The marathon organizers were particularly satisfied with the way things were going. “It was great and everything worked well. And not only with the women’s new course record, but especially the audience gave their all this Sunday,” says Julia Kitzmüller from the LIVA marathon organization team. “People didn’t let the bad weather stop them and lined the course to cheer on the runners.”

Exactly this motivation carried all participants of the six competitions that day to the longed-for finish on the main square in Linz, where, despite the drizzle, the party was once again extensively celebrated. The last marathon runner, Karl-Alfred Erber, was greeted with great applause at the finish with a time of six hours and five minutes. A marathon day where everyone could feel like a winner.

• OÖN TV: That was the Linz Danube Marathon 2023

The marathon Sunday in numbers

• 74 nations were on the running course for a total of six different competitions on yesterday’s marathon day.
• 10 percent more participants than in the previous year have registered for the 21st Oberbank Linz Donau Marathon in 2023. Thus, the number has risen to 11,060 running enthusiasts – the majority of the participants came from Upper Austria.
• 11 degrees Celsius and changeable weather conditions in the state capital did not prevent the running enthusiasts and their numerous fans along the running route from starting on Sunday. The joy of running remained unbroken.