33rd Vienna New Year's Eve Race 2009

 Vienna's Ringstrasse - the Austrian Parliament Building and the Rathaus

The Austrian Parliament Building and the Rathaus on Vienna's Ringstrasse

 

You might be interested in this 5.4km race if you are planning to spend New Year's Eve in Austria's capital, in particular if you are a dog. All participating dogs get a sausage after the race.

Nevertheless, usually most entrants are humans, although they don't get any sausages. Last year, more than 2,200 didn't want to miss the opportunity to run along the imperial Ringstrasse, which forms a horseshoe around Vienna's city centre.

The start and the finish are near the Ringstrassen-Galerien, an upmarket shopping complex. You run one lap clockwise around the city centre.

The traffic-free, mildly undulating route takes you along many key landmarks and grandiose buildings including the Hofburg (Court Palace), the Rathaus, the Parliament buildings, churches, museums, the Burgtheater, the State Opera House, and the University.

The winners in 2008 were Andreas Vojta (16:41) and Eva Hieblinger-Schütz (18:17). Petzi was the first dog across the line, finishing in a time of 19:50.

 

Sind dir 36 Euro Wurst? (Photo: Barbara Rohner)

 

Country: Austria

Venue: Vienna

Date: 31 December 2009 (Wednesday)

Race distance: 5.4km

Start time: 11.00

Start and finish (Map): Ringstrasse, near Ringstrassen-Galerien, Kärntner Ring 5-7, Wien

Entries: online (until 25 December, payment by credit card) or in person in the race centre

Entry fees: 15 EUR (until 8 December), 18 EUR (until 30 December), 22 EUR (on the day)

Entry fees (15 years and under): 7 EUR (until 30 December), 15 EUR (on the day)

Timing: ChampionChip - use your own chip or rent a chip for 3 EUR (25 EUR deposit) 

Race centre: Ringstrassen-Galerien, in the wing next to the State Opera House (27-30 December, daily from 8.00 to 18.00; on the day from ? to ?)

You get: prize raffle

Prizes: trophies to the first 3 in the categories; awards to the first 10 runners (according to age graded finish times), to the first 10 dogs, and to runners with the most imaginative costumes

Changing facilities and bag storage: in the basement of the Ringstrassen-Galerien

Presentation: 13.30 in the Ringstrassen-Galerien

Number of finishers 2008: 2206; 55 dogs

Event website (in German): Silvesterlauf des LCC Wien (out of date)

 

Vienna's Ringstrasse (Photo: Barbara Rohner)

The Ringstrasse in Vienna

 

No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or thoroughness of the information on this page.