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Vienna City Marathon cooperates with Philharmonic Orchestra
2005-12-07
Mubarak Shami wins the 2005 Vienna City Marathon.
© Vienna City Marathon
Prospects look very promising for next year’s Vienna City Marathon, which will see its 23rd edition on 7th May. Preparations for Austria’s biggest sporting event are in full progress already. Organisers expect a field of about 22,000 runners in various events. The Vienna City Marathon will not only be the biggest running event in Austria but also the best quality one. “We are looking forward to another high-class competition. Men’s and women’s fields will have the quality of the last few years”, race director Wolfgang Konrad announced. A number of world-class times have been run in recent editions of the Vienna City Marathon. Course records stand at 2:08:35 (Samson Kandie/Kenya) and 2:23:47 (Maura Viceconte/Italy).
Recently organisers had announced their new motto for the 2006 event: ,Run Vienna – enjoy Mozart’. Next year will be the ,Year of Mozart’. So for the Vienna City Marathon this was the perfect starting point for a new innovation: A combination with classic music that only Vienna can offer. Now officials are building on that. It was announced at a press conference in Vienna yesterday evening that the Vienna City Marathon and the world famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra will cooperate for the first time.
Runner’s will be able to enjoy finest classical music during the weekend of the Vienna City Marathon 2006 and even during their race. On 7th May there will be two sorts of marathons in Vienna. Besides the running event a music marathon is staged: The famous pianist Professor Rudolf Buchbinder will play six piano concerts of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart together with the Philharmonic Orchestra. Parts of the concerts will be transmitted to the finishing area. At some points of the course classic music will be played. The music will be carefully selected with the help of Vienna’s Philharmonic Orchestra so that the pieces will suit the certain stage of the race where they are played. Additionally all runners will be offered the exclusive opportunity to listen to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on the day before the marathon. The musicians will then play their dress rehearsal for Sunday.
“Running and music have a lot in common – more than you would think of. Both are very emotional and touching”, said the chairman of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Clemens Hellsberg, while Professor Rudolf Buchbinder added: “Both events will produce top performances. A lot of commitment is needed during the preparation and the actual event.”
„For the first time the enormous potential of classic music plays a central role during a sports event. This connection can nowhere else be as authentic as here in Vienna. The Vienna City Marathon will significantly differ from all other marathons in the world”, Wolfgang Konrad said.
You may register online now for the 23rd Vienna City Marathon on 7th May 2006. Please visit the web page of the race at: www.vienna-marathon.com
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