News Archive

<div">Japan’s first ever winner of the Vienna City Marathon

received another honour a day after the race. Tomo Morimoto, who had run the

second fastest time ever in this race with 2:24:33 hours, and the men’s winner Lahoucine Mrikik

(Morocco), who had broken the course record with

2:08:20, were invited for a reception by the

President of Austria. Mr. Heinz Fischer, who himself is a runner, received the

winners in the morning at the famous Wiener Hofburg. Women’s runner-up Chieko

Yamasaki also joined the group.

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Running inside the Wiener Hofburg 

Being told that the President is a runner Tomo Morimoto took the

opportunity to invite Mr. Heinz Fischer to jog with her. The President responded

immediately, took his jacket off and the two ran along a long splendour corridor

inside the Wiener Hofburg.“My next big goal is to qualify for the World

Championships’ marathon in Osaka in 2007. But I will not run another marathon this

year”, Tomo Morimoto said.

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Vienna had been only her second race at the classical

distance after finishing fifth in Osaka earlier this year with 2:27:46. Besides a personal record in the marathon the 22

year-old broke another personal best during the race. Tomo Morimoto was timed at

72:02 minutes for the second half of the race. Her previous personal best at

this distance had been 72:17. These achievements suggest that there is much more

to come from Tomo Morimoto.

Sachertorte  - and enjoy MOZART

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<div">“I

felt fine during the race. And the pacemaker did a fantastic job”, Tomo Morimoto

explained. After the marathon she celebrated her victory by going to a Japanese

restaurant and concert of classical music. Additionally she had a piece of

Sachertorte – a traditional thick Austrian chocolate cake.

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<div">This year’s Vienna City Marathon had the motto: Run Vienna, enjoy Mozart.

Classical music was played along the course. “This combination worked very well

– we will continue with that”, Race Director Wolfgang Konrad said. Next year’s

Vienna City Marathon will be run a week earlier on 29^th April.</div"></div"></div">