TOP 10 FINISH FOR OPEC FUND-SPONSORED RUNNER AT VIENNA CITY MARATHON
10th place finisher Zeritu Shawel Tadese
Fortieth anniversary of running event sees record results
T he sun was shining brightly, and the warm glow was mirrored in the beaming faces of happy competitors, spectators and organizers: The 40th Vienna City Marathon (VCM) in late April was one for the record books. This was also true for the OPEC Fund as Zeritu Shawel Tadese from Ethiopia, one of the runners sponsored by the development organization, delivered a hugely impressive top 10 finish. Ms. Tadese was one of four runners from developing countries invited to join the race in Vienna as a springboard for their future careers. The OPEC Fund developed the initiative last year with the Vienna City Marathon and again sponsored two men and two women for the 2023 event: “The race provides a true window of opportunity,” says Nadia
Benamara, OPEC Fund Director of Communication. “These hugely talented runners can show a global audience what they are capable of and at the same time they become ambassadors for the potential of their home countries.” The exceptional performance of Ms. Tadese was almost matched by Simon Mwangi from Kenya who finished the men’s race in 11th place, just 11:20 minutes behind race winner Samwel Mailu. With a finishing time of 2:05:10 the runner from Kenya set a new course record. The organizers’ joy and the spectators’ jubilation knew no bounds when a little later Julia Mayer came across the line in 2:30:42 in a true nail- biter, breaking the Austrian women’s record by just a second.
Dominik Konrad, in charge of the VCM organization, was pleased with the outcome: “We have experienced a running festival like perhaps never before at the Vienna City Marathon,” he summarized. “The atmosphere along the route and at the finish was simply electrifying. The 40th anniversary of our race will be remembered for the excellent results as well as the great atmosphere.” Overall, the race weekend attracted 39,871 participants who had a choice between two children’s races, a 5 km run around Vienna’s historic Ringstrasse, a half-marathon, a relay competition and the classic marathon of 42.195 km. A dedicated event for people with disabilities celebrated their talents and was warmly received by participants and spectators. Sore limbs on the following Monday were compensated by
the satisfaction of having achieved something truly special in this anniversary year for the country’s biggest running event. That was also a message the OPEC Fund carried on from a remarkable and record- breaking weekend where the unifying power of sport and the shared joy in outstanding achievements lit up the capital of Austria.
The 2023 OPEC Fund Rookie Team (left to right) Julius Kariba, Mamitu Balcha Hey, Zeritu Shawel Tadese and Simon Mwangi
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