5 km Runs 2024 in Austria • All Races

Almost everyone who enjoys participating in running events has completed a 5-kilometer race at some point.

This short competition discipline is neither Olympic (at least on the road), nor does it have a high international standing, but for runners of all abilities, the one or other 5km competition over the entire year is definitely worthwhile. Fortunately, there are an incredible number of opportunities in Austria.

At almost 200 running events in Austria, you have the opportunity to achieve a new personal best time over the five kilometers.

Why you have to run a 5-kilometer race!

If you are an absolute beginner in running, then you should of course choose the shortest possible distance for your first competition. Of course, 5-kilometer runs are the best for this, although 10 kilometers without training is certainly possible. With five kilometers, however, you can get a taste of competition for the first time without overexerting yourself. You will usually recover very quickly from such a short race. As a rule of thumb, the body needs half a day to recover from each kilometer of competition. This means that after two and a half days of rest you will have completely recovered from a five-kilometer race.

A too fast start can even have positive effects

What also speaks for a 5er is the "forgiveness of mistakes". Beginners in particular tend to start the race too fast. The longer the race distance is, the more you have to pay for it. For example, if you start too fast in the first kilometers of a marathon or half marathon, you will definitely suffer the consequences during the race. In a 5-kilometer race, on the other hand, you should even run the first kilometer a "tad" faster. As a study has shown, this is the best way to achieve a good result. However, this does not mean that you should sprint after the start. The first kilometer should be run about 5 to 10 seconds faster - no more. Because of the shortness of the race, you will reach the finish line before you have to reckon with the negative consequences of running "slightly" too fast.

Ambitious runners, on the other hand, like to use the 5k run as a form check or speed session. A run over five kilometers can be included in the preparation for a half marathon.

You can't miss these runs in Austria!

Since 2017, a five-kilometer run has been held on the airport grounds of Hörschling. On this flat course you can not only run best times, you are even guaranteed a unique experience. Because running on an airport is normally strictly forbidden. But at the airport night Run Linz, the airport becomes a running track once a year. The starting signal for this extraordinary night run is given exactly at midnight.

Another unique and unusual event is the Vienna Christmas Run, which pits Santa Claus against the Christ Child. You can register either as Santa Claus or as Christkind. The winner is the team with the better average time. The run takes place in mid-December on a five-kilometer course on the Prater Hauptallee.

The Vienna Uni Run also takes place in Vienna's Prater. The flat, but nevertheless very varied course has best time potential. After all, times under 15 minutes have already been achieved here. However, everyone is allowed to participate, not just students. Another special highlight in Vienna is the Vienna Night Run, where you run almost an entire lap around the Ringstrasse, which is normally very busy, and pass many of Vienna's sights along the way. With around 20,000 starters, it is the largest 5km run in Austria. On this evening, the Ring is of course closed to road traffic.

Further recommendations

A typical 5er with folk run character is in Lower Austria the Landeshauptstadtlauf St. Pölten. The one-kilometer circuit leads through the city center of the Lower Austrian capital. Not far away, Mödling hosts the annual Mödlinger Altstadt Adventlauf in winter, where even top national runners compete over the 5 kilometer course.

There are also numerous company runs over this distance in Austria, such as the Wels Business Run in Upper Austria with almost 4,000 starters. The Vision Run in St. Pölten, the Mostblütenlauf in Steinakirchen and the Vorarlberg BusinessRun B4Run in Bregenz also run over this distance.

The largest women's runs in Austria also involve running exactly five kilometers. These include the Austrian Women's Run in Vienna, the Tyrolean Women's Run in Innsbruck, the Ladies Run

To the overview of all 5km runs in Austria:

All 5 km Races in Austria