About a month ago on Sunday, April 23rd, I ran my second half marathon. In January, my friend Kelsey and I decided we wanted to sign up for a race this spring. Kelsey is originally from Canada but like me, she is currently living and teaching English in Budapest. I am so thankful for our friendship that we have built this year. Training for and running the Vienna half marathon together has brought us even closer together.
This blog post is going to be a recap of our weekend in Vienna including running the half marathon. I hope you enjoy!
Friday, April 21st, 2023
The weekend started with a bus ride to Vienna. My boyfriend, Dan, and I left around 5:30 pm on Friday, April 21st. It's only a 2.5-3 hour ride from Budapest. We made it to the AirBnB around 9pm. The two of us were staying with Kelsey, Cam (Kelsey's husband), Bauer (their adorable fur baby), and two of Kelsey and Cam's friends who were visiting from Canada. Everyone was hungry for dinner so we left to find somewhere to eat. After dinner, we ended up walking to Stephansplatz which is a popular square in the center of Vienna. We were able to see the beautiful, Stephansdom, which is one of the tallest churches in the world. We got some drinks and explored the heart of Vienna.
Saturday, April 22nd, 2023
On Saturday, Kelsey and I woke up and headed to the race packet pick up. I always get excited to go to a race packet pick up and this time was no exception. The venue was packed with runners who were getting ready for both the full marathon and half marathon. This was the biggest race I've ever run in my life. Over 40,000 people from around the world were registered.
After packet pick up, Kelsey and I headed over to the Innere Stadt (the central area in the heart of Vienna) to meet up with the rest of the group. We walked over to the The Hofburg and grabbed some lunch from a local grocery store to have a picnic in the park nearby. We stayed in the park for a while enjoying the beautiful spring day.
After exploring the Vienna Naschmarkt which is the most famous market in Vienna, we walked over to Prater Wien which is a large amusement park. There is even a landmark giant ferris wheel which dates back to 1897. The park is free to enter but you need tickets for each attraction. There are several beer gardens inside the park which is where most of our friends headed once we arrived. However, Kelsey, Dan, and I wanted to ride some of the rides first! We had an absolutely amazing night. Kelsey and I headed back to the AirBnB a little after 10pm so we could get some rest before the big day.
Sunday, April 23rd, 2023- RACE DAY!
I woke up on race day feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves! Kelsey and I traveled to the start of the race which felt like a giant party.
At the start of the race, I got so excited because I spotted the pineapple running guy! This man runs marathons around the world with a pineapple balanced on his head the entire time. I had seen him on social media so it felt like I was running next to a star!
The race went by so fast and it went really well! I love running with Kelsey and this is certainly our first of many races together. Along the way we saw the best cheer squad at many points! This is HUGE as a runner and makes it so much easier to keep running.
Our cheer squad met us at the finish line and we were so happy to see them! I'm so thankful for Dan who cheers me on every single day and for Cam, Bauer, and our friend Rachel for making the trip to Vienna just to cheer us on. I've truly made incredible friendships this year. This weekend was one of the best of the year. I am so grateful for my body which gives me the strength and energy to run. Until the next race!
Cool. So excited for you! Pineapple guy! What a thing! I put em on my pizza and people tell me I am nuts. I wonder what comments he gets from those that don't know his thing.
I adore your cute running outfit! Well done, what a blessing to have a support system when challenging yourself!