Marathon Training, with a Viennese View

Tales of Everyday Life

The view of Vienna from Lainzer Tiergarten's Wiener Blick | Photo: Doris Antony

There is a myth floating around, ever since the days of Pheidippides, that there is a glitch in the genetic make-up of a marathon runner. The sanity of a person who enjoys the mental and physical punishment of running 42km could be called into question. Granted, the pioneer did collapse and die after making it to Athens.

I myself, a seasoned marathon runner, adore training in Vienna. Last year, I was lucky enough to be a resident of Hacking, across the road from the indescribably stunning Lainzer Tiergarten, a fairytale landscape that Disney must have had in mind for Bambi. Not only idyllic, gracefully galloping through this forest means that you avoid the pollution of the city, and the rolling paths makes the usually dreaded hill training an absolute delight.

If you thought that Kahlenberg was the best place to catch a panoramic vista of the city, then you haven’t yet been to this hilltop called Wiener Blick. The view the eye perceives is more of a painting than real life. In a city of a million museums, Wiener Blick is the best piece of art you can see. Jaw-dropping is an over used adjective, but I have witnessed many a friend become speechless when they reached the summit. Making it up to the top feels like a reward unlike the tourist-friendly Kahlenberg. Neither Tom, Dick nor Harry can catch a bus or drive to Wiener Blick. Only two legs will get you there.

- Simon Horowitz