The 29th edition was one for the history books. At this year’s Graz Marathon, George Onyancha ensured a historic success in the Styrian capital. The Kenyan smashed the course record in Graz and made a debut with his fabulous time of 2:09:28. For the first time the winning time at the Graz Marathon was less than 2:10:00. Carried to the finish by the cheering fans, Onyancha fell to his knees after his success and was visibly moved.
In the women’s race, Pia von Keutz was unbeatable in Graz on Sunday. She completed the marathon in 2:57:16, leaving Karin Rosenberger and Irina Hagedorn behind. She was also celebrated by the Styrian fans at the finish line.
A real crowd pleaser showed his skills over the quarter marathon distance. At 90 years old, Julius Holzner actually wanted to tackle the 42 kilometers, but cut it short because he was struggling with pain during the preparation. “The running was as I would have imagined. If I had been completely healthy, I could have run,” explained the 90-year-old. He wants to be back at the start next year: “It wasn’t to be expected today, even though I had hoped the whole marathon would go well. But then I thought it would be nicer next year.”
Victory in the women’s half marathon went to Ukraine. Mariia Radko was unbeatable over the 21 kilometers and secured victory in 1:18:58. Lars Demuth won the men’s race. His time: 1:08:34.