Posted: May 8, 2006

Athletics: Marathon Winners Mrikik and Morimoto received by President of Austria

Austrian President Mr. Heinz Fischer with Chieko Yamasaki, Tomo Morimoto and Lahoucine Mrikik (from left to right). Photo credit: Victah Sailer

Japan’s first ever winner of the Vienna City Marathon received another honour a day after the race. Tomo Morimoto, who had run the second fastest time ever in this race with 2:24:33 hours, and the men’s winner Lahoucine Mrikik (Morocco), who had broken the course record with 2:08:20, were invited for a reception by the President of Austria. Mr. Heinz Fischer, who himself is a runner, received the winners in the morning at the famous Wiener Hofburg. Women’s runner-up Chieko Yamasaki also joined the group.

Being told that the President is a runner Tomo Morimoto took the opportunity to invite Mr. Heinz Fischer to jog with her. The President responded immediately, took his jacket off and the two ran along a long splendour corridor inside the Wiener Hofburg.

“My next big goal is to qualify for the World Championships’ marathon in Osaka in 2007. But I will not run another marathon this year”, Tomo Morimoto said. Vienna had been only her second race at the classical distance after finishing fifth in Osaka earlier this year with 2:27:46. Besides a personal record in the marathon the 22 year-old broke another personal best during the race. Tomo Morimoto was timed at 72:02 minutes for the second half of the race. Her previous personal best at this distance had been 72:17. These achievements suggest that there is much more to come from Tomo Morimoto.

“I felt fine during the race. And the pacemaker did a fantastic job”, Tomo Morimoto explained. After the marathon she celebrated her victory by going to a Japanese restaurant and concert of classical music. Additionally she had a piece of Sachertorte – a traditional thick Austrian chocolate cake.

This year’s Vienna City Marathon had the motto: Run Vienna, enjoy Mozart. Classical music was played along the course. “This combination worked very well – we will continue with that”, Race Director Wolfgang Konrad said. Next year’s Vienna City Marathon will be run a week earlier on 29th April.

For more information please visit: www.vienna-marathon.com.

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