Dear Runner, Dear Women’s Run Community,
I can almost not believe it, we are already celebrating the 30th Austrian Women’s Run®! My goal, then as today, was to fill women with enthusiasm for running. It makes me unbelievably happy and proud that this passion for running has, over the past 29 years, spread like wildfire from generation to generation and hundreds of thousands of women have made it their sport. On the occasion of this special anniversary we have opened our archive, retrieved mementos, and collated many beautiful, moving background and heartfelt stories. Up until the start on 21 May, we shall constantly be presenting new information here. I wish you lots of pleasure while browsing and reviewing past events – perhaps you will be reminded of your own beginnings as a runner… I am very much looking forward to a great, unforgettable 30th Austrian Women’s Run®. Celebrate together with us and let us continue making history. Warmest regards, Ilse Dippmann
timeline how it started
1986
The Spark
Still in the 1980s women runners were a rarity. While being counselled by a friend at a marathon in 1986, Ilse Dippmann was motivated to start running herself. In the same year she travelled to New York where she ran her first marathon. In Central Park she was presented with an image that she had never seen in Austria: numerous women running. A flyer attracted her attention – that of the “New York Mini 10K,” the world’s first women’s run.
1987
The Resolution/Decision
Ilse Dippmann was again at the start of the New York City Marathon. And she returned from her journey to New York with a vision: she wanted to motivate Austrian women to run and to convince them that running is the ideal sport for women. Together with her friends Elisabeth Brunnhuber, Uschi Huber and Maria Schafler, as well as Gerhard Konrath and the former 3,000 m hurdles runner Wolfgang Konrad, she started to realise the “Women’s Run Project.”
1988
The First Time
12. June, Laxenburg – Ilse Dippmann fired the starting signal that began the 1st Austrian Women’s Run. 440 pioneering women of Austrian running sport were also there.
1991
First 10 k Attempt
The 10 k distance was offered for the first time so as to attract more women and girls. 78 runners took part in this new distance.
1992
Brand New
The unmistakeable Women’s Run logo came into being. It went on to become a synonym for women’s running sport in Austria.
1994
There are 500 of us
At the 7th edition of the Austrian Women’s Run® there were, for the very first time, more than 500 participants!
1995
Andreas Schnabl came on board
Ilse Dippmann brought Andreas Schnabl on board as a new member of the team. Together they developed the Austrian Women’s Run® over the next 21 years into one of the worldwide leading women’s runs.
1996
Welcome to the Donaupark
The Austrian Women’s Run moved from the Prater to the Donaupark. For the first time there were childcare facilities and the now legendary Nike Warm Up before the start.
1997
The Women’s Run Meetings started
In order to ideally prepare for the Austrian Women’s Run® and to ease the first “running steps” of the beginners, the 1st Women’s Run Meeting took place in the Prater. Even today, tens of thousands of women throughout Austria train according to the recipe for success “Fit in 12 Weeks.”
1997
Hello dm!
Under the slogan “Wir bauen auf Österreichs Frauen” [We rely on Austria’s women], dm drogerie markt climbed on board as the main sponsor. The cornerstone for over 20 years of successful co-operation was thus laid.
1998
We made headlines
The chancellor Viktor Klima gave the starting signal for 2,081 participants and, for the first time, we were on the front pages of Austria’s largest newspapers. At the same time we went online with our first website and brought the block start to Austria – the foundation for unlimited growth up to now!
1999
Back to the roots
We needed more space and therefore moved back to the Prater. A new course distance was introduced with this move: the classic women’s running distance of 5 km delighted more than 3,000 runners. A new technical era started with our collaboration with Pentek Timing and the introduction of chip time keeping
2000
Even more runs
We expanded our spectrum and created, with the “Frauen Fun Run” in April, a preparatory run for the Austrian Women’s Run. For the first time, on the day before the Women’s Run, girls and boys from the age of 3 ran in the Children’s Run.
2001
now 5 k distance
For the first time in the history of the Women’s run there was, as is usual at international women’s runs, only the 5 k distance.
2002
Vienna says thank you
Ilse Dippmann was awarded the “Sportehrenzeichen der Stadt Wien” [Sport Badge of Honour of the City of Vienna] by the deputy mayor Grete Laska for her services to running and particularly to women’s running
2003
We doubled: 10 k
For the first time it was possible to run the distance of 10 k. 1,485 runners made our “10” right from the start into Austria’s largest 10 k competition! PS: By 2016 the number of runners participating in the “10” had risen to 7,000.
2004
The Women’s Run Award came into being
The Women’s Run was established with the aim of awarding it to courageous women who fight for their ideals. The first prize-winner was Waris Dirie, a UN special ambassador. And, for the first time, 263 Nordic walkers also participated.
2005
A magical year
For the first time there were more than 10,000 participants at the start. For the first time international top athletes took part in the 5 k competition. For the first time the women’s run pioneer Kathrine Switzer was in Vienna as our guest – and we presented her with the Women’s Run Award!
2006
Women’s Run Award to Loroupe
The marathon runner Tegla Loroupe received the Women’s Run Award in recognition of her working for peace in Africa as well as her commitment to social issues.
2007
“1 dream – 20 years – 68,651 winners”
That was our motto for our 20th anniversary. 14,603 women and girls celebrated and turned the event into the largest women’s run in Central Europe. Ilse Dippmann was awarded the “Goldene Verdienstzeichen der Republik Österreich” [Gold Decoration of Merit of the Republic of Austria] by Doris Bures, the Minister of Women’s Affairs. The dancer and choreographer Alamande Belford took on the Warm Up for the first time.
2008
10 minute summary on ORF1
For the first time in the history of the Women’s Run, all 16,100 starting places had already been allocated by the end of the advance registrations and on the day of the event the ORF, in a self-contained programme, broadcasted a 10 minute summary of the Austrian dm Women’s Run®.
2009
Booked out after 45 days!
We were already completely booked out 2 days before the official registration deadline! This had never happened before! The Austrian dm Women’s Run, with more than 18,000 participants, had become the largest of its kind on the Continent. On our new website we started offering gratis training plans.
2010
20,000+! We are not going to be stopped
21,121 women and girls from 71 nations followed the motto “Wir sehen uns im Ziel – See you at the finish line” and took part in the 23rd Austrian dm Women’s Run. Due to the building of the new Vienna University of Economics and Business, the run had to move from Kaiserallee/Rotundenplatz to its current home at the Ernst Happel Stadium and Pierre de Coubertin Platz. This involuntary step laid the cornerstone for further growth. At the beginning of the year we started both on Facebook with Web 2.0 as well as commercially in Slovakia.
2011
Course record!
The Portuguese runner Ana Dulce Félix established a new course record in the 5 k elite competition – and has remained unbeaten with a record time of 15:27,4 min. The enthusiasm for the Women’s Run, with already more than 25,000 participants, seemed to know no bounds.
2012
25 years ... more than running
On the occasion of our 25th anniversary we decided to really let rip. For tens of thousands we had long since become – with a sensational 30,052 women and girls from 66 nations, the number of participants had reached a new record – the sport highlight of the season and “the place to be.” From then on we also started promoting talented young athletes with the newcomer achievement prize.
2013
We celebrate our diversity!
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your performance level, origin, religion or language is – running bonds! 30,100 women and girls at the start of the Austrian Women’s Run confirmed that. Also, more than 300 runners from Slovakia took part!
2014
We are godparents!
Our shirt bore the coat pattern of a cheetah, the fastest land mammal in the world. The design underlined the sportsmanship and speed of our participants. As chance would have it, cheetah triplets were born at the same time in the Schönbrunn Zoo. – And we assumed the sponsorship for them. With the aim of supporting runners to achieve their goal of running the 10 k in under 40 min, we launched the 10K Challenge together with the SPORTordination.
2015
Run the City
The number of women and girls who could be seen running, walking and training in public spaces was never so high. From then on we also accompanied our community through the Women’s Run season with many side events in addition to the communal Women’s Run training sessions.
2016
33,000 were confirmed
For the second consecutive year we had 33,000 participants and thus reached the pinnacle of women’s runs worldwide. Ilse Dippmann and the Austrian Women’s Run were taken into the “Austrian Events Hall of Fame” at the der Austrian Event – Hall of Fame Gala.
We also celebrated the 20th season of Women’s Run training sessions and the 10k Challenge, which we initiated, came into being after the 3rd attempt.
Teeshirtparade which one do you have?
medals show honor the runners
United in Running long live diversity
our starts 29 x goosebumps
our winners stars of the 5k elite competition
Susanne Pumper (AUT) - 2001
16:09,0
Susanne Pumper (AUT) - 2002
16:38,7
Susanne Pumper (AUT) - 2003
16:21,3
Susanne Pumper (AUT) - 2004
15:43,4
Sabrina Mockenhaupt (GER) - 2005
15:42,9
Krisztina Papp (HUN) - 2006
15:35,9
Sabrina Mockenhaupt (GER) - 2007
15:36,6
Sabrina Mockenhaupt (GER) - 2008
15:57,6
Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT) - 2009
15:29,4
Irina Mikitenko (GER) - 2010
15:39,4
Ana Dulce-Felix (POR) - 2011
15:27,4 (Streckenrekord)
Ana Dulce-Felix (POR) - 2012
15:30,1
Joyce Jemutai-Kiplimo (KEN) - 2013
15:46,7
Ana Dulce-Felix (POR) - 2014
15:41,6
Jessica O'Connell (CAN) - 2015
15:32,8
Sara Moreira (POR) - 2016
15:37,1