Krisztina Papp wins Austrian Women's Run 2006 with a new course record

This year's Austrian Women's Run on June 11 was highlighted by a new course record again. Among the 12.070 participants, eleven elite athletes competed in the elite run on a flat 5k course through the beautiful Vienna Prater.

With a fantastic personal best of 15:00,69 min 23-year-old Eloise Wellings from Australia was supposed to win, but she started too fast and therefore was not able to maintain her leading position until the finish line. The Hungarian athlete KRISZTINA PAPP of the same age, who was 10.000m European champion in 2003 (U23), could make up leeway approx. 500m before the finish. With 15:35,9 min she undercut last year's course record of Sabrina Mockenhaupt (GER) by 7 seconds. However, Krisztina Papp was convinced that the amazing audience along the route contributed vitally to her victory.
ELOISE WELLINGS reached the finish after 15:44,7 min in second place. She was enthusiastic about the race as well and already announced to return next year to win then.
Finisher number 3 was IDA NILSSON, ten-time Swedish champion, who was content with her result of 16:14,2 min: Though she could outpace world record holder TEGLA LOROUPE (KEN), who finished with 16:31,7 min in 4th place, she was not able to catch up on the two leading women.
The fastest Austrian woman was multiple Austrian champion SUSANNE PUMPER with 16:37,1 min in the 5th place. Number 6 was CHRISTIN JOHANSSON, one of Sweden's best steeplechase runners (16:42,4 min).

The Austrian Women's Run 2006 had a new participation record again: With exactly 12.070 women and girls at the starting line the race has not only grown by 20 % since last year, but is now even bigger than the Women's Run in Berlin. On the 5k course there were 8.388 women running, 2.580 women ran the 10k, and 1.092 women took part in the 5k Nordic Walking course.

This year's Austrian Women's Run Award went to 33-year-old TEGLA LOROUPE from Kenya, who holds several world records and has become a role model to many people because of her strenuous humanitarian activities. She was very proud of her award and as a countermove invited the people to one of her "peace races" in Africa. Tegla Loroupe, who has never been to Vienna before, stressed that the reason for coming was not the awarding but her wish to support the women and girls at the run. She was impressed by the huge event, commended the excellent organisation and thanked all the men for cheering the women along the course.
US running pioneer KATHRINE SWITZER, who won the award in 2005, was guest again and ran the 5k. Although both of them - Tegla Loroupe and Kathrine Switzer - were invited to the New York Mini 10K Women's Run too, they both preferred to come to Vienna.

With its continuing success the Austrian Women's Run again proves its magnitude and growing international significance. Women and girls from 46 nations were participating. The next Austrian Women's Run will take place on June 3, 2007.