Major deployment of the police for a safe running event

For the Vienna City Marathon, there is a complex operational and security concept of the Viennese police in interaction with all the blue light organizations involved, which is constantly adapted to the given national and geopolitical circumstances. This Saturday, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner with the state police president in Vienna, Gerhard Pürstl, as well as the Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig and other emergency organizations on site at Wiener Rathausplatz got an idea of ​​these measures.

“The Vienna City Marathon is one of the largest sporting events in Austria- with over 45,000 runners and more than 400,000 spectators along the route. The marathon is an event that requires comprehensive preparation- from traffic control to criminal and security police measures,” said Interior Minister Karner.

“Our cooperation with the city of Vienna and the organizer has been excellent for many years. Together we develop our security concept every year, analyze the location and set targeted priorities. Of course, the security of participants and fans has a top priority,” added State Police President Pürstl.

Many players – one goal

For the safety of the runners as well as the numerous visitors, several hundred police officers from the state transport department, bicycle, water and flight police, the standby unit as well as the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the State Criminal Police Office are in use. Technical aids such as drones are also used for support.

The measures include various locks in the public sector, such as on Rathausplatz, but also security checks and risk assessments that were carried out in advance by the Vienna State Police Directorate. In addition to the security concept of the organizer, the Vienna State Police Directorate has taken extensive security measures.

“The key to the successful expiry of such a commitment lies in the cross -government cooperation and cooperation between the police, the Rotem Cross, fire brigade, the city of Vienna and the organizer,” said the Interior Minister. “This collaboration has been tried and tested for many years and is practiced regularly – also within a common operational center. My special thanks therefore go to all police officers who are in use at the Great event, as well as all volunteers of the rescue organizations who contribute to a smooth process.”