Spectacular Season Opener: Tina Fischl Takes Second Place at the Half Marathon in Wels
Tina Fischl of WSV Otterskirchen delivered an outstanding start to the new running season. The 49‑year‑old athlete from Fürstenstein secured second place at the half marathon in Wels, Austria, competing in a very strong women’s field.
With an excellent time of 1:18:40 hours, the personal trainer was extremely satisfied with her performance – even though the course was shortened by about 200 meters at the end due to construction work.
The route consisted of three laps of seven kilometers each, with a slight incline on every lap. Since it was Fischl’s first time racing on this course, she started out cautiously.
Already in the first lap, Fischl surprised even herself: with about a 50‑meter lead she was at the front of the very fast women’s field. Right behind her was Austria’s Theresa Birglechner, followed by Amelie Hofbauer from PTSV Rosenheim in third place.
In the second lap, Birglechner eventually caught up and shortly afterwards moved into the lead. Fischl tried to stay with her, but the Austrian — almost 30 years younger — was able to pull away slightly with the help of her pacer. The gap settled at around 50 to 100 meters.
Fischl then focused on securing second place — successfully. In the end, she missed the win by only 40 seconds, while holding roughly a one‑minute lead over third‑placed Hofbauer.
The atmosphere along the course also contributed to the success of the race. With her time of 1:18:40, the runner was highly satisfied. The result clearly shows that her consistent winter training has truly paid off.
For Tina Fischl, who competes for WSV Otterskirchen and works professionally as a personal trainer, the second‑place finish in Wels is a highly promising signal for the months ahead: “The season can begin now — I’m highly motivated and want to show that even at almost 50, you can still achieve excellent performances.”
Read the full PNP report here:
Fotodokumentation: © (wapics/Willdoner Andreas) & Alex Fischl