© Copyright – 2022 – Athletics Illustrated
The Riga Marathon is not permitting runners from Russia and Belarus to participate in their annual event. Aigars Nords, the race manager hopes that marathons from elsewhere in the world will do the same.
The marathon will take place on May 14 and 15. The race will be an important practice run in preparing for the world championship in Rīga in autumn 2023. The organizers hope that running events will be similar to pre-pandemic days that are run without splitting into groups.
“The Rimi Riga marathon has always been a business card for Riga, and as one of the great international events of Riga, it is a clear signal that we support Ukraine,” Nords said.
With the slogan “Together!” the 2022 edition is dedicated to Ukraine. On May 15th, participants will be united in a run to support Ukraine. The significant public sporting event, which will attract the highest number of runners since the pandemic, will involve more than 10,000 participants from Latvia, the Baltics, and elsewhere, according to organizers.
In solidarity with Ukraine, musicians and choirs from Latvia and Ukraine will perform on the November 11 Embankment and at the Freedom Monument, while the income from the 6K race, which will be themed this year with Ukrainian colours, will be donated to support Ukraine.
The marathon in May will be the first significant step towards the World Road Running Championships, which will take place in Riga in 2023. This year organizers are offering marathon, half marathon, and DPD Mile runners the exclusive chance to run the intended World Championship courses created for the Riga event.
Additionally, in collaboration with Neste, they have begun work on a sustainability program called Run for Future by Neste, as part of which the Rimi Riga Marathon will implement a range of initiatives over the next few years aimed at increasing the sustainability of the largest public sporting event in the Baltics.
This year, the Rimi Riga Marathon will be returning to its traditional May dates for the first time since 2019.
