Record Participation Expected at Rimi Riga Marathon

The 36th edition of the Rimi Riga Marathon is set to take place this weekend in Latvia's capital, marking a historic milestone with over 45,000 registered participants from nearly 120 countries. Organizers announced during the opening ceremony that this represents a record number of attendees, reinforcing Riga's status as a premier European running destination. The event features a unique format with four World Athletics-recognized distances occurring simultaneously: the marathon, half-marathon, 10 km, and 5.7 km runs. Specific participation figures include at least 3,500 marathoners, over 7,000 half-marathoners, and approximately 10,000 runners in the 5.7 km race. Additionally, the event includes Children’s Day activities and a mile race, engaging thousands of young participants. Aigars Nords, head of the organizing team, highlighted the synergy of art and sports characteristic of the event. To facilitate logistics, all participants with race numbers are granted free access to Riga’s public transportation throughout the marathon weekend, scheduled for May 16 and 17, 2026.