One month to go until start of 'real' and 'virtual' Rīga marathons

Take note – story published 3 years ago

This year, the Rimi Riga Marathon’s 30th anniversary race on October 10-11 will take place physically and in person, while adhering to government restrictions regarding COVID-19, organizers have said.

The restrictions will allow a 'real' race to take place in Latvia, while others around the world will be able to join in virtually from wherever they are located. 15,000 Latvian participants are expected on routes of different distances, and 3,000 foreigners will run the Rimi Riga Marathon virtually at home in an estimated 60 countries.

"We have thought about those of you who will be unable to come to Riga this year and take part in the Rimi Riga Marathon in person, but who really want to run, finish and receive a 30th anniversary medal. In May, we already stated with certainty that the marathon will happen - adapted to the new reality or virtually - and everyone who completes it will receive a unique anniversary medal. This year’s medal designer is Junichi Kawanishi, who also designed the medals for the Tokyo Olympics," organizers said.

The start, which usually involved a mass gathering of participants on the 11 November embankment, is this year at the Freedom Monument and will happen in several "waves" and corridors so as to minimize the number of people together. No more than 500 participants will gather in one corridor, no more than 2,500 participants in one wave. It should be noted that the new routes are planned to separate the start (at the Freedom Monument) from the finish (November 11 in Krastmala), further dividing the flow of participants.

Other important safety aspects have also been considered. Water and energy snacks will be offered only in pre-packaged form.

In order to make it easier for Rigans to get around on the day of the marathon, the marathon will start an hour earlier than before - at 7.30. The organizers will publish a detailed traffic restriction and route crossing plan together with Riga City Council as the event approaches.

There are four options for people wanting a piece of the action:

Option #1

Participants who are currently in Latvia and wishing to run in person can create and update their User profile, and select their DPD Pickup Point to receive a race number. To reduce crowding and the risk of COVID-19, the Rimi Riga Marathon EXPO will not happen, and everything necessary will be sent using the Rimi Riga Marathon’s official courier, DPD. If you can’t find DPD Pickup options, please write to: [email protected] 

Option #2

Participants arriving from abroad to run in person: please bear in mind that, if your country is on the Covid-19 red or yellow list here, you will have to self-isolate for 14 days after entering Latvia and before picking up your race number (please note that even if your country is not currently on the red or yellow list, it may be included in the next few weeks).

If you still want to take part in the 2020 Rimi Riga Marathon in person (which means that either you are from a country with low infection rates or you are willing to self-isolate for 14 days to take part in the 2020 Rimi Riga Marathon in person), please fill in this form and receive further instructions.

Option #3

Participants wishing to run, but unable to come to Riga or self-isolate for 14 days: you can still take part in the VIRTUAL RACE and receive the 30th anniversary medal by post. All the necessary information about the Virtual race will be sent by e-mail. 

If you are not registered yet, and would like to run Rimi Riga Marathon anywhere in the world and receive the official 30th anniversary medal by post, please register as soon as possible. The closing date is September 30 but for obvious reasons, that may be leaving things a little bit late. Organizers says their virtual platform allows runners to compete anywhere and register the results by the most popular running apps and time-keeping watches. 

Option #4.

Participants who are already registered but wish to postpone their entry until May 15-16, 2021 can do so for a 10 euro fee by September 20 in the official Rimi Riga Marathon online store.

 

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