In cooperation with the Riga Tourism Development Bureau, “Live Riga” Rimi Riga Marathon wants to strengthen the position of Riga as the Baltic running capital by continuing to grow the popularity of the running culture throughout the Baltic. By registering under their national flag, each member will represent Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia. One will be chosen at random from each team to receive an exclusive marathon trip for two individuals to one of the marathons of the Baltic States in autumn this year.
"The Baltic Way was the path to an independent and democratic state that we can now enjoy. (..) With the challenge of the Baltic Way, we want to consolidate the runner community on the Baltic level by befriending Tallinn and Vilnius marathons and Lithuanian and Estonian runners,” said Aigars Nords, director of the Riga marathon.
It is possible to register at Rimi Riga Marathon Virtual Club for free by selecting your team or flag to start under. The challenge will take place between the morning of 20 August and midnight on 23 August, allowing everyone to get as many kilometres as possible for their country. The aim is to run a total of at least 31 Baltic Ways on the 31st anniversary, which is 20 940.5 km.
For the challenge of the Baltic Way, the organizers have also made special medals, the author of which has been awarded best painter of the year in the Nordic and Baltic States, Jānis Šneiders.
August 23, 2020 marks the 31st anniversary of the Baltic Way – the day in 1989 when Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands, forming a live human chain from Tallinn to Vilnius via Rīga to protest the Soviet occupation of their countries, which resulted from the signing of the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on August 23, 1939. They called for the renewed independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – a goal that, incredibly, was achieved within two years.