Riga Marathon 2020 moved to October with a virtual career option

The Riga marathon, which Latvia’s capital city traditionally hosts in May, was moved to Oct. 10-11 due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said Tuesday.

Depending on the COVID-19 restrictions that could still be effective in Latvia at that time, the annual massive international sporting event, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, will be held in its usual format or as a virtual competition if the situation it is not secure enough.

Andris Nords, the former director of the Riga marathon, admitted that at this point it is impossible to predict how the situation will evolve with the pandemic in the coming months. If fall lifts all restrictions, the marathon will continue in an atmosphere of worthy celebration. Otherwise, an innovative solution will be used to keep the event in line with epidemiological guidelines, Nords promised.

“For the first time in the event’s history, the marathon can also take place virtually, and participants have the opportunity to run their Rimi Riga marathon race individually, recording their distance and time in a specially developed app,” said Nords. Final product