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News18 Jan 2023


Mass registration opens for the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga

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WRRC Riga 23

The inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships, which will take place on 30 September and 1 October 2023, in Riga, will be the most significant public sporting and athletics event in the history of the Baltic countries. 

This unique global running festival, which will crown the world mile, 5km and half marathon champions, will see tens of thousands of amateur runners from at least 100 countries competing alongside elite runners. 

With 365 days to go, any recreational runner who is ready for a challenge can register for any of the official mass races of the World Championships in Riga and earn a unique medal from the  World Athletics Road Running Championships.

 

From the left side: Mayor or Riga Mārtiņš Staķis, two-time New York City Marathon winner Jeļena Prokopčuka, Director of Competition and Events for World Athletics Jakob Larsen, General Secretary at Latvian Athletics Association Dmitrijs Miļkevičs, Head of the Organising Team of the WRRC Riga 23 Aigars Nords, Executive Advisor for the WRRC Riga 23 Paul Hardy.

From the left side: Mayor of Riga Mārtiņš Staķis, two-time New York City Marathon winner Jeļena Prokopčuka, Director of Competition and Events for World Athletics Jakob Larsen, General Secretary of the Latvian Athletics Association Dmitrijs Miļkevičs, Head of the Organising Team of the WRRC Riga 23 Aigars Nords, Executive Advisor of the WRRC Riga 23 Paul Hardy.


World Athletics nominated the Rimi Riga Marathon team and the Latvian Athletics Association to host the championships in July of 2021. The organisers are certain that the championships will promote athletics and public fitness, as well as become a significant base for Riga and Latvia’s international recognition. The championships are supported by Riga City Council, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, and the Rimi Riga Marathon. 

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe commented: “We aim to shape the first World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga as the ultimate road running experience for both the elite and recreational runners. The new format of the championships will help our sport by showcasing the power of road running and mass participation, inspiring younger generations, and driving sports tourism. We expect a record international attendance and are very much looking forward to welcoming the fans of running to Riga, the capital of Latvia, in 2023.”

The World Championships will feature not only the greatest running stars, but also amateur running enthusiasts from Latvia, the Baltics, and the world. Organisers are preparing to host up to 30,000 running tourists from at least 100 countries in Riga, and are also hoping for a very active Latvian participation in all mass races 

“The fact that the new championship format allows any running enthusiast to earn a real World Championships medal seems almost unbelievable. In what other sport would this be possible? Only in running! That’s why the first World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga are a dream come true for the local organising committee — the Championships in this format will play a crucial role in popularising athletics and will give Riga a chance to shine on the world running stage, strengthening its reputation as a premier running destination,” adds Aigars Nords, Head of the Organising Team of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.

Organisers have already launched an expansive campaign and slogan — “Riga: World Capital of Running” — in Riga’s most significant tourism markets to attract marathon tourists and ensure that first World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga in October attract a record number of overseas runners. 

Registration for the World Road Running Championships in Riga

Hopefuls can register for the mass races in Riga in the mile, 5km and half marathon races from today in the registration section. As usual, it will cost less for those who register early, while the participation fee will increase closer to the event. 

A festive atmosphere will be created throughout the city with the involvement of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2023. The organisers of the championships have collaborated successfully with the festival in the past, so, with the involvement of hundreds of choir singers and dancers, runners at the World Championships will once again be greeted by the Song and Dance Festival.