The Riga marathon, which the Latvian capital city traditionally hosts in May, has been moved to October 10 and 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said Tuesday.
Depending on the COVID-19 restrictions that still might be effective in Latvia at that time, the annual international mass sporting event, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, will be held either in its usual format or as a virtual running competition if the epidemiological situation is not safe enough.
Andris Nords, the long-standing director of the Riga marathon, admitted that at this point it is impossible to predict how the situation with the pandemic will evolve in following months. If all restrictions are lifted by the fall, the marathon will go ahead in a befittingly celebratory atmosphere. If not, an innovative solution will be used to hold the event in line with epidemiological guidelines, Nords promised.
“For the first time in the event’s history, the marathon may also happen virtually, with participants being given the opportunity to run their Rimi Riga marathon race individually, recording their distance and time in a specially-developed app,” Nords said. Enditem
