Boston bombing will affect Riga Marathon

  • 2013-04-16

RIGA - The tragic double bombing during the Boston Marathon on Monday will affect how marathons are organized throughout the world, including the May 19 ''Nordea'' Riga Marathon, the organizer of the event Aigars Nords said.

He said that additional security measures for the Riga Marathon will be implemented.

“It is a shame that such a tragedy has hit the world of the marathon race, which is a sport that has always united,” Nords told LETA. “This was a shameful and senseless act of terrorism.”

“What happened in Boston will most certainly influence many of the world's top marathons, like New York and London. These events will be held under much tighter security than usual. They will affect Latvia a bit less, as we are not a target country for terrorists,” Nords added.

“However, we will increase security measures for the Riga Marathon in wake of the Boston bombings, though these measures will not be over the top,” Nords said, adding that security is the main priority for the organizers of any mass event.

As reported, yesterday afternoon local time, two bombs struck near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing at least three people and injuring more than 140. According to the Latvian Embassy in the United States, there are no Latvian nationals among the injured.

Latvia's highest officials have expressed their condolences to the friends and families of the victims of the bombing.