Riga marathon now will be called Rimi Riga Marathon

RIGA – The Riga marathon will start its new season with a new main partner Rimi, and will be called the Rimi Riga Marathon, organizers of the event reported.

“Rimi’s support of the Marathon will allow us to popularize running culture and healthy lifestyle with even greater force, introduce significant improvements in the field of sustainable development, and pay particular attention to the involvement of children and young people. Northern Europe’s only IAAF Gold Label marathon will now also strengthen its international significance with world-class organization, attracting tens of thousands of marathon runners from around the world to Latvia and Riga, the organizers said.

Rimi has been an important partner of the marathon since 2008, when, along with Nordea and Tet (before April 1 this year Lattelecom), the Baltics’ largest running festival was being developed.

Rimi Latvija Chairman of the Board Valdis Turlais said: “We are proud that our 12 years of collaboration are being crowned with us taking on the role of main partner. For the past five years we have been working actively to attract the youngest generation to the Riga Marathon. Going forward, we will continue what we started, ensuring that we work together to inspire Latvian families to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.”

Head of the Rimi Riga Marathon organizing team Aigars Nords underscored the common goals: “We have formed a close and harmonious partnership with Rimi. Our aims and vision regarding a healthy lifestyle and green thinking are aligned. Along with Rimi and our other long-term partners WESS Toyota, Sportland, Riga City Council and LIVE RIGA, we want to make Latvia even more active, attracting the stars of Latvian and world athletics and paying particular attention to families, children and young people. Meanwhile, we will continue to strengthen Riga as the regional center in the league of Europe’s top marathons, not only with IAAF Gold Label-standard organization, but also with new improvements in the field of sustainable development. We will become even greener and more environmentally-friendly, attempting to leave the smallest environmental footprint possible.”

In 2019, the Riga Marathon gave runners the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics and World Championships, with almost 40,000 running enthusiasts from 82 countries gathering on the streets of Riga alongside world-class running stars; the Rimi Kids’ Day races attracted almost 13,000 children.

The Rimi Riga Marathon’s 30th anniversary season will be formally launched on September 16th by Riga’s Freedom Monument, where the starting pistol was fired thirty years ago for the first Riga Marathon.

On September 16, the starting pistol will be fired to open the season. The all-day event will close with a symbolic evening 7km run through the streets of Riga and a 30th anniversary cake cutting.

The Rimi Riga Marathon will be held on May 16-17, 2020.