This year's Riga Marathon raised almost EUR 17 million for the national economy - organizers

RIGA - The Rimi Riga Marathon, which took place in May, has attracted almost EUR 17 million to the country's economy this year, LETA was informed by the marathon's representatives.

The Riga Marathon Economic Impact Study, which was carried out according to the methodology of the Ministry of Education and Science by surveying participants of the race, estimates that foreigners, who came to the marathon this year by 40 percent more than last year, stayed and spent money in Riga for an average of four days, bringing EUR 7.46 million to the Latvian accommodation and catering sector, while allowing the state to collect up to EUR 2.48 million in tax revenue.

It was also found that the event attracted EUR 16,759,900 in foreign money to the Latvian economy, significantly more than in 2024, when the economic impact of the Rimi Riga Marathon was estimated at EUR 10.5 million.

The amount of taxes collected for the national budget from foreigners' spending has also increased, from EUR 1.5 million last year to EUR 2.48 million this year. The study also concluded that for every euro allocated by the Riga City Council (the total co-financing of the marathon by the Riga City Council in 2025 was EUR 191,060), the event would raise EUR 88 for the economy of Riga and Pieriga, or the areas surrounding the capital.

In May this year, a record number of participants took part in the marathon - 40,122 (last year 33,033), of which 6,017 were foreign runners. This is a significant increase compared to 4,305 foreign participants in 2024. 69 percent of foreign participants traveled to Riga with family or friends, bringing the total number of foreign guests to 12,346 from 109 countries. Guests stayed in Latvia for 3.9 days, spending an average of EUR 333 per day, spending 48,095 nights in Riga accommodation establishments and contributing EUR 7.46 million to the Latvian accommodation and catering sector.

The most foreign participants came from Germany, Great Britain, Lithuania, Finland and Estonia, which were also among the most represented countries last year. International participants mostly chose the long distances - classic marathon, half marathon and 10 kilometers.