World 5 km Championships

The inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships, which will take place on 30 September and 1 October 2023 in Riga, Latvia, will crown the world 5 km champions, and will see thousands of amateur runners from at least 100 countries competing alongside elite runners.

Start times for the 5 km distance:

Sunday, October 1

10:00 - 5 km mass start

12:00 - 5 km, elite women

12:25 - 5 km, elite men

Get to know the World 5 km Championships course below and make sure to check out the rest of the courses as well - the Road Mile and the Half-Marathon. Wouldn’t it be great to run all of them in Riga? 

The course

The start and finish area – the Embankment – is the same for both 5 km and Half-Marathon courses. It is the Gate to Old Riga and is right on the main river Daugava – the Embankment is wide, spacious, and right in the heart of the city making it easily accessible for Championship runners, fans, and spectators!

Right after the Start, we cross the Stone Bridge, allowing perfect UNESCO Heritage Old Riga Views, and head to Pārdaugava, the other bank of river Daugava, known for its contrasting architecture combining the National Library, wooden architecture and Riga’s skyscrapers, some of which we’ll pass on the way.

We return to Old Riga over Vanšu bridge (Suspension bridge) offering a spectacular Panorama of the City. The good news is that Vanšu bridge and Stone bridge are pretty much the only hills on the course since the rest of Riga is pretty flat.

After passing the National Theatre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we’ll turn around to head straight to the finish line on the Embankment.

Register

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

Register now!