Kenya&rsquo;s Peres Jepchirchir underlined her status as one of the all-time greats by claiming a third world half marathon title at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1), the 30-year-old utilising her fearsome finishing speed to take gold in 1:07:25.
She was followed home by compatriot Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi in 1:07:26, with Catherine Reline Amanang&rsquo;ole completing a 1-2-3 for Kenya in 1:07:34.
&ldquo;I wanted to win three times and make history, and thank God I have made it,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir. &ldquo;It was my birthday this week and I told my husband I would work extra hard to get the win.&rdquo;
Jepchirchir led Kenya to a decisive victory in the team title, their first since 2016, when they also swept the medal positions. Their top three had a cumulative time of 3:22:25, with Ethiopia second with 3:27:55 and Great Britain and Northern Ireland claiming bronze with 3:29:15.
&ldquo;I am so happy for team Kenya,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir. &ldquo;I knew we would sweep this as a team because I trust my colleagues so much.&rdquo;
On a cool, sunny afternoon in the Latvian capital, Jepchirchir once again played a very patient game, the Olympic marathon champion and women-only half marathon world record holder content to let the pace remain steady through much of the race, knowing she possessed a gear no one else could live with when it counted most.
The early pace was relatively pedestrian, with a group of 22 hitting the 5km mark clustered together, led by Britain&rsquo;s Samantha Harrison in 16:25. But that pack began to whittle soon after, with a group of eight passing 10km in 32:19.
Jepchirchir, Chelimo Kipkemboi and Reline Amanang&rsquo;ole took turns at the front soon after, with British duo Harrison and Calli Thackery also putting in a shift in the breezy conditions. But in the third quarter, Harrison and Thackery began to lose contention while the Kenyans started to apply pressure up front, Amanang&rsquo;ole passing 15km in 48:33 and six athletes left in the battle for the podium positions.
That was soon down to five, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ftaw Zeray dropping away. Jepchirchir ran at the back of the pack as they approached 20km, marking her opponents&rsquo; every move. But as they ran through the old town and back towards the finish, alongside the River Daugava, Jepchirchir began to take closer order, with just one Ethiopian, Tsigie Gebreselama, sandwiched among the four Kenyans.
The 20km mark, reached in 1:04:20, was Jepchirchir&rsquo;s cue to make her first big effort, surging to the front and quickly checking the effect on her rivals, with only her compatriot Irine Jepchumba Kimais dropping away. But with Kipkemboi soon taking up the pace, the Kenyans swiftly had what they wanted &ndash; with Gebreselama dropping off the leading trio.
Leading into the wind in the final kilometre, Kipkemboi began to veer around the road, hoping for assistance from those behind, but by then it was every woman for themselves, Jepchirchir smartly sitting in her teammate&rsquo;s slipstream until she drew inside the final 400 metres, at which point she unleashed that renowned change of pace, surging to gold.
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;When I saw the tape, I started celebrating,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir, who admitted she couldn&rsquo;t sleep the night before as she was worried about the race. But with another global title in the bag, she has big plans for the year ahead.
&ldquo;Next month I&rsquo;m going to run the New York City Marathon,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir, who will then train her sights on retaining her Olympic marathon title. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s my prayer; I pray to God for good health to get that chance. I will try my best.&rdquo;
Silver medallist Chelimo Kipkemboi said: &ldquo;It was great to run with Peres today. I am always proud to run for Kenya. I was fourth at the World Championships on the track so to get a medal today is very special. It&rsquo;s very nice to see that I&rsquo;m progressing and next, I will race the Valencia Half Marathon.&rdquo;
Amanang&rsquo;ole was content with her bronze, saying: &ldquo;It was a very tough race but I&rsquo;m super excited because it is my first time running this event.&rdquo;
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S HALF MARATHON MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Peres Jepchirchir 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">1:07:25</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">1:07:26</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Catherine Reline Amanang'ole 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">1:07:34</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/women/half-marathon/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

World Athletics Road Running Championships

Jepchirchir takes third global half marathon crown

Jepchirchir takes third global half marathon title in Riga

The men&rsquo;s mile lived up to its status as the most wide-open event of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 as USA&rsquo;s 20-year-old Hobbs Kessler took a surprising victory in a world record of 3:56.13*.
In a close and frantic finish with the first nine men placing within two seconds of one another, Britain&rsquo;s Callum Elson took an equally surprising silver in a PB of 3:56.41, finishing just 0.02 ahead of former world record-holder Sam Prakel, who took bronze.
Kenya&rsquo;s world U20 mile record-holder Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot led during the early stages and reached the first turn before anyone else, but the teenager was soon caught by the rest of the field.
South Africa&rsquo;s Ryan Mphahlele and Kenya&rsquo;s Kyumbe Munguti then edged into the lead and passed the 1km marker in 2:29, but there were still about 20 runners in close contact, including Kessler, Elson and Prakel.
Mphahlele was first to reach the final turn and he continued to lead as the clock ticked over to 3:00, but more than a dozen men were still packed close behind, ready to strike. The South African eventually dropped into the pack as Kessler made a move on the side of the pack.
With about 20 seconds of running left, Munguti, Elson, Canada&rsquo;s Kieren Lumb and Eritrea&rsquo;s Yobiel Weldrufael were level with Kessler. But with the finish in sight, Kessler proved to have the better sprint finish as he broke the tape in 3:56.13.
Elson and Prakel, on either side of the lead pack, tried their best to catch the former high school phenomenon, but had to make do with silver (3:56.41) and bronze (3:56.43) respectively.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
"It's been a a really up and down year and I luckily got in really good shape at the end of the season," said Kessler. "The road mile is a very American event and we're quite experienced in them. I'm very proud of myself.&nbsp;
"Nick Willis texted me before it and said, 'draft as long as you can,' there was a big headwind in the last 800 metres, and about 150 metres out I struck for home, but immediately regretted it as I got hit with a big blast of wind. I didn't realise how close it was. I was waiting for them to run me down.&nbsp;
"I just bought a house two weeks ago so now I have some money for furniture, I guess."
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">MEN'S MILE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Hobbs Kessler 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">3:56.13 WR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Callum Elson 🇬🇧 GBR</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">3:56.41 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Sam Prakel 🇺🇸 USA</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">3:56.43 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/men/road-mile/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Hobbs Kessler clocks world record of 3:56.13

Kessler takes surprise mile victory in Riga with world record of 3:56.13

Ethiopia&rsquo;s Diribe Welteji turned the tables on Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Kipyegon to win the inaugural women's world mile title in a world record of 4:20.98* at the&nbsp;World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23&nbsp;on Sunday (1).
Kicking away from Kipyegon &ndash; the multiple world champion and world record-holder on the track &ndash; as they passed the Freedom Monument in the closing stages of the race, world 1500m silver medallist Welteji didn&rsquo;t look back. The 21-year-old strode to her first senior title, eventually leading an Ethiopian top two as Freweyni Hailu passed Kipyegon in the closing stages and got the silver &ndash; 4:23.06 to 4:24.13.
Kipyegon claimed the world 1500m title ahead of Welteji in Budapest in August, the Kenyan star gaining another honour in a sensational season that has included world 1500m, mile and 5000m records on the track and a world 5000m title to go with that 1500m win in Hungary.
As she took to streets of the Latvian capital for her first ever road race, Kipyegon looked focused as she went straight to the front and the field quickly strung out behind her.
But she was joined by Welteji, Hailu and her Kenyan compatriot Nelly Chepchirchir, and it soon became clear that those four athletes would be battling for the three places on the podium, and victory was not a foregone conclusion.
Kipyegon and Welteji had opened up a gap on Hailu and Chepchirchir after a kilometre of running and were two seconds ahead at that point, passing the 1km mark in 2:41.00.
As they raced towards the finish line in Riga&rsquo;s old town, Kipyegon was looking a little less comfortable. Glancing over her shoulder, she couldn&rsquo;t hold off the well-judged attack from Welteji, who passed her as they ran by the central landmark.
Breaking the tape, Welteji won her first senior world title in 4:20.98, improving on the inaugural road mile record of 4:27.97 set by Nikki Hiltz in Des Moines in April.&nbsp;
Welteji adds this win to the world U20 800m title she won as a 16-year-old at her first ever international competition in Tampere in 2018, while she also claimed world U20 1500m silver in Nairobi in 2021 before getting her first senior world medal in Budapest behind Kipyegon.
World indoor 800m silver medallist Hailu followed her teammate over the finish line in Riga to secure the silver, while Kipyegon got the bronze. Chepchirchir finished fourth in 4:31.18 and Australia&rsquo;s Jess Hull was fifth in 4:32.45. Hull has competed in all three World Athletics Series events in 2023, claiming mixed relay bronze at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst and finishing seventh in the 1500m final at the World Championships in Budapest.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;It was hard, the weather is not good for me,&rdquo; said Welteji. &ldquo;When I saw Faith in front, near the line, at that moment I decided to sprint. I could sense that she was tired, and I had it in my mind: 'I can beat her.'
&ldquo;I came here to win, to write history and to motivate the new generations of our athletes.&rdquo;
Hailu was also delighted with her performance. &ldquo;It is a big honour for me to be a part of this competition,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I am proud to have won a silver medal for Ethiopia.&rdquo;
At the end of a busy season, Kipyegon reflected: &ldquo;It was a very successful season, but unfortunately, I am a little bit tired today. It feels good to be part of these first World Road Running Championships, so I am glad I did it. This was my first road race, so I did well.&rdquo;
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px; width: 100%;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S MILE MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Diribe Welteji 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">4:20.98 WR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Freweyni Hailu 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">4:23.06 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Faith Kipyegon 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">4:24.13 PB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px; width: 100%;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/women/road-mile/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji turned the tables on Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon to win the inaugural women's world mile title in a world record of 4:20.98* at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday

Welteji breaks world mile record to pip Hailu and Kipyegon in Riga 

Ten years after winning the world U20 cross-country title, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hagos Gebrhiwet earned his long-awaited first senior global title by winning the men&rsquo;s 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.
The 29-year-old crossed the line in 12:59 to lead an Ethiopian 1-2 finish from Yomif Kejelcha (13:02). Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir earned his first global medal, taking bronze in 13:16.
Few were keen to make a move during the initial incline on Stone Bridge in the opening kilometre. South Africa&rsquo;s Maxime Chaumeton found himself the early leader of the large lead pack with Kejelcha tucked close behind.
The first kilometre was covered in 2:41, and after five minutes of running Kejelcha moved into the lead and started to push the pace, covering the second kilometre in 2:39. Kenya&rsquo;s Cornelius Kemboi was in second place at this stage with Gebrhiwet and Kipkorir close behind.
As the course headed over Vansu Bridge back towards Riga&rsquo;s old town, Kejelecha once again tried to ramp up the pace, the two-time world indoor champion bidding to win his first senior outdoor global crown. He reached 3km in 7:58, but had compatriot Gebrhiwet for company.
The Ethiopian duo stayed close together through the fourth kilometre, covered in 2:32, but roughly a minute later Gebrhiwet darted into the lead. Kejelcha tried to go with him, but once the finish line was in sight, there was no catching Gebrhiwet, who unleashed a superb finishing kick to charge through the finish in 12:59.
Kejelcha followed three seconds later, with Kipkorir crossing the line in 13:16. Eritrea&rsquo;s little-known Dawit Seare passed a fading Kemboi in the closing stages to finish fourth in a national record of 13:21, three seconds ahead of the Kenyan.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Gebrhiwet&rsquo;s victory capped a superb season for the 29-year-old. A decade ago, while still an U20 athlete, he took 5000m silver at the World Championships in Moscow, which he followed with 5000m bronze at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 World Championships.
He hadn&rsquo;t made a major championships podium since then, but he set a 5000m PB of 12:42.18 to win in Monaco earlier this year before going on to finish sixth over that distance in Budapest.
Here in Riga, though, it was once again his time to shine.
"Coming to this race, I was thinking about Budapest," said Gebrhiwet. "I was sick in Budapest and I could not perform well at the World Championships, so I am very proud of what I achieved right now. It is a historic moment for me and for my country to become the first road running world champion. One year ago, maybe I would not even think of running here but now, I am very glad I managed to come and take this victory.
"The biggest difference between Budapest and Riga is the weather," he added. "The conditions in Riga are very similar to ours in Ethiopia. In Budapest it was just too hot and I didn't feel well. It was a bit windy today, but the competition was of a very high level and the start was very fast. The home straight and the finish was very hard for me, but I am the world champion and that is the most important thing."
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">MEN'S 5km MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Hagos Gebrhiwet 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">12:59 CR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Yomif Kejelcha 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">13:02</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Nicholas Kipkorir 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">13:16 SB</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/men/5-kilometres/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Ethiopian wins in 12:59

Gebrhiwet takes long-awaited senior global title with 5km triumph in Riga

Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chebet completed a 2023 world title double, claiming the first gold medal of the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1).
On a bright and breezy morning, the 23-year-old &ndash; who won the world cross country title in Bathurst in February &ndash; led a Kenyan top two in the women's 5km, clocking 14:35 for a time just six seconds off the women-only world record.
Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, the 2017 world cross country bronze medallist, finished four seconds behind her Kenyan teammate to secure the silver medal, holding off Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ejgayehu Taye, the world record-holder for the women's 5km in a mixed race, by one second &ndash; 14:39 to 14:40.
In the first elite race action of the championships in the Latvian capital, Uganda&rsquo;s Joy Cheptoyek and Peruth Chemutai placed themselves either side of a lead breakaway pack early on, flanking Chebet and Rengeruk, with Taye and her compatriot Medina Eisa just behind them.
Rengeruk and Cheptoyek led a group of nine athletes through the 1km mark in 2:55, the start of the race including a slight incline into a bit of a headwind as athletes crossed the Daugava River for the first time.
Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi and Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Chemutai were unable to maintain the quick opening pace and were dropped by 2km, that point passed by a lead group of seven in 5:54. Taye was to the fore at that stage, followed by Chebet, Rengeruk, Cheptoyek, Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti, Eisa and USA&rsquo;s Weini Kelati.
The course then took athletes back over the river, with 3km reached in 8:53 &ndash; that seven-strong group still intact and all the podium places still to race for. As the group forged ahead, Kelati was dropped and Taye was at the front as 4km was reached in 11:47.
With the first world title of the day in sight, Taye kicked, but Chebet was right on her shoulder. As they ran back towards the river, ready to make a final left turn towards the finish line, the race was down to Taye, Chebet, Rengeruk and Eisa.
After they took that final corner, and with the finish line in view, it was Chebet's turn to kick &ndash; determined to complete a world podium treble this year. She did it in style, getting another gold after her win in Bathurst and her 5000m bronze medal win at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/6516b4533a10607034090886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch Again &ndash; 5km and Road Mile</a>
<iframe src="https://players.brightcove.net/6415670005001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6338197225112" width="100%" height="475" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&ldquo;I had to be confident,&rdquo; said Chebet. &ldquo;It was not easy, but the last time I ran the 5000m in Oregon (at the Wanda Diamond League Final, where she finished second), I saw I could deliver and today I delivered. It was just an amazing race, something amazing.&rdquo;
Reflecting on her successful season, she added: &ldquo;Winning the World Cross Country, then running 14:05 for 5000m on the track, the third fastest time in history, then today, winning the 5km, it makes me so happy.&rdquo;
Following the medallists over the finish line was Eisa, who clocked 14:41, four seconds ahead of Battocletti, whose 14:45 improved the Italian record.
Cheptoyek was sixth in 14:50 and Kelati seventh in 15:10 &ndash; both marks also improving the respective national records. Britain&rsquo;s Verity Ockenden completed the top eight in a 15:18 PB.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid; height: 110px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center; height: 22px;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S 5km MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">Beatrice Chebet 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968; height: 22px;">14:35</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">Lilian Kasait Rengeruk 🇰🇪 KEN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9; height: 22px;">14:39</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center; height: 22px;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">Ejgayehu Taye 🇪🇹 ETH</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e; height: 22px;">14:40</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left; height: 22px;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/results/women/5-kilometres/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet completed a 2023 world title double, claiming the first gold medal of the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday

Chebet wins world 5km title, claiming the first crown in Riga

At the upcoming World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, set to unfold in the heart of Latvia's capital this weekend, an impressive 13,334 participants from over 100 countries have eagerly registered. This event has now etched its mark in Baltic history as the most geographically diverse sports spectacle.
This extraordinary championship beckons athletes to share the track with Olympic and world champions, drawing representatives from 56 national teams. What's truly special is that, for the first time, it extends a warm welcome to every running enthusiast, families, and children alike, boasting a staggering total of 13,334 registered runners hailing from more than 100 countries.
On Sunday, the titles of champions will be fiercely contested in road mile, 5 km, and the half marathon. A distinguished cohort of 332 elite runners will be followed by passionate running enthusiasts in mass races, all striving to clinch well-deserved World Championships medals at the glorious finish line.
The World Championship running event dedicated to Rimi Kids&rsquo; Day, which marked a historic day in Baltic athletics on September 30, witnessed 3,065 young runners registering for the 200m, 400m, Babies courses, and the thrilling 50m sprint, where the crowning of the "Sprint King and Queen" took center stage.
From every corner of Latvia, students have embraced the challenge across various distances. In the intense competition for the Latvian School Cup, 50 educational institutions will vie for victory, forming a formidable team of almost 2,000 students. The Signet Bank Team Cup has attracted over 70 teams from leading Latvian companies, with the Rimi team proudly claiming the title of the largest contingent.
In 2023, Riga proudly stands as the World Road Running Capital, hosting the World Athletics Road Running Championships. This weekend is not just about the significant influx of foreign participants&mdash;2,575 runners from 100 countries, with Estonia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, and Lithuania leading the representation. Three diverse international conferences related to running will also be a highlight, with the Global Running Conference taking the lead.
<h3>Top 13 countries competing in the World Road Running Championships Mass Races:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Latvia</li>
<li>Estonia</li>
<li>United Kingdom</li>
<li>Germany</li>
<li>Poland</li>
<li>Lithuania</li>
<li>Norway</li>
<li>USA</li>
<li>France</li>
<li>Finland</li>
<li>Spain</li>
<li>Denmark</li>
<li>Italy</li>
</ul>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Event Schedule on October 1:</h3>
&nbsp;
10:00 - 5 km mass run at the foot of the Stone Bridge
11:30 - Road mile race mass run near the Latvian National Museum of Art
11:50 - 5 km elite race | women at the Stone Bridge
12:15 - 5 km elite race | men at the Stone Bridge
13:00 - Road mile elite race | women near the Latvian National Museum of Art
13:10 - Road mile elite race | men near the Latvian National Museum of Art
13:30 - Half marathon elite race | women
14:15 - Half marathon elite race | men at the Stone Bridge
14:15 - Half marathon and 21 km relay mass run at the Stone Bridge
15:30 - Awards ceremony at the Embankment
&nbsp;

At the upcoming World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, set to unfold in the heart of Latvia's capital this weekend, an impressive 13,334 participants from over 100 countries.

Mass Races Await as Over 13,334 Runners from over 100 Countries!

Two days ahead of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said that the Latvian capital will mark an important chapter for the sport on 1 October when it hosts the newest World Athletics Series event.
More than 300 of the world&rsquo;s best endurance runners &ndash; including Olympic gold medallists, world champions and world record-holders &ndash; will compete for global titles in the road mile, 5km and half marathon. Recreational runners from around the world, meanwhile, will be able to participate in the same distances on the same day.
The event will offer the first ever free global World Athletics live stream of a championships; fans across the world can watch the action live by <a style="color: #f48033; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/watch-riga-23?utm_source=Worldathleticsbanner&amp;utm_medium=Web&amp;utm_campaign=Riga-Livestream&amp;utm_content=Editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://worldathletics.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D3c4427c3b82ef23e5076f1ead%26id%3D2e492bbb32%26e%3D71a7ff184c&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1696071396879000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2RScejMk1cTTBN2GtwqNSG">signing up to Inside Track</a>. The road mile and 5km broadcasts will be open to all registered Inside Track users. Access to the live stream of the half marathon may be subject to broadcast rights restrictions in certain countries.
&ldquo;Riga, over the next few days, will make history,&rdquo; said Coe, speaking at the pre-championships press conference. &ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t had a new World Athletics Series event since the inaugural World Relays in 2014. We&rsquo;re bringing a unique running festival to the market and we&rsquo;re delighted that Riga is the host of these new championships. We have been working with a great members federation and an exceptional organising committee.
&ldquo;I see Riga as not just a global festival of running and outstanding suffusion of middle-distance and distance runners; it&rsquo;s an important way of democratising our sport. There are very few sports in the world where recreational participants can compete in the same event as world and Olympic champions.
&ldquo;This is a celebration of running at its best, across different distances,&rdquo; added Coe. &ldquo;From a personal perspective, I&rsquo;m delighted that we&rsquo;ve been able to formally enshrine the mile in a world championships, melding it with the 5km and half marathon. It&rsquo;s an important way of saying that, at every level, running is the most accessible and practised sport on the planet.&rdquo;
For Aigars Nords, head of the local organising committee, the event has secured Riga&rsquo;s place on the world road running map. The Latvian capital already welcomes runners for the Rimi Riga Marathon and Half Marathon, both World Athletics Label road races, and now many more stars in the sport will be taking to the city&rsquo;s streets, joined by mass event runners from more than 100 countries.
&ldquo;In 2021, when we were bidding for the World Athletics Road Running Championships here in Riga, we had this one secret goal &ndash; a long-term goal &ndash; in our minds and that was to put Riga on the world road running map,&rdquo; said Nords. &ldquo;Here we are, two and a half years later, on the eve of this unique championship.
&ldquo;This championship marks several historic firsts. It is a first World Athletics Series event that has ever happened in the Baltic countries, it is the first World Road Running Championships, and it is the first World Road Running Championships where the mass race runners can run together with the elite. I am very happy that Riga has been entrusted with this very significant task, to write a new page in road running &ndash; that is how we see it.&rdquo;
Jelena Prokopcuka, the Latvian great who twice won the New York City Marathon, said the championships were a &ldquo;great event for Latvia&rdquo; and that she was &ldquo;very happy to be a part of it&rdquo; as an event ambassador.
However, Prokopcuka will be no bystander on Sunday, the 47-year-old lacing up her shoes to compete in the half marathon alongside the masses. A bronze medallist at the 2002 World Half Marathon Championships, she knows this will be a far more relaxed effort as she tours the streets of the Latvian capital.
&ldquo;This race is a very big challenge for me, the last time I ran a half marathon was five years ago,&rdquo; she smiled. &ldquo;I will run with people who love running, who will participate in the championships for the first time. Each runner has their goals, and I&rsquo;d like to wish everyone to achieve their goals. Good luck on Sunday.&rdquo;
Peres Jepchirchir has lofty goals this weekend. The Olympic marathon champion from Kenya is looking to become just the fourth woman in history to win three world titles at the half marathon.
&ldquo;I know it won&rsquo;t be easy and the level of competition is very high, but I&rsquo;m going to try to do my best,&rdquo; said Jepchirchir, who won the world half marathon title in 2016 and 2020. &ldquo;Defending a title is never easy, but it&rsquo;s not hard if you&rsquo;ve trained well. I&rsquo;ve been focusing more on the marathon this year, but I&rsquo;m still going to try my best on Sunday.
&ldquo;Last year I was injured,&rdquo; added Jepchirchir, who returned to action in April with a third-place finish at the London Marathon in 2:18:38. &ldquo;But now I&rsquo;m completely healed and injury-free. I won the Great North Run a few weeks ago and I&rsquo;m looking ahead to the New York Marathon.&rdquo;
Australia&rsquo;s Jess Hull is among a select group of athletes who have competed at all three World Athletics Series events in 2023. Her year started with the World Athletics Cross Country Championships on home soil in Bathurst in February, it continued at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August and now it comes to a close on the roads of Riga, where she will race the mile.
&ldquo;As distance runners, we&rsquo;re lucky that we can be so versatile and we do have three opportunities to run at a global level across this season,&rdquo; explained the Oceanian record-holder, who claimed mixed relay bronze in Bathurst and finished seventh in the 1500m final in Budapest.
&ldquo;It has been an incredible season and if I can be just as consistent as I have been and tie a bow on what has been a great year, it&rsquo;s going to be really fun. Being part of the excitement of a brand new event has made it something to look forward to at the end of the calendar.&rdquo;
Riga also gives Hull the chance to race against Kenya&rsquo;s multiple world record-breaker Faith Kipyegon again, as she makes her road race debut. Hull ran a 1500m PB of 3:57.29 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence in June, in a race that Kipyegon won in a world record of 3:49.11.
Of all the experiences she has had so far this year, that race is unsurprisingly one of Hull's highlights.
&ldquo;It was my PB, but being a part of the race when Faith broke the world record &ndash; and I think even surprised herself that night &ndash; was just incredible,&rdquo; she reflected. &ldquo;To be part of that field who celebrated her success and her journey to being the world record-holder &ndash; I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ll ever forget that moment.&rdquo;
USA&rsquo;s Sam Prakel comes into the championships as a marked man after his time of 4:01.21 to win the US Road Mile Championships in Des Moines in April was recently ratified as the inaugural world record. The 28-year-old said the mantle of world record holder is &ldquo;an honour&rdquo;, adding: &ldquo;The mile is something I&rsquo;ve been racing since a very young age. Everyone knows it&rsquo;s not the fastest record, but it&rsquo;s a testament to my consistency and always showing up to every race.
Prakel will be proud to don the USA vest again having narrowly missed out on this year&rsquo;s World Athletics Championships in Budapest. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the best track team in the world,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;When they announced this event last year, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I even scheduled my wedding for a week later so I could be here for this.&rdquo;
Prakel admitted the road is his favourite surface and Sunday&rsquo;s race will be his 17th road mile. He knows it presents a very different tactical challenge to the track. &ldquo;The strategy is a little different, mentally,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In a road mile, you&rsquo;re having to go off feel. I&rsquo;m good at knowing my body and gauging my effort. Knowing the course is important. Every road mile I do, I study the course.&rdquo;

Highlights from the pre-event press conference

Coe: Riga set to make history with celebration of running at its best

Around 340 athletes &ndash; including Olympic and world champions &ndash; from some 56 teams will compete in the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 on Sunday (1).
Global titles in the road mile, 5km and half marathon are up for grabs in the Latvian capital, as those three distances are contested together at one championships for the first time.
The elite action starts with the women's 5km at 11:50am local time (EEST) and ends with the men's half marathon from 2:15pm. You can keep up to date with the latest on the World Athletics website, its associated platforms, and via a <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/watch-riga-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free live stream</a>.
Here's how you can follow it all. 
<h2>Inside Track // LIVE</h2>
The World Athletics live results platform offers an enhanced experience for fans looking to follow the action as it happens. Sign up for free and log in to access even more data including live leaderboards, live team standings, detailed results, race splits and other real-time updates.&nbsp;
<a href="https://identity.worldathletics.org/registration?source=riga-live&amp;tag=riga-live" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Register</a>&nbsp;for Inside Track now.
<div><a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/watch-riga-23?utm_source=Editorial&amp;utm_medium=Web&amp;utm_campaign=Riga-Livestream&amp;utm_content=Editorial&amp;_gl=1*15s6cdx*_ga*MTc2NjY5NTcwNy4xNjkyODg5NTM4*_ga_7FE9YV46NW*MTY5NTkwNTQxOC4xMjIuMS4xNjk1OTA2NzE3LjAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65116d27be242608a00e48cc.jpg" alt="Riga stream banner" /></a>
&nbsp;
</div>
<h2>Where to watch</h2>
Coverage of all three distances &ndash; the&nbsp;road mile, 5km and half marathon &ndash; will be available to watch for free on the World Athletics website.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/watch-riga-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Registration</a> for Inside Track also gives you access to the live stream.
The road mile and 5km broadcasts will be open to all registered users. Access to the live stream of the half marathon may be subject to broadcast rights restrictions in certain countries.
The list below is subject to change, and some broadcasters may only show highlights coverage, while others will show the event live. Please check your local listings to find out more information. 
<table style="height: 198px; width: 100%;" border="1" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Territories</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Broadcasters</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Argentina and South America</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">TyC Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Australia</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">beIN Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Brazil</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Globo</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Hungary</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">MTVA</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Italy</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">RAI</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Latvia</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">LTV</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Morocco</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">SNRT</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">New Zealand</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Sky Network NZ</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Pan Middle East</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">beIN Sports</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">Switzerland</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">SRG / SSR</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">United Kingdom</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">BBC Sport - Red Button, Online and iPlayer</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands</td>
<td style="height: 22px;" width="50%">NBC Peacock</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The live stream will be geoblocked in the following territories: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Chad, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Macau, Mauritania, Morocco, New Zealand, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Yemen 
<h2>Website coverage</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/timetable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable and results</a> Event-by-event previews: <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/news/preview/wrrc-riga-23-preview-mile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mile</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/news/preview/wrrc-riga-23-preview-5km" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5km</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/news/preview/wrrc-riga-23-preview-half-marathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">half marathon</a> 
<h2>Stats</h2>
<a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/65018de9d035e783b52d97ce.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries by event</a> <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/65018e00d035e783b52d97d1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries by country</a> <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/courses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courses</a> <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6516892a3814c5687143b8ea.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6516892a3814c5687143b8ea.pdf">Facts and Figures</a>, edited by Mark Butler <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/651810a33057eb56f6272c6e.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Athlete biographies</a> 
<h2>Social media</h2>
World Athletics: <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/worldathletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@worldathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a> Local organisers:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/wariga23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WARiga23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wariga23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@WARiga23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok</a>

Catch all the action from the global competition in Riga

How to follow and watch the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23

<h1 dir="ltr">Spectators' Guide</h1>
The World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga will bring together the world's fastest runners from all over the world, and some of the world records are likely to be broken. In 4 out of the 6 Championship races world record holders are stepping to the starting line, so this is a unique opportunity to see historical moments both in person in the beautiful Latvian capital Riga and on the livestream that will be available globally!
Find out the times and the best viewing spots from which to watch the world's fastest runners and potential champions in the city as well as details on how to follow live from wherever you are in the world.
<h2>Watch the livestream globally</h2>
<div><a href="https://identity.worldathletics.org/registration?source=riga-live&amp;tag=riga-live" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/650d657b1661417c3b879054.jpg" alt="Riga Landing Page Header " /></a>
&nbsp;
</div>
For the first time, you will be able to watch the road race elite compete in three distances - the Road mile, 5km and Half marathon - all in one day, in the same city.
Don&rsquo;t miss this action-packed event and pre-register at the link below to unlock your exclusive pass to&nbsp;watch the free livestream&nbsp;of the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.
<h3>How to Watch</h3>
1. Make sure to pre-register by creating an&nbsp;Inside Track&nbsp;account via the button below
2. When the livestream is available on the day an email will be sent to your inbox
3. Log in to your Inside Track account to access the stream from&nbsp;11:40 GMT+3
4. Sit back and enjoy this unique festival of running!
&nbsp;
<a class="btn" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #bd94ff; text-decoration-line: none; color: #ffffff; cursor: pointer; padding: 1em 2em; outline: transparent; min-width: 220px; position: relative; font-family: 'World Athletics', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;" href="https://identity.worldathletics.org/registration?source=riga-live&amp;tag=riga-live">Pre-Register now for free</a>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>Where to watch in the city</h2>
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65158a62b704143bcb5d4567.jpg" alt="Supporters on the side of the course" /></div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<h3>5KM</h3>
11.50&nbsp;Women&rsquo;s Elite start at the Stone bridge
~ 12.04&nbsp;Women&rsquo;s Elite leaders finish at the 11 November Embankment
12.15&nbsp;Men&rsquo;s Elite start at the Stone bridge
~12.28&nbsp;Men&rsquo;s Elite leaders finish at the 11 November Embankment
The best places on the course to watch the race:&nbsp;Stone Bridge, Van&scaron;u Bridge, Valdemāra Street near the National Theatre.
<h3>ROAD MILE</h3>
13.00&nbsp;Women&rsquo;s Elite start at the National Art Museum
13.04&nbsp;Women&rsquo;s Elite leaders finish at the Freedom Monument
13.10&nbsp;Men&rsquo;s Elite start at the National Art Museum
13.14&nbsp;Men&rsquo;s Elite leaders finish at the Freedom Monument
The best places on the course to watch the race:&nbsp;start at the Museum of Art, finish at the Freedom Monument and Lāčplē&scaron;a Street (between Valdemāra Street and Brīvības Street)
<h3>HALF MARATHON</h3>
13.30&nbsp;Women&rsquo;s Elite start at the Stone bridge
14.15&nbsp;Men&rsquo;s Elite start at the Stone bridge
~14.35&nbsp;Women&rsquo;s Elite finish at the 11 November Embankment
~15.13&nbsp;Men&rsquo;s Elite finish at the 11 November Embankment
The best places on the course to watch the race:&nbsp;Stone Bridge, Van&scaron;u Bridge, Freedom Monument, Brīvības boulevard, Elizabetes Street, Kalpaka boulevard
&nbsp;

Follow the World Road Running Championships livestream and watch the event in person in the city.

Spectators' Guide: How to follow the Championships

<h2>Traffic Restrictions During The World Championships Weekend In Riga</h2>
During the World Championships on October 1 the roads where the course loops will be closed for traffic. Detailed description of the traffic restrictions can be found <a href="https://www.riga.lv/lv/jaunums/pasaules-cempionata-skriesanas-laika-gaidami-butiski-satiksmes-ierobezojumi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE</a>.
<h3>Please see the scheme of transport movement and route detour:</h3>
<div><a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/65145b94745392a36dbdfee0.pdf?_gl=1*iey173*_ga*ODY5NzE0NzY2LjE2Nzc3MjgyNTc.*_ga_7FE9YV46NW*MTY5NTg3MzM4OC4yNy4xLjE2OTU4NzYwMzQuMC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6514ffee533cc7b63f37937c.jpg" alt="Scheme of transport movement and route detour" /></a>
&nbsp;
</div>
For easier navigation around Riga city centre during the World Athletics Road Running Championships, we suggest using Waze, which will display all planned traffic restrictions. The Waze app is available for free from App Store and Google Play.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Get to know the traffic restrictions during the World Championships weekend in Riga

Traffic Restrictions During The World Championships Weekend In Riga

<h2>Women&rsquo;s half marathon</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/half-marathon/outdoor/women/senior/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/half-marathon/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>
When it comes to major road races, Peres Jepchirchir knows how to get the job done. The Kenyan star turns 30 this week and, at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, she will look to celebrate it in style by claiming her third world half marathon title.&nbsp;
Three women &ndash; Kenya&rsquo;s Tegla Loroupe, Britain&rsquo;s Paula Radcliffe and the Netherlands&rsquo; Lornah Kiplagat &ndash; have accomplished that before and on Sunday afternoon, Jepchirchir will look to complete the hat-trick after prior victories in 2016 and 2020.
Jepchirchir is the Olympic marathon champion and has taken major wins at that distance since then in New York (2021) and Boston (2022). Having struggled with injury through parts of last year, she bounced back to finish third at the London Marathon in April, clocking 2:18:38. She went on to win the Great North Run half marathon on 10 September, clocking 1:06:45, and given her renowned closing speed, the women-only half marathon world record-holder &ndash; who ran 1:05:16 to win her 2020 world title in Gdynia &ndash; will prove tough to beat if she&rsquo;s near her best.
She will be backed up by a slew of formidable teammates, led by Irine Jepchumba Kimais, the Kenyan 10,000m champion who finished a fine fourth at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The 24-year-old is the quickest in the field via her PB of 1:04:37, which she ran to claim victory at the Barcelona Half Marathon in February.
Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi should also feature, boasting a PB of 1:05:26, and she was a 10,000m bronze medallist at last year&rsquo;s World Athletics Championships, finishing fourth in the 5000m this year in Budapest. Catherine Relin is another Kenyan name to watch, the 21-year-old setting her PB of 1:05:39 to finish third in Barcelona in February.
Ethiopia has won the women&rsquo;s individual title just three times in the event&rsquo;s history, a relatively meagre return for such a distance-running superpower, but they have taken the last two team titles and will be keen to make it a third straight in Riga. Their team is led by Tsigie Gebreselama, who will be backed up by Ftaw Zeray, Yalemget Yaregal and Mestawut Fikir.
Gebreselama won silver at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst earlier this year and clocked her half marathon PB of 1:05:46 to finish second in Valencia last October. Zeray has a best of 1:06:04, run at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February, while Yaregal &ndash; who is just 19 &ndash; ran her PB of 1:06:27 in Berlin in April.
Britain&rsquo;s team will be led by Samantha Harrison, who ran her PB of 1:07:17 in Berlin this year, while Sweden&rsquo;s Sarah Lahti &ndash; a 1:08:19 performer at her best &ndash; will also be eyeing a strong finish.
Australia&rsquo;s Isobel Batt-Doyle, France&rsquo;s Mekdes Woldu, Italy&rsquo;s Sofiia Yaremchuk and South Africa&rsquo;s Glenrose Xaba are among the others to have gone under 1:10.
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<h2>Men&rsquo;s half marathon</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/half-marathon/outdoor/men/senior/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/half-marathon/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>
Kenya has won the men&rsquo;s individual half marathon title 13 times in 24 previous editions and they hold strong claims of taking that tally to 14 on Sunday. They have won the men's team title 16 times, with a 17th looking likely given the strength in their ranks.
They boast a trio of sub-59-minute men in Benard Kibet, Charles Kipkurui Langat and Sabastian Kimaru Sawe, while their next man, Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, is a 59:04 performer.
Kibet smashed his PB to clock 58:45 when winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February and he went on to finish fifth in the 10,000m in Budapest last month, while Langat ran his PB of 58:53 to win in Barcelona in February.
Ethiopia is sure to produce a strong showing, with Jemal Yimer Mekonnen the quickest in their ranks. His PB of 58:33 dates back to 2018 though he was close to that in August, finishing second in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Northern Ireland in 58:38. He will be backed up by teammates Nibret Melak, Dinkalem Ayele and Tsegay Kidanu, who are all sub-60 men. Melak finished third at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon last month in 59:49 and ran his PB of 59:06 to win the Lisbon Half Marathon in March.&nbsp;
With the recent withdrawal of reigning champion Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda&rsquo;s charge will be led by Andrew Rotich Kwemoi, whose PB of 59:37 was run in Lille, France, last year. He took victory at the Milan Marathon in 2:07:14 earlier this year but failed to finish the marathon at the World Championships in Budapest.
South Africa&rsquo;s Stephen Mokoka is a 59:37 athlete at his best and he&rsquo;ll be in contention if he reproduces something similar here, as will Djibouti&rsquo;s Ibrahim Hassan, a 59:41 performer. Morocco&rsquo;s challenge is led by Mohamed Reda El Aaraby, who was 25th in this year's World Championships marathon and who has a half marathon PB of 59:54.
The European challenge is led by Jimmy Gressier, the French 26-year-old who clocked his PB of 59:55 to finish third in the Paris Half Marathon in March. He went on to finish ninth in the world 5000m final in Budapest last month.
Japan is a nation that continually produces a horde of world-class half marathoners, owing to its Ekiden traditions, and they boast two strong candidates in Riga in Tomoki Ota, a 1:00:08 performer, and Ryota Kondo, who has a best of 1:00:32.
The women&rsquo;s half marathon will set off at 1:30pm local time on Sunday, with the men to follow at 2:15pm, joined by the masses.
Each race will start at the Embankment and then cross the River Daugava to Pardaugava, before returning to Old Riga over Vansu Bridge, looping around the historic centre of the city before the finish, which is surrounded by the world-famous Art Nouveau architecture on Elizabeth Street.
With just 11 metres separating the highest and lowest points on the course, the stage looks set for some fast times, though in this, as at every championship, it's really all about the medals.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

The expected highlights in the women's and men's half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23

WRRC Riga 23 preview: half marathon

<h2>Men&rsquo;s 5km</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a> | <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/men/senior/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;| <a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/men/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>
Three of the four fastest men in history clash in the 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23.
Not only does Berihu Aregawi have the superior road PB, having broken the world record with his 12:49 run at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona in 2021, but he also has the quickest track PB among the entries &ndash; his 12:40.45 from Lausanne in June placing him fifth on the world 5000m all-time list.
Fast times are only half of the story, however, and making this contest even more compelling is the rematches it offers.
Yomif Kejelcha is the world leader and he was just one second off his Ethiopian compatriot&rsquo;s world 5km record when he clocked 12:50 in Lille in March. He&rsquo;s also just one place below Aregawi on the world 5000m all-time list thanks to his 12:41.73 performance from Oslo. When it comes to their career head-to-head, the tally stands 6-5 in Kejelcha&rsquo;s favour, considering performances achieved from 3000m up to 10,000m.
Aregawi is the world cross country silver medallist, who finished fourth in the world and Olympic 10,000m finals, while Kejelcha is a two-time world indoor 3000m gold medallist and world indoor mile record-holder, who secured 10,000m silver at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
Then there&rsquo;s Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir, the fourth fastest 5km runner of all time. He ran 12:55 in Herzogenaurach last year, finishing second in a race won by Kejelcha in 12:53, and now they prepare to battle again.
Of the 11 5km performances in history that have been 13 minutes or faster, that trio &ndash; Aregawi, Kejelcha and Kipkorir &ndash; have recorded seven of them: three by Aregawi and two each by Kejelcha and Kipkorir.
When it comes to track PBs, however, one athlete splits those three at the top of the entry list: Ethiopia&rsquo;s Olympic and world medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet. The 29-year-old won the world U20 cross country title in 2013 and claimed his first senior medal that same year, securing 5000m silver in Moscow. He then gained world bronze in 2015 and an Olympic medal of the same colour in 2016. While he finished sixth in the world final this year, he proved he&rsquo;s top form by running a 12:42.18 lifetime best to win in Monaco. He also recorded a half marathon PB of 58:55 to win what was his third career half marathon in Granollers in February.
On the Kenyan squad, 2022 world 10,000m silver medallist Stanley Waithaka Mburu and Cornelius Kemboi are entered along with Kipkorir.
Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana ran 13:03.61 in a 5000m in Vienna in June and makes his 5km debut after improving his 10km best to 27:45 in Brasov last year.
Spanish record-holder Ouassim Oumaiz, who ran 13:19 in 2020, will also want to make an impact, as will USA&rsquo;s 2022 NCAA champion Olin Hacker, Norway's Magnus Tuv Myhre and Canadian 5km and 10km record-holder Ben Flanagan.
Oceanian 3000m record-holder Stewart McSweyn forms part of the Australian team in Riga and as well as a high placing, he&rsquo;ll also be looking for an improvement on his 13:53 PB as he returns to race the distance on the roads for the first time since 2017. Since then, he has taken his 5000m best to 12:56.50.
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<h2>Women&rsquo;s 5km</h2>
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/riga23/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timetable</a> |&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/women/senior/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/5-kilometres/outdoor/women/senior" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>
There will be no easing in gently to the elite race programme in Riga, with the women&rsquo;s 5km featuring a stellar field of Olympic and world medallists on the hunt for the first of the six titles on offer in the Latvian capital.
Kenya&rsquo;s Beatrice Chebet has already claimed one global gold in 2023 and after becoming the world cross country champion in Bathurst in February, the 23-year-old now targets her second out-of-stadium title of the year.
That&rsquo;s not to say her track form is any less impressive. Chebet was second in her most recent race, but it took a world record to beat her &ndash; Gudaf Tsegay clocking 14:00.21 in the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene to take almost five seconds off the 5000m mark that Faith Kipyegon set in Paris in June, and Chebet almost dipping underneath it too with 14:05.92 for the third-fastest performance of all time.
Prior to that, Chebet claimed her second world 5000m medal, adding bronze in Budapest to the silver she secured in Oregon.
Her 5km PB of 14:32, set when winning last year&rsquo;s Diamond League title on the streets of Zurich, also makes Chebet one of the quickest of all time. But in Riga, she&rsquo;ll be up against the fastest.
Cue Ethiopia&rsquo;s Ejgayehu Taye, the mixed race world record-holder who ran 14:19 in Barcelona on the final day of 2021, at the same event at which&nbsp;Berihu Aregawi set his world record. Unlike in Riga, where the women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s races will be held separately, the event in Barcelona saw both fields start at the same time. Taye went on to take 24 seconds off the world record for the 5km in a mixed race and a year later she returned to run 14:21. The women-only world 5km record is 14:29, set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Senbere Teferi in Herzogenaurach in 2021.
Since her world record performance, Taye has also become a world indoor and outdoor medallist &ndash; world indoor 3000m bronze in Belgrade followed by a world 10,000m medal of the same colour in Budapest &ndash; and she has also taken her 5000m PB to 14:12.98, making her the second fastest in the field when it comes to track times for the distance.
Taye is listed on the Ethiopian squad alongside Medina Eisa and Lemlem Hailu. World U20 cross country silver medallist Eisa ran 14:16.54 in London in July and has a 5km PB of 14:46 from April, while world indoor 3000m champion Hailu clocked 14:34.53 for 5000m in Paris in June and would be making her 5km debut.
For Kenya, Chebet will be joined by Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, the 2017 world cross country bronze medallist who won the 5000m at the Brussels Diamond League earlier this month and clocked a 14:23.05 PB when finishing fourth behind world record-breaker Kipyegon in Paris.
One of the intriguing things about road racing is that it can bring together athletes who might not usually go head to head. Uganda&rsquo;s Peruth Chemutai is better known for her exploits in the 3000m steeplechase, having won the Olympic title in the discipline in Tokyo, but she has raced Chebet once before &ndash; and beaten her.
The pair clashed in a cross country race in Hannut last year, when Chemutai pipped Chebet by 13 seconds. Now Chemutai gets ready to return to the roads, looking to build on the PB of 15:05 she set in the first of the two 5km races she has undertaken in her career so far.
Chemutai is joined in the Ugandan squad by Joy Cheptoyek and Prisca Chesang, who claimed 5000m bronze medals at the 2021 and 2022 editions of the World U20 Championships.
Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti &ndash; seventh in both the Olympic and European 5000m finals &ndash; will also be in action, along with USA&rsquo;s Emily Infeld and Burundi's Francine Niyomukunzi.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

The expected highlights in the men's and women's 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23

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