World Half Marathon 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 Half-Marathon champions, and will see thousands of amateur runners from at least 100 countries competing alongside elite runners.

Start times for the half marathon distance:

Sunday, October 1

13:30 - Half Marathon Women’s Elite

14:15 - Half Marathon Men’s + Mass Race

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

The course

When developing the Half-Marathon course of the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, we wanted it to be fast, pretty, compact, and accessible. So here we go!

The start and finish area – the Embankment – is the Gate to Old Riga and is right on the main river Daugava. It’s wide, spacious, and in the heart of the city making it easily accessible for Championship runners, fans, and spectators!

Right after the start we cross the Akmens tilts (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 skyscrapers with romantic gems like Dzegužkalns, the Cuckoo Hill.

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.

The compact course includes most of Riga’s central landmarks making it exciting not just for participants, but spectators. National Museum of Arts. National Theatre. The Monument of Freedom and the very central avenue of Riga – Freedom Street. Before finishing off – the world-famous Art Noveau architecture on Elizabeth street.

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!