The Rimi Riga Marathon organisers have unveiled what they describe as the deepest half-marathon elite field in the race's history, with the World Athletics Road Race Label event in the Latvian capital on 16 and 17 May now featuring three sub-60-minute men and a German record holder among the women. The professional half-marathon, which starts at 7:30 local time on Sunday, is expected to draw at least 40,000 runners across all distances at the weekend.
Tanzania's Gabriel Geay, the 2023 Boston Marathon runner-up with a half-marathon best of 59:18, sits at the top of the men's start list. He is joined by Kenya's James Kipkogei, who ran 59:31 earlier this year on his way to second place at the Rome Half Marathon, and a developing East African contingent that organisers believe could push the men's course record under 60 minutes for the first time in the race's history. Conditions on the looped Old Town course are expected to be cool and breezy, ideal for fast running on a layout known for its long flat sections along the Daugava river.
The women's field is anchored by Domenika Mayer of Germany, the 2025 Riga Marathon winner and current German marathon record holder, who arrives with a 1:08:08 half-marathon best set earlier in 2026. Mayer's spring training block has centred on Riga as her primary half-marathon target before a summer focus on European Championships marathon selection. The Latvian federation has confirmed a strong domestic group around her, with last year's national half-marathon champion among local entrants chasing a personal best.
Riga's elite operation has expanded steadily through the 2020s and now spans the marathon, half-marathon, DPD-mile and 10-kilometre distances, with prize money on offer at each. Organisers said further marathon and 10K announcements would follow this week, and that the full elite line-up across the weekend is expected to feature athletes from more than 25 federations. The race is one of the few European spring meetings to retain a Friday-evening prologue, with the DPD-mile run as a downtown showcase the night before the main races.
Beyond the elite story, the 2026 edition is expected to be the largest mass-participation Riga Marathon yet, with capacity sold out across all four headline distances and a record number of overseas entries. The race retains its Old Town start and finish, a layout that took on World Athletics Elite Label status last year. Sunday's professional half-marathon, in particular, has been pencilled in by several agents as a launchpad for European Championships qualifying performances.