Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye produced the standout performance of the Rimi Riga Marathon weekend on Sunday, breaking the half-marathon course record by more than a minute with a 1:04:22 victory through the heart of the Latvian capital. Taye, the 2024 Ethiopian 10,000m champion and a Diamond League winner over 5000m, made the half-marathon her first road race of the year and led from the four-kilometre mark, splitting through 10km in 30:34 before grinding out the second half alone. The previous course record of 1:05:50 had stood since 2024.
Kenya's Sharon Lokedi, the two-time Boston Marathon champion making her first start since her Boston defence in April, was second in 1:05:48 in what she described as a controlled tune-up ahead of her summer build. Germany's defending champion Domenika Mayer ran 1:08:09 for third, holding off Latvia's Jeļena Prokopčuka, the four-time New York Marathon winner who was making a rare half-marathon outing in her home city. Britain's Phily Bowden took fifth in 1:09:01 and Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei was sixth, both running their second half marathon in three weeks.
The men's race went to Kenya's Charles Mbatha Matata, who broke clear from a 12-strong lead group in the 15th kilometre and ran the final 6.5km alone to win in 59:15. Eritrea's Yemane Haileselassie was second in 59:31, with Kenya's Daniel Mateiko third in 59:42. Defending champion Tesfaye Amlosom of Ethiopia was fourth in 59:51 and Latvia's Valērijs Žolnerovičs delivered a national half-marathon record of 1:01:45 in 11th place, the loudest local reception of the morning.
The marathon, run on a slightly altered city-centre course that took in the new Latgale Suburb section for the first time, was won by Kenya's Edwin Kiprop in 2:08:55 with compatriot Brimin Kipkorir Misoi second in 2:09:14 and Eritrea's Filimon Abraham third in 2:09:33. The women's marathon went to Ethiopia's Hiwot Gebrekidan in 2:24:01, ahead of Olha Kotovska of Ukraine (2:25:11) and Genevieve Lalonde of Canada (2:26:09). Prokopčuka took the women's masters title in the half marathon.
Organisers reported a record entry field of 46,313 runners from 116 countries across the marathon, half marathon, 10km, 6km and mile distances, the largest field in the event's 35-year history and the third consecutive year of growth since the post-pandemic restart in 2022. The city closed twelve kilometres of central streets and the Vanšu and Akmens bridges over the Daugava for the full morning, and Mayor Vilnis Ķirsis told reporters that the event had become “the largest single sporting weekend in the Baltics”. Riga remains a candidate to be added to the World Athletics Road Running Series in 2028.