New courses for 2027, planned around Vanšu BridgeThe organiser has announced new 2027 courses, shaped by the Vanšu Bridge reconstruction plans.
About 15 m of relief and 65 m of climbing in allA flat course by any measure: about 15 m from lowest to highest, with the biggest rise at km 36 to 38.
Course notes
2 short reads on the course
1Whole courseGeometryNew courses for 2027, planned around Vanšu BridgeThe organiser has announced new 2027 courses, shaped by the Vanšu Bridge reconstruction plans.
The announcement that opened registration for the 2027 race, on 16 June 2026, said the organiser
would “surprise” runners “with new courses in the marathon, half marathon, 10 km and 5 km
distances”. Its courses page promises “brand-new, yet equally beautiful and fast courses”.
The city-centre routes, the announcement says, “will be planned taking into account the steadily
growing number of participants, the desire to showcase Riga at its best, from the city centre to
its many neighbourhoods, as well as respecting the reconstruction plans for Vanšu Bridge.”
The race itself keeps its place on the calendar: the weekend of 15 and 16 May 2027, with the
marathon on the Sunday.
Sourced
2Whole courseGradientAbout 15 m of relief and 65 m of climbing in allA flat course by any measure: about 15 m from lowest to highest, with the biggest rise at km 36 to 38.
The road runs from about 2 m above sea level, at its lowest around
km 6, to about 17 m at its highest, near km 16.5. That is roughly 15 m from lowest to
highest, and three quarters of the distance sits at or below 10 m. The start and the finish are both
close to 3 m.
Over the whole distance the route climbs about 65 m: about 35 m before the half-marathon mark
and about 30 m after it. The biggest rise comes late, about 10 m over the two kilometres from
km 36 to km 38, from about 4 m up to about 14 m.
Measured
At a glance
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
Loop, asphalt
climb
65.1 m214 ft
Highest point 15 m above lowest
cut-off
6:00 h
6 hours
first held
1991
A flat May race along the Daugava River through Riga's UNESCO old town, crossing the Vanšu and Stone bridges, with start and finish on the embankment beside Riga Castle.
The Riga Marathon is a loop of 42.2 km with 65.1 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 2 m and its highest 17 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 16 May 2027.
Race week
Timetable
Before race week 4 key dates
28 Feb 2027
Start times and checkpoint cut-offs announcedThe organiser's FAQ puts the announcement of the marathon's checkpoints, their cut-off times and the official start times at 28 February 2027.
30 Apr 2027
Last day for entry changesTransferring an entry to another person, to 2028 or to a different distance is allowed until 30 April 2027 under the organiser's 2027 rules, and not from 1 May.
30 Apr 2027
Last day to choose baggage storageBaggage storage is by official bag and prior choice, made at registration or in the runner's profile by 30 April 2027. It is free for the marathon.
15 May 2027 · 20:008:00 PM
Registration closesThe organiser gives 15 May 2027 at 20:00 as the closing time, the same evening the expo closes.
Friday 14 May Bib pickup
until 20:008:00 PM
Expo and bib pick-upBibs are collected at the expo on 14 and 15 May, until 20:00.
Saturday 15 May Last bib day
until 20:008:00 PM
Expo and bib pick-upLast day to collect a bib, until 20:00.
Time not published
Mile, 60 m sprint and Kids' DayThe 1,609 m mile, the 60 m sprint and the Kids' Day distances (200 m and 400 m) run on the Saturday.
Sunday 16 May Race day
Time not published
Marathon race dayThe marathon, half marathon, 10 km and 5 km run on the Sunday. The organiser's FAQ dates the announcement of the official start times to 28 February 2027.
Time not published
Marathon time limitSix hours for the marathon. Runners must also reach certain course segments within set times so city traffic can resume; the organiser announces those checkpoints with the start times.6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Santiago, by Omnespsx ( D • ES ), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Gamla stan, by Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Nyhavn, by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Charles Bridge, by Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Old Town Market Place, by Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Angel of Independence, by Carlos Valenzuela, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Questions about the Riga Marathon
Is the Riga Marathon course flat?
Not entirely. It has 65.1 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 15 m above the lowest.
