On the 35th anniversary of the “Rimi” Riga Marathon, on May 18, Prokopčukas, the most titled Latvian long-distance runner of all time, will run the marathon distance in the competition of elite runners for the last time.
The organizers remind that until now Prokopchuka had run only five kilometers and half marathon distances in the Riga Marathon.
The decision to run the marathon distance in Riga was a long but thoughtful decision for Prokopchuk.
“I am really very interested in what level I will be able to reach in the marathon in May,” says the 48-year-old athlete, who emphasizes that running in the streets of Riga will be both a difficult and a responsible event.
“Therefore, I understand that during the preparation process I will have to train seriously – at least five times a week,” says Prokopchuk.
“I have run in New York, Boston, Chicago, London, and if you compare, then we are on the same level,” Prokopchuk praises the Riga Marathon.
“Prokopchuk’s victories in New York once coincided with the time when we laid the foundations for the “Rimi” Riga Marathon,” recalls Aigars Nords, head of the marathon organizing team. “I think that it was her victories that allowed the public to see that running is not only for professionals, that thousands of amateurs participate in marathons.”
Nords emphasizes that the runner has never refused her advice in events dedicated to the Riga Marathon, both in schools and during training.
He also reveals that the organizers of the Riga Marathon have been trying for many years to have such a marathon in Riga that Prokopchuka would no longer have to go to New York to run. And at the 35th anniversary of the “Rimi” Riga Marathon, this dream will come true.
This time too, Prokopchuka will not only participate in the Riga Marathon, but will make an additional contribution. Together with long-distance runner Anita Silina, she will prepare 12 participants of the “My First Marathon” program for their first half-marathon or marathon.
The participants of the 16-week program will conduct joint and individual training under the guidance of both coaches, receive advice and the necessary equipment to stand on the starting line for their first serious long-distance test on May 18.
Prokopchuk achieved a national record in the Osaka Marathon in 2005, won the New York Marathon in 2005 and 2006, and competed in five Olympic Games.
Prokopčuka still owns eight Latvian records, covering the distance in the marathon in two hours, 22 minutes and 56 seconds.
She has won the Latvian championship 53 times in different distances.
The Riga Marathon has been held since 1991. “Rimi” Riga Marathon is the most ambitious national sports event in the Baltic States, which annually gathers tens of thousands of runners from all over the world in the capital of Latvia. In 2025, the Riga Marathon will be held on May 17 and 18, giving the opportunity to run the marathon, half marathon, ten kilometer, six kilometer, DPD mile (1609 meters) and Children’s Day distances.
All distances of the “Rimi” Riga Marathon have been awarded the quality marks of the World Athletics Union (WA), but the marathon and the mile distance also have the status of the Latvian championship.