Riga Runner’s Guide: Training, Routes, and Neighborhoods

The Rimi Riga Marathon, set to take place on May 17-18, is a great target to start training for right now. To ensure your training is effective and meaningful, this guide will share insights and tips to help you become a better runner. Rihards Zeilis, an experienced marathoner who has competed in Riga and across Europe, will share his expertise on training methods that improve endurance and speed. He has also created convenient Strava routes, making the recommended training sessions both productive and exciting.

Meanwhile, Helmuts Medinieks from Kivi Real Estate will introduce the neighborhoods Rihards prefers for his training runs and provide insights into real estate trends in these areas. If your goal is to improve your running performance while also considering a new home in Riga, this guide is the perfect resource. For a visual representation of the city and its running hotspots, we’ve enlisted Sandis Helvigs, a creative director and photographer who has a deep passion for sports imagery.

The “Base” Runs: Daily Kilometers

When it comes to racking up daily kilometers, almost any surface works—cobblestones, gravel, park trails, or pedestrian paths in Riga. The more varied the terrain, the better! Running at a steady pace across different surfaces not only keeps the mind engaged but also strengthens leg muscles in a balanced way.

One of the best routes for base runs is Riga’s City Center, offering a dynamic environment with parks and plenty of opportunities for short recovery breaks—or “pit stops.”

Sporta Pils Gardens was a unique urban project allowing city dwellers to cultivate small garden plots while enjoying a charming café surrounded by young birch trees. However, the site is now being transformed into Tērbatas Dārzs, a residential project with 800 new apartments priced between €3,400 and €4,500 per square meter.

Architect Katrīna Peizuma, a former garden plot community participant, emphasizes that such projects are crucial not only for preserving a neighborhood’s identity but also for fostering community life. She advocates for similar initiatives in places like Vidzemes Market or other underutilized spaces, helping shape a unique urban living model.

Another district experiencing rapid transformation is Grīziņkalns, much like Ziedoņdārzs. Once considered a city fringe, it has become a sought-after residential area in central Riga. As demand has grown, so have property prices. In renovated buildings such as those on Alauksta iela 7 or Asara iela 11, prices per square meter now exceed €3,000. However, bargain hunters still have opportunities in the secondary market—if they’re willing to take on some renovations and wait for a collective decision on facade restoration.

Grīziņkalns also offers a rare hill-training opportunity, with elevation changes perfect for hill strides, an uncommon feature in Riga. This makes it a favored training ground for runners, including members of the IM Run Club, which Rihards is part of.

Miera Iela & Lielie Kapi: The Quiet Escape. For those seeking a slower pace of life in the city center, Miera Iela is a top choice. Its straight, low-traffic roads make it perfect for uninterrupted running, while the nearby Lielie Kapi provides a serene environment for clearing the mind. After a workout, stopping by Kalve Coffee or Rocket Bean is almost a ritual for many runners. However, if you’re considering moving to this neighborhood, act fast—high-quality apartments here disappear quickly!

Speed Work: Interval Training

Speed workouts—whether intervals or tempo runs—are a small but crucial part of training, yielding significant progress. These high-intensity sessions can leave you tasting blood in your mouth—a normal sign of exertion. Ideally, runners should train across varying distances, with intervals reaching up to 1,000 meters.

While the stadium is the ideal location, Skanste offers an excellent alternative with smooth, cobbled loops free of intersections and traffic lights, allowing runners to focus entirely on pace. The 1 km loop can be broken down into four equal segments, providing a structured environment for training without relying on a GPS watch.

If a square loop feels monotonous, the Skanste City office complex, the new Skanste Park has recently been completed, offering smooth running paths. While getting there isn’t the easiest, that makes it a hidden gem for runners. The park is expected to become livelier within a year.

However, this park will become more vibrant within about a year. The construction of the Arena Garden Towers residential project will begin nearby, next to the Luminor office building. Additionally, right next to our speed training route, the Skanste Residences project is about to break ground. This development will feature 67 apartments spread across two towers, designed with large windows and balconies of various sizes. Prices currently hover around €3,700 per square meter, depending on the apartment’s size and view.

Strength Running: Hill Workouts & Resistance Training

Strength training is key to running faster and preventing injuries. Incorporating hill sprints or routes with consistent elevation changes is a great way to build muscle strength while improving endurance.

A fantastic area for this is Pārdaugava, particularly between Āgenskalns and Torņakalns. The renovated Uzvaras Park, Arkādijas Park, and Māras Dīķis provide ideal conditions for running with varying terrain.

The area is also seeing major real estate developments.

Hartmaņa Kvartāls from Bonava will bring 400 apartments from €2,600 per square meter.

Fabrikas Dārzi on Jelgavas Street 68 will create a dynamic living space on the grounds of a former cotton factory.

Torņakalns, is a hotspot for rental investments due to its proximity to the University of Latvia. With a growing student population, “student housing” is booming, but many students prefer private apartments.

A path along the Mārupīte River, enhancing the area’s connection to Mārupe and boosting its appeal.

These factors, along with a mix of students, families, and high-quality living spaces, make Pārdaugava one of Rigas’ fastest-growing districts.

Long Runs: Exploring Green Riga

The weekend long run is like a badge of honor among elite runners, symbolizing dedication and full immersion into running culture. However, it requires a solid training base. They build aerobic capacity and allow runners to explore new neighborhoods, incorporating different surfaces and terrains.

One of the best places for long runs in Riga is Mežaparks, where runners can enjoy fresh air and wide green spaces.

Developer Kaamos has expanded the southern part of Mežaparks with modern buildings. New supermarkets—Lidl and Rimi—have opened. This district is connected to the city center by tram line 11, offering exceptional comfort and convenience at prices that are not higher than in other residential districts.

Across Kokneses Prospekts lies New Mežaparks, featuring paved roads, premium apartments, and luxury villas. This area is quiet and currently quite empty, making it ideal for runners who want to enjoy peace and newly developed road infrastructure.

Aplokciems, located north of Mežaparks, offers proximity to the park but at more affordable prices. For example, in the Liepuziedi project, prices are around €2,000 per square meter, while in the new Mežaparka Village, three-room apartments are available for under €200,000.

The run starts and finishes in Brasa. This neighborhood features some of Riga’s most properly renovated Soviet-era buildings, and residents, much like in Mežaparks, enjoy a convenient connection to the city center via tram line 11. Hidden in this district is Vieta, where sommelier and running enthusiast Jānis Volkinšteins offers exceptional world-class wines for tasting and purchase. This is exactly where we chose to end our run!

Riga offers diverse and exciting opportunities for both runners and home seekers. Whether you’re training for a race, exploring new locations, or searching for a peaceful place to call home, the city’s green spaces, real estate projects, and evolving infrastructure provide countless possibilities for those who know what they want.