Jelena Prokopcuka will run in Riga on May 18 – I’ll be happy for every young runner who will be with me at the start line,” Prokopcuka said. Nordea Riga Marathon 2008

On May 18, 2008, Jelena Prokopcuka, the most renowned Latvian marathon female runner, voted Best Sportsperson in Latvia for 2005, 2006 and 2006, a double winner of the prestigious New York Marathon and the Honorary Patroness of the Nordea Riga Marathon, will take to the streets of Riga in the 5K distance together with other mini-marathon participants.

“I chose the shortest marathon race, the 5K, deliberately. Half-marathon and marathon distances are entered into by those who have already contracted the “running virus”, while for most of the mini-marathon participants this will be their first step towards taking up running and an active lifestyle. With my presence, I would like to lend my support to up-and-coming marathon runners. I believe that anyone can brace himself for completing the 5K distance either running, trotting or walking it. I’ll be happy for every young runner who will be with me at the start line,” Prokopcuka said.

Jelena will arrive in Riga after an intensive training and competition season abroad. The next major start for Jelena is scheduled for April 21 in the Boston Marathon, where the runner is regarded as one of the favorites.

For the mini-marathon distance, the starting pistol will be fired on May 18 at 9:45 a.m., 15 minutes after a joint start for marathon and half-marathon distances. The mini-marathon distance will cover Skanstes and Hanzas Streets, turn into Dzirnavu Street and down to Valdemara Street, then passing the State Art Museum, as far as the National Theatre, where the participants cheered on by the active encouragement from sports fans’ zone will turn back towards Hanzas Street and along Vesetas Street will reach the finish line at the Arena Riga. Although the time limit allowed for covering the distance is 1 hour 30 minutes, even an inexperienced runner will need less than 45 minutes to complete the mini-marathon distance.

In 2007, the first to complete the mini-marathon distance were the young talents, Mareks Floreseks and Daniela Fetcere, while the last to come to the finish line were the celebrities “Osteoporosis” and Ugis Zarins, a footballer, who covered the 5K distance while dribbling a football, so he crossed the finish line in one and a half hours.

As yet, the Nordea Riga Marathon challenge has been taken on by more than 1400 participants from 27 countries. Entries have already been received from 40 teams, among those the three biggest are from Football School METTA (178 participants), Nordea Bank (171 participants) and television channel LNT (36 participants).