Suntaži – Ērgļi Marathon
This event takes place only once a year, but the old Suntaži – Ērgļi stage is ideal for every double-, marathon- or half-marathon runner, driver or jockey!
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Active recreation
For groups (11+)
History and culture
In winter
Landscape and nature
People and location
Urban environment
The section of the old railway line Rīga – Ērgļi leads through various, picturesque landscapes of the Vidzeme highlands.
You can run both the marathon and the double marathon distance on the way back, starting the distance in Suntaži or Ērgļi (you will get the double marathon distance if you plan to return to the starting point). Starting the distance in Taurupe (2 km along the embankment before the "Taurupe" railway station on the Riga side), it is possible to measure both the half-marathon and the marathon distance on the way back.
The public "Taisnais" run has been taking place since October 2019 in the first half of October.
Since 2019, the "Taisnais" running event has been organized by Andris Pētersons, the long-time former dean of the Communication Faculty of the "Turība" Business School, together with his associates. Taurupe station was purchased in 2020. Read more about Andris in the "Human Stories" section.
The route is available for an unlimited number of visitors.
In 1935, the line from Riga was built to Suntaži. In 1937, the line was built to Ērgļi. It was planned to extend this line to Madona, from which a connection to Lubāna was already built in 1935. Further, it was planned that this line would extend all the way to Kārsava. These plans were disrupted by World War II.
At the end of the 1980s, the Baltic Railway Board, in cooperation with RVR, planned to install an electric train test site on the straight railway section from Cekule to Kangari. However, the local residents protested against it.
The railway line was technically obsolete, so for safety reasons, the speed of the train was limited to 25 km/h in some sections after Latvia regained its independence. Transit cargo was not transported along this line, so the rehabilitation of the railway line was hampered by the lack of investments. On July 19, 2007, a bicycle shop's marketing campaign featured a race between a passenger train and cyclists. The fastest cyclist overtook the train by 45 minutes and 22 seconds. On October 3, 2007, a car accident (collision with a truck) took place near Cekule. From October 6, 2007, passenger train traffic on the Riga-Ērgļi line was completely stopped. In June 2009, a decision was made to dismantle the railway line. The dismantling was started on September 17, 2009 at Ērgļi station.
Along the way, you can see several stations and bridges of the old Riga (Suntaži) - Ērgļi line. Read more about Suntaži, Taurupe and Ērgļi stations, as well as about the railway bridge over Līčupe, here, on the "Vidzemēs" website.
The route is available at any time of the year as long as there is no snow.
Working time
The distance is always available. There may be difficulties with accessibility during the snowy season.