Radium-226 (Ra) activity is normally determined indirectly by gamma spectrometry, in particular by measuring the characteristic γ-ray emitted from its progeny (Pb and Bi) when Ra-Rn secular equilibrium is reached. This article describes a measurement method involving the measurement of Pb ingrowth. The activity of Ra determined by this method agrees with that measured after Ra-Rn equilibrium. The method of Pb ingrowth allows rapid and sufficiently accurate determination of Ra activity without the need to wait for Ra-Rn equilibrium.