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News01 Jun 2018


Tokyo 2020 marathon and race walking courses announced

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The start of the Tokyo Marathon (© AFP / Getty Images)

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games --Tokyo 2020-- announced the routes for the marathon races and the 20km and 50km race walking events.

The courses will pass through the heart of Tokyo-– the world's largest metropolitan area with a population of nearly 35 million-– and take in some of the Japanese capital's most iconic landmarks, providing an unforgettable experience for the athletes, as well as for spectators along the route and TV viewers around the world.

 

 
Tokyo 2020 marathon course

 

 
Tokyo 2020 race walking courses

 

The marathon course will take in both modern and traditional districts of the city, starting and finishing at the Olympic Stadium and passing symbolic Tokyo landmarks along the way. These will include the Kaminarimon ("Thunder Gate") in Asakusa, guarded by the deities of wind and thunder; the Imperial Palace, the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan; Ginza's upmarket Chuo Street; the Zojoji temple, with the landmark Tokyo Tower as a backdrop; and Nihombashi bridge, the historic centre of the Japanese capital. The climax of the Tokyo 2020 marathon race will see the athletes running the final stretch leading to the Olympic Stadium uphill.

Below, watch a time lapse tour of the marathon course.

Marathon running in Japan has a long history and proud tradition. The Japanese have truly embraced distance running, and the Tokyo Marathon, one of the world's top six city marathons, now regularly attracts huge crowds of supporters. This year's event drew 300,000 applicants, with nearly 36,000 runners participating and more than one million people cheering on the streets.

Tokyo 2020 for the IAAF