Sapporo Olympic Marathon Plans Developing

(ATR) The start and finish for the 2020 Olympic marathon is set.

Transplanted from Tokyo to Sapporo in northern Japan to avoid issues with extreme heat, the races will start and end in Odori Park in the city center. The park will also be used in similar manner for the three race walks moved to Sapporo.

Odori Park is the place where the annual Hokkaido marathon is staged in late August. Organizers of the race say that using the same venue means savings and easier logistics than splitting the start and finish lines. Compared to the thousands who participate in the Hokkaido Marathon, the Olympic event has a field that numbers into the dozens.

The IOC began pressing for a change in venues for the marathon in September, following the Athletics World Championships in Doha. Dozens of runners, men and women, failed to complete the marathon due to heat, even after the races were rescheduled for midnight starts.

Tokyo 2020 leaders agreed to the change two weeks ago. The IOC made assurances that Tokyo would not be encumberedwith extra costs required to move the events 800km north.

Tokyo 2020 organizers met privately Monday with government officials from Sapporo and Hokkaido to settle the venue question.

Still to be determined is the actual course. Sapporo officials have said they prefer a two lap course, while World Athletics has indicatedit prefers six-lap route.

The race walking course would go back and forth on a wide street in the center of the city with 20 laps needed for the 20km race and 25 laps for the 50km race on a 2km course.

World Athletics will need to approve the courses. The IOC Executive Board also needs to confirm the plans. The board next meets Dec. 2 – 3.

Another meeting this month will aim at settling on the course and the schedule for competition.

The latter could be the most contentious. Tokyo 2020 is in favor of scheduling the marathons on the same day during the second weekend of the Games. The IOC is said to prefer the final day of the Games, the traditional date for the men’s marathon.

The road events for athletics in the Paralympic Games will remain in Tokyo, taking place three weeks after the Olympics.

Reported by Ed Hula.