Tokyo Marathon Denies It Is Looking at Going Ahead as Elite-Only Race Again in 2021

On Aug. 27 it was learned from an involved source that due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis the Tokyo Marathon Foundation is looking at holding next year's Tokyo Marathon, scheduled for Mar. 7, as an elite-only race for the second year in a row following the cancelation of this year's 38,000-runner mass participation race. A final decision is expected in early September.

The Tokyo Marathon began in 2007 and has the largest field size in Japan. After the onset of the coronavirus crisis early this year the mass-participation race was canceled for the first time ever, with only the elite field running. Spectators were asked not to come out to cheer along the course. With the elite race serving as a qualifying event for the Japanese Olympic team, Suguru Osako (Nike) finished 4th overall in a new national record of 2:05:29, securing his place at the Olympics.

Following the cancelation of this year's mass-participation race the Tokyo Marathon Foundation told entrants that they would be able to move their entries to either the 2021 or 2022 editions. Entrants were initially supposed to make a choice by mid-July, but this deadline was postponed and as part of its preparations for 2021 the Foundation sent out a questionnaire asking which race people would prefer to do.

After this news broke, on Aug. 28 the Tokyo Marathon Foundation office stated that at the present time it is "not planning to cancel the mass participation race and have only an elite race. We are considering a range of forms that the race might take."

Whatever form that might end up being, from the standpoint of preventing infections it will surely be difficult to stage the Tokyo Marathon with 38,000 people. There is little doubt that the Foundation is looking for some method of reducing the event's scale. The final decision will be made in the light of the prospects for the overall situation in society.

source articles:
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2020082701110&g=spo
https://www.nikkansports.com/sports/athletics/news/202008280000226.html
translated and edited by Brett Larner

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