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Tokyo Paralympics Marathon Course to Remain Unchanged and In Tokyo


A few weeks ago the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games marathons were abruptly moved to Sapporo on a whim by the IOC. The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games marathon, however, will still be held in Tokyo as scheduled on Sept. 6, the final day of the Games. With runners faced by a variety of physical challenges all competing for gold, the Paralympic marathon can be enjoyed from courseside just as much as the one at the Olympics.

The Tokyo Paralympics marathon course is identical to that originally planned for the Olympics. Both the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics had multi-lap circuit courses, but this time the course will offer a wide-ranging tour of all Tokyo's major landmarks. Starting at the new Olympic Stadium, the course passes near Sensoji Temple, Tokyo Station, Kabukiza Theater, Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace before returning for a finish back inside the Olympic Stadium. Organizing Committee official Koji Murofushi commented, "It's a dynamic course unlike any other ever used for a Paralympic marathon."

To alleviate heat issues, the race will start at 6:30 a.m. Competitors with different physical challenges will all be on the course at the same time, but with different start times. Male and female wheelchair athletes will start first, followed by athletes with upper limb disabilities, with visually-impaired athletes last. After a slight initial climb, the course goes downhill from around 3 km to 6 km. After that the course is nearly flat until athletes return up the same hill from 37 to 40 km.

Given the course, in the case of the wheelchair races it is possible that an athlete who is heavier and has good downhill technique may get an early lead. Top athletes can hit 50 km on a downhill like the one on this course. A number of sharp corners and the three turnaround points on the course where athletes will need to slow down and then accelerate are likely to be key strategic points, with the biggest challenge for the wheelchair racers coming on the hard push up the hill to 40 km. For visually-impaired athletes one of the keys to their success is the words of encouragement and motivation given to them by their guide runners.

source article:
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO53110300Z01C19A2UP1000/
translated by Brett Larner

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