Skip to main content

September's Tango 100 km Canceled

Having examined measures for dealing with the risk of coronavirus exposure, the Tango 100 km Ultramarathon was in preparation to take place this coming September. But with no end to the pandemic in sight, the spread of variant strains of the virus, and the lack of any timetable for vaccinations prior to the race date having been made public, we believe that it would not be possible to guarantee the safety and security of the runners, volunteers, race staff and other parties during the entire event. As such we have decided to cancel this year's race.

We extend our sincere apologies to everyone who had been looking forward to returning to the Tango Ultramarathon after its cancelation last year, and we ask for your understanding of why we have had to cancel it for the second year in a row. We will work hard to create a safe and secure environment for the 2022 race and can't wait to welcome  you back to run the Tango 100 km Ultramarathon then. 

Although the race is being canceled, the organizing committee is planning a special event that will refresh your memories of the Kyotango region. It isn't a running event, but we hope that you enjoy it once final details have been decided. More information will be announced at a later date on the race website and Facebook page.

-- 2021 Tango 100 km Ultramarathon organizing committee

Translator's note: A popular race on Kyoto's northern coast, the Tango ultra has over 3000 finishers between its two distances. This is the first event I've seen that has specifically mentioned the Japanese government's almost nonexistent vaccination response as a reason for canceling. Vaccinations became available for senior citizens on Apr. 12. At the rate at which vaccinations were done during the first week, it would take just under 304 years to vaccinate the entire population. By the end of the second week yesterday the efficiency of the vaccination program had been improved to the point that it would now only take 240 years.

source article:
translated by Brett Larner

Buy Me A Coffee

Comments

Most-Read This Week

Arao Becomes 1st Man in 40 Years to Score Back-to-Back Ome Road Race Wins

30 km is an under-appreciated distance, and both of Japan's big races at that distance happened Sunday. At the Ome Road Race in western Tokyo's mountains, Sydney Marathon 6th-placer Masato Arao (ND Software) became the first man since the great Kunimitsu Ito in 1985-1986 to win back-to-back years. Arao, who finished 39th of 40 on his leg at the New Year Ekiden last month, stayed in the pack through 20 km before going on the attack, putting over a minute on New Year Ekiden Sixth Stage CR breaker Yudai Shimazu (GMO). Sub-1:31 winning times are rare on the tough and hilly Ome course, but Arao's 1:30:54 almost equaled his 1:30:50 from last year, making him the first Japanese man ever to do it twice and second only to CR holder Ezekiel Cheboitibin . Next up Arao races the Tokyo Marathon, where he is targeting sub-2:06. Shimazu was 2nd in 1:31:58 and Yuta Nakayama (JR Higashi Nihon) 3rd in 1:32:07. Cheboitibin was only 9th, running almost 8 minutes off his CR in 1:36:42. Shi...

Osaka Marathon Preview

The Osaka Marathon is Sunday, one of Japan's biggest mass-participation races and the next stop on the calendar for its elite marathoners hoping to qualify for the L.A. Olympics marathon trials in the fall of 2027. Last year it snowed mid-race, but this year is looking warmer than ideal given the season, with sunny skies, almost no wind, and temps forecast to be 11˚ at the start and rising to 19˚ by the time the winners are finishing. NHK is broadcasting Osaka with a heavy emphasis on the men's race, and if you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it from overseas. There's also official streaming on Youtube starting at 8:30 a.m. local time, although it doesn't look like it's the same as what NHK will be showing. Given Osaka's history at the elite level as the continuation of the men-only Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon, the women's field is small relative to the men's, just enough to tick World Athletics' label requirements and with almost no do...

Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field

Last year's top 3 Sheila Chepkirui , Sayaka Sato and Eunice Chebichii Chumba are back for this year's Nagoya Women's Marathon on Mar. 8, but things are being set up more for it to be a race between Chepkirui, 2:17:49 in Berlin 2023, Aynalem Desta , 2:17:37 in Amsterdam last fall, and Japanese NR holder Honami Maeda , 2:18:59 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2024. Aynalem has the freshest sub-2:20 of the 3, with neither Chepkirui nor Maeda having done it in 2 years. Maeda's only recent result is a 1:10:07 from Houston last month, but when she ran her NR she didn't have any kind of tuneup race to indicate her fitness so it's probably best not to read too much into that. If it goes out as a 2:18 race those are the only 3 who can probably hang with it. If it turns out to be more of a 2:20 race like when Chepkirui won in 2:20:40 last year then there's a group of 7 at the 2:20-2:22 level who will be in the picture, including Chumba, Selly Chep...