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Tokyo Paralympics Expands Efforts to Discourage People From Going to Watch Sunday's Marathon


Meeting in Tokyo on Sept. 3, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee called for people not to come watch the Paralympic marathons set to be run on the major streets of central Tokyo on Sept. 5, the final day of the Tokyo Paralympics. With the continued spread of the coronavirus, the organizing committee said that it will employ a force of 4500 staff members to ensure the marathons are conducted safely.

Starting and finishing at the Olympic Stadium, the marathon course is a tour of central Tokyo's main attractions, including the Imperial Palace and Kaminarimon in Asakusa. Organizers are concerned about the potential for dense crowds along the course and as part of their measures will employ 100 staff members with signs who will actively patrol and ask people to go home. Another 1600 staff members wearing signs saying "Please do not watch the race" will be positioned in stationary locations. 

Main operations chief Hidemasa Nakamura said that the organizers will make a coordinated push on social media and through other outlets to get out the word for people to help fight the pandemic by staying home. "The Paralympics demand stricter measures than at the Olympics," he said.




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translated by Brett Larner

photos at Tokyo Olympics men's triathlon, © 2021 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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