THE HEAT IS ON: TOKYO 2020 MARATHON TO START EARLIER
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon will start between 5:30am and 6am, organizers announced yesterday, after experts raised concerns over the health of competitors and fans during the city’s sweltering summer heat.
An expert medical committee had proposed a start time “between 5:30am and 6am”, top Olympic official John Coates said after a series of meetings in the Japanese capital. Organizers had already brought the marathon forward to 7am as Japanese medical groups have warned the event could “lead to deaths” from heatstroke.
Tokyo 2020 organizers still need to agree with the International Association of Athletics Federations before fixing the exact time, said Coates, who is chairman of the Olympic coordination commission. Rugby sevens matches will also start 90 minutes ahead of schedule and mountain biking an hour later to avoid the burning sun.