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The International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Athletics and Tokyo 2020 have come to an agreement on the choice of Sapporo Odori Park in Hokkaido as the venue for the marathon and race walk events.
The controversial decision was confirmed at the IOC Executive Board meeting held today in Lausanne, Switzerland following the confirmation from World Athletics.
The marathon was originally scheduled to be held in Tokyo but was moved by the IOC against the wishes of the organisers to Sapporo earlier this year. It was made in reaction to the problems created by the searing heat during the marathon events during the Doha World Athletics Championships
The IOC in a statement after the meeting said: “Sapporo Odori Park has been used in the past as a venue for the Hokkaido Marathon, giving the local authorities considerable experience in operating major events in this area, and it is a popular spot for tourists and local residents, hosting a number of different events throughout the year. It is a large open space of around 7.8 hectares in the centre of Sapporo City, featuring beautiful lawns, flower beds and trees.”
The statement added that the park was also chosen because its layout allowed both the marathon and race walk events to be held at the same venue, while the topography of the surrounding area allows for the creation of exciting competition courses.
At Games time, temporary facilities would be constructed at the park to support operations.
The IOC, World Athletics and Tokyo 2020 also agreed on 1 and 2km loops for the race walk and a 20km loop course for the first stage of the marathon, leaving as a legacy a half-marathon course which can host a future annual event.
The statement fro IOC added that from the busy station area with streets lined with commercial buildings, the course would pass iconic local sights such as Hokkaido University, helping to transmit the rich charm of the city to the world.
World Athletics and Tokyo 2020 will continue their discussions on the second half of the course, and will conduct a site inspection in order to reach a mutual decision on overall operations by mid-December.
The competition schedules have also been revamped to facilitate the support of NOC officials and coaches to the athletes, as Sapporo is located 800km to the north of Tokyo. The marathon and race walk events are now scheduled to be held on four consecutive days, from 6 to 9 August. The revised schedule is as follows:
6 August / 4.30 p.m: Men’s 20km race walk
7 August / 5.30 a.m: Men’s 50km race walk
7 August / 4.30 p.m: Women’s 20km race walk
8 August / 7.00 a.m: Women’s marathon
9 August / 7.00 a.m: Men’s marathon
The Chair of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, Kirsty Coventry, said, “Athletes’ health and well-being are always at the heart of our concerns, and the decision to move the marathon and race walk events to Sapporo shows how seriously we take such concerns. We also want the Olympic Games to be the platform where athletes can give ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ performances, and this new venue ensures that they will have the conditions to give their best. I would like to thank the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the local authorities and World Athletics for confirming this new venue so quickly, in order to give the athletes as much preparation time as possible. I look forward to seeing the marathon and race walk athletes compete in Sapporo in front of a passionate crowd next August.”
Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto commented, “We appreciate that, through the support of so many people, Sapporo Odori Park could be approved as a venue so quickly following the decision to move these events. With less than eight months to go until the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Games, Tokyo 2020 will continue to work closely as one team with all the parties involved in their preparation.”
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