TOKYO, Sep 11 (Kyodo/APP): Amid record-high temperatures forecast to continue across Japan through September, organizers of the world athletics championships, which open Saturday in Tokyo, have moved up the start times for the race walking and marathon events by 30 minutes, to 7:30 a.m.
World Athletics on Thursday announced the earlier start times for Saturday’s men’s and women’s 35-kilometer race walk, the women’s marathon the following day and the men’s marathon to be held Monday.
Earlier this month, Japan’s weather agency reported that the country had experienced its hottest summer since 1898, when comparable records first became available. The average temperature was 2.36 C above normal.
In the interest of athletes’ safety, World Athletics said it made the decision to move up the road race start times together with the local organizing committee and the World Athletics Health and Science Department.
“Despite the world championships being scheduled for mid-September, when temperatures were expected to be lower than during the summer in Tokyo, levels this year have remained at those of mid-summer,” the governing body said in a statement.
No changes have been announced for the track and field events to be staged through Sept. 21 at Tokyo’s National Stadium. The action at the Tokyo Olympic venue is scheduled for morning and evening sessions to avoid the hottest times of the day.
Marathon and race walk events for the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were held in Sapporo, the capital of Japan’s northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido, where average summer temperatures are cooler, with the start time for the women’s marathon also moved up an hour.