2020 Olympic Marathon Route to Tour Tokyo Landmarks

May 31, 2018

Tokyo- The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games announced Thursday the course for the marathon event in the Olympics, which will give runners a glimpse of some of the major tourist spots in the Japanese capital.

The marathon route will start and finish at the new National Stadium, which will be used as the main venue for the Olympics and Paralympic Games.

The 42.195-kiliometer course will pass along such landmarks as Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) at Sensoji temple, the Imperial Palace, the upscale Ginza shopping area, Zojoji temple near Tokyo Tower and Nihonbashi bridge.

The height difference between the highest and lowest points in the course is about 33 meters, according to the committee. The marathon is one of the highlights of the Olympics.

The course will "pass through the heart of Tokyo...and take in some of the capital's most iconic landmarks, providing an unforgettable experience for the athletes, as well as for spectators along the route and television viewers," the organizing committee said.

The committee also announced the routes for the 20- and 50-kilometer race walk events. Both are loop courses in the Outer Gardens of the Imperial Palace.

"From a runner's point of view, the marathon course seems to be nice and inspiring," said Naoko Takahashi, gold medalist in the women's marathon in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and chair of the Tokyo organizing committee's athletes commission.

"Running through iconic spots in Tokyo will likely keep runners motivated," Takahashi said, adding that the audience is also expected to have fun encouraging the athletes. Jiji Press