Competitors at the Tokyo 2020 marathon will face a gruelling uphill finish, organisers said Thursday as they outlined the route, an additional challenge to summer heat that has already sparked concern.
The race, which will start at finish at the Olympic Stadium, features an elevation of some 30 metres (100 feet) in the last several kilometres.
Naoko Takahashi, a former Japanese marathon runner who won gold in Sydney in 2000, said the climb would likely be a “decisive factor” in the race and should result in a dramatic finish.
“The course is flat until 37 kilometres but there are two large hills from 37 kilometres to just before 40 kilometres,” Takahashi said.
“I guess it is likely to be a dramatic race in which no one can predict the results until the bitter end.”
The race will take in some of the Japanese capital’s iconic landmarks, including the Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace.
Koji Murofushi, sports director for the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, hailed it “the best-ever Olympic marathon course”.
Organisers said they are taking measures against the summer heat, including coating pavements with a substance to reduce the surface temperature in the capital where the mercury regularly tops 35C (95F).
Takahashi said the heat would be an additional challenge for the runners — and indeed for all athletes.
“The heat is the biggest issue in the entire Tokyo Olympics,” she said. “I hope athletes will prepare well for it.”
