Tokyo Marathon “all but certain” to be cancelled

The published guidelines for the 2021 race state, “In the event that a state of emergency has been issued one month prior to the event as part of the government’s efforts against the coronavirus pandemic, or if the local government has issued a request not to hold the race, the Tokyo Marathon will be cancelled.” The current state of emergency in Tokyo runs through to 12 September but as it is expected to be extended 2~3 weeks it will still be in force on the 17th. This makes the chances that the Tokyo Marathon will go ahead virtually non-existent. The event’s organisers, the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, plan to hold a board meeting in mid-September to make a final decision.

The 2021 Tokyo Marathon was originally scheduled for 7 March but in October last year, in the light of pandemic conditions, the Foundation’s board decided to postpone it to 17 October this year. In June 2021 event organisers announced that non-elite runners living outside Japan would not be permitted to run. The 2022 Tokyo Marathon is scheduled for 6 March.