The proposals by the organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Games for the marathon and racewalking events in Sapporo have been revealed, with all the proposed routes starting and ending at Odori Park.
The marathon would make two laps around the city center, and the racewalks would make 20 to 25 round trips going north and south. The proposals were to be presented at a working-level meeting with the Sapporo city and Hokkaido prefectural governments on Monday, where issues including traffic regulation and route security will be discussed.
According to several tournament officials, World Athletics (formerly known as the International Association of Athletics Federation) has presented a marathon plan involving about six laps that could be efficiently managed.
Based on these proposals, the organizing committee plants to work with other entities involved to study the number of laps and the details of the routes.
The committee's suggested marathon route, which involves two laps of about 20 kilometers around central Sapporo, is based on the route for the Hokkaido Marathon, which is held every summer and starts and ends at Odori Park. It passes through the downtown Susukino district and by tourist spots such as the Former Hokkaido Government Office Building and Hokkaido University.
The racewalking course would also start and end at Odori Park, going back and forth along a wide north-south street in front of Sapporo Station. To reduce the impact on the Sapporo summer festival, which runs a beer garden in the east-west Odori Park, the 20-kilometer racewalk would make 20 one-kilometer round trips and the 50-kilometer race would make 25 two-kilometer round trips.
The city and prefectural governments are expected to agree to having the races start and end at Odori Park at the working-level meeting in Sapporo on Monday. The organizing committee will then present its route proposals, followed by an exchange of views on traffic regulation, roadside security, guiding spectators, road maintenance and other matters.
The routes must be approved by World Athletics. The organizing committee will discuss its plans with broadcasters with the goal of getting the start and end points approved by the International Olympic Committee Executive Board in early December.
As for the schedule, the organizing committee plans to tell the city and prefectural governments it will coordinate with the IOC on keeping the current plan to hold five events between July 31 and Aug. 9, when the closing ceremony will be held.
However, World Athletics and others have proposed to the organizing committee a plan that would hold all the events on Aug. 7, 8 and 9.
Those involved want to decide the schedule quickly in consideration of such factors as the athletes' travel plans, securing operational staff and the impact on residents' lives.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
