FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tokyo Marathon 2021 Postponed
With the COVID-19 Countermeasure Committee and the COVID-19 Investigative
Committee, the Tokyo Marathon Foundation has devoted much effort and time
to deliver a safe and secure event during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, even only a month away from the event, Tokyo is still under a
state of emergency. With the difficulty to forecast the trend of COVID-19
and involved restrictions on mobility, it is decided at today's board
meeting that the Tokyo Marathon 2021 (originally scheduled for Sunday,
October 17) will be postponed to Sunday, March 6, 2022.
In addition, all related events (Tokyo Marathon EXPO 2021, Tokyo Marathon
Friendship Run 2021, Tokyo Marathon Family Run 2021) are reorganized to be
held in March 2022.
With today's decision, it was also decided that the Tokyo Marathon 2022
expected on March 6, 2022 will not take place. For all runners who have an
entry to the Tokyo Marathon 2022, we will follow you up with details and
options soon. Everyone's patience and cooperation in this matter is greatly
appreciated.
- Tokyo Marathon 2021
Postponed to Sunday, March 6, 2022.
- Tokyo Marathon 2022
Due to postponement of the 2021 event, the 2022 event will not take place.
- Upcoming Schedule
- Sept. 18 – Oct. 16, 2021: Virtual Tokyo Marathon 2021
- October 2021:
Event Update on Tokyo Marathon 2021
Communication sent to the 2021 registered runners and volunteers
Communication sent to the 2022 registered runners
- December 2021: 2021 runners confirmed
- January 2022: 2021 volunteers confirmed
- March 2022: Tokyo Marathon 2021 related events
- March 6, 2022: Tokyo Marathon 2021
Course of Decisions on the Tokyo Marathon 2021 Postponement
- In October of last year, observing the national and global situation with
COVID-19, vaccination, and the Abbott World Marathon Majors event calendar,
we have made the decision to postpone the Tokyo Marathon 2021 from March to
October 2021, roughly to half a year later.
- Collectively, the Foundation established the COVID-19 Countermeasure
Committee and the COVID-19 Investigative Committee (compromising infectious
disease experts and medical team), to discuss all possible countermeasures
to deliver a safe and secure event.
- As it can be viewed on our official website, different countermeasures
and plans were prepared. PCR testing not only for the runners but also for
volunteers and staff, monitoring individual condition before and after the
event utilizing a health-management app, creating an environment to
maintain physical distance, and many more that we could possibly think of
that are relevant against COVID-19.
- Also, we have established and executed a long-term planning schedule,
which allowed us to make decisions ahead of time to minimize possible
stress and impact on the runners and all personnel. We had meetings, 7
months prior to the event (before announcing event details) and 4 months
prior to the event (before receiving event fees), to make a go/no-go
decision of the event by assessing the situation at the time.
- However since July, outbreak continues to rise due to Delta variant, and
medical services are under increasing pressure. Though it's just a month
away from the event, the disease continues to spread, and the state of
emergency for Tokyo has been extended to September 30.
- Even if the state of emergency has been lifted, it is difficult to
determine whether we can deliver a safe and secure event with the current
circumstance of the health services. Travel and many more restrictions are
expected to continue. With careful consideration on how the event will
affect the community, we have come to the difficult decision to postpone
the Tokyo Marathon 2021 scheduled for October 17, 2021.
- On the other hand, vaccination rate continues to rise, and the government
has announced that by end of the year, they plan to ease restrictions by
utilizing vaccination passport. It is also very positive that large-scale
events are gradually opening in the USA and Europe, giving us a hopeful
impression.
- With all things considered, and furthermore, not to waste the tremendous
effort of our runners who trained in the time of COVID-19, and the hard
work of all personnel involved in the event, we have decided to postpone
the Tokyo Marathon 2021 to March 6 (Sun) of the next year.
- Also with this decision, the Tokyo Marathon 2022 expected on March 6,
2022 (Sun) will not take place.
- For all runners who have an entry to the Tokyo Marathon 2022, we will
send you a further details and available options.
- We truly hope that this pandemic will end soon, and we will continue to
dedicate our utmost effort until "The Day We Unite". Words cannot express
our appreciation for the continuous support we receive from our runners,
partners, and all relevant parties involved in the event, and we thank you
for your understanding during this difficult time.
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