Tokyo 2016 received full support from several Olympians participating in the 2008 Tokyo Marathon during a visit to the Tokyo Metropolitan building with the Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara and Dr. Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of Tokyo 2016.
Dr. Kono said, “the support of some of the world’s greatest marathon runners taking part in the Tokyo Marathon 2008 at the heart of our capital city is a big boost for Tokyo 2016. We aim to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games to herald a new sporting, social, economic and environmental golden era for the benefit of Tokyo, Japan and the whole Olympic Movement. To help achieve this the views of Olympic athletes are extremely important to us and our bid seeks to place their needs at the very core of our Games plans”.
The 2008 Tokyo Marathon is being held in the same venue where the Tokyo 2016 Marathon would be held, in the very heart of Tokyo, allowing athletes and citizens a chance to enjoy the “incredible” sporting experience the Games promise to bring, said a media release.
The races will start in the Tokyo 2016 “Heritage Zone” and lead competitors to the waterfront “Tokyo Bay Zone” which together makes up Tokyo’s proposed 2016 “Olympic Park”.
The marathon race will finish at the Tokyo Big Sight in the “Musubi Cluster” which joins the two venues in Tokyo 2016’s bid. The Musubi Cluster will contain the Olympic stadium, Olympic village and competition venues, including Tokyo Big Sight, which would host hardball, fencing and Taekwondo events at the 2016 Games.
Several cultural and musical events will take place around the Tokyo Marathon 2008 as part of the “Tokyo Marathon Festival” sponsored by Tokyo 2016.
