Thirty-six thousand athletes, two million supporters and 10,000 volunteers came out to the Tokyo Marathon 2012 Sunday, showcasing Tokyo’s bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
According to bid officials, the Tokyo Marathon 2012 demonstrates the metropolis’ ability to host large-scale sporting events while coexisting smoothly with the general city traffic. With its runners, supporters, traffic controllers and the largest urban police force in the world synchronized, Tokyo 2020 says its comprehensive experience and know-how in the field of mass transport continuously exemplifies its strong organizational ability.
The marathon course went through the Heritage Zone and the Tokyo Bay Zone as defined in Tokyo 2020’s Games plan. Marathon participants then headed to the waterfront Tokyo Bay Zone and the finish line at Tokyo Big Sight, a convention centre that would be the venue for wrestling, powerlifting, fencing, taekwondo, boccia and wheelchair fencing as well as the home of the International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre should Tokyo host the 2020 Games.
Tokyo 2020 CEO Masato Mizuno said, “the Tokyo Marathon is an extraordinary exhibition that demonstrates the remarkable power of sport and its ability to unite and inspire us all. I am proud to be a part of an incredible sporting city with the dynamic atmosphere permeating us all. The Tokyo Marathon is a great showcase of our hosting experience and I look forward to Tokyo playing host again to all our international friends in 2020”.
