Source: City of Sapporo
Tokyo 2020; Marathon & Race Walk Course Sapporo Odori Park
Tokyo 2020; Sapporo Odori Park approved as venue for Olympic Marathon and Race Walking events
Schedule
- 6 August / 4:30 p.m. Men’s 20k race walk
- 7 August / 5:30 a.m. Men’s 50k race walk
- 7 August / 4:30 p.m. Women’s 20k race walk
- 8 August / 7:00 a.m. Women’s marathon
- 9 August / 7:00 a.m. Men’s marathon
Course
The IOC, World Athletics and Tokyo 2020 also agreed on 1 and 2 km-loops for race walk and a 20 km-loop course for the first stage of the marathon, leaving as a legacy a half marathon course which can host a future annual event. From the busy station area with streets lined with commercial buildings, the course will pass iconic local sights such as Hokkaido University, helping to transmit the rich charm of the city to the world. World Athletics and Tokyo 2020 will continue their discussions on the second half of the course and will conduct a site inspection in order to reach a mutual decision on overall operations by mid-December.
Source: Tokyo 2020
Read more
Tokyo 2020; Decision to relocate Olympic marathon and race walking events to Sapporo now confirmed
From the International Olympic Committee;
Unity underlined in efforts to deliver successful Olympic Game
During the ninth IOC Coordination Commission visit to Tokyo (30 October – 1 November), the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee presented significant progress towards hosting spectacular Olympic Games in less than nine months’ time.
On the final day of the visit, a four-party working group meeting took place, during which the next steps in moving the marathon and race walk events to Sapporo were discussed.
“We thank the four-party working group for productive discussions and cooperation in the change of venue for the marathon and race walk, in order to safeguard the health of the athletes. We look forward to moving forward as a united team, something which has successfully characterised these Olympic Games to date,” said IOC Coordination Commission Chair John Coates.
“On behalf of the IOC, we also want to express our sincere appreciation to the people of Tokyo. We can fully understand the concerns and disappointment of Tokyoites, who are so enthusiastic and involved in these Olympic Games. It is for this reason that we have proposed to organise, together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), an ‘Olympic Celebration marathon’ after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will be an opportunity to say thank you and celebrate the outstanding contribution of the TMG and the people of Tokyo to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The four-party working group agreed to the following points at the Coordination Commission meeting:
– The authority to change the venue belongs to the IOC.
– The TMG will not be asked to bear the cost that is newly incurred when the venues are moved to Sapporo.
– The expenses which were already made by the TMG and Tokyo 2020 in relation to the marathon and race walk will be examined and verified, and the expenses that the TMG cannot use for other purposes will not be borne by the TMG.
– There will be no future venue changes other than marathon and race walk.
Moving forward, the IOC will begin planning with Tokyo 2020 and the relevant local authorities, as well as continue to coordinate with the IAAF to ensure that the athletes compete on the best field of play.
“During the meeting today, the IOC conveyed its thoughtful words to many Olympic fans in Japan, and Chairman Coates read to us a message from IOC President Bach,” said Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori. “We in the Organising Committee share these sentiments. We appreciate the fans’ enthusiasm and will come together as one team and make our best efforts to ensure the success of the Games. After the four-party meeting, I contacted Sapporo mayor Akimoto and Hokkaido governor Suzuki. Both were very honoured and said that they will be well prepared.”
Full press release here
Tokyo 2020; The International Olympic Committee plans to move the marathon and race walking events to Sapporo
Press release
International Olympic Committee announces plans to move Olympic marathon and race walking to Sapporo
COOLER CONDITIONS FOR THESE ENDURANCE EVENTS ARE PART OF COMPREHENSIVE MEASURES TO PROTECT ATHLETES, OFFICIALS AND SPECTATORS DURING THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that it is planning to move the Olympic marathon and race walking events to Sapporo, the host city of the Olympic Winter Games 1972. The move to Hokkaido, the northern-most prefecture of Japan, will mean significantly lower temperatures for the athletes during the Olympic Games. In Sapporo, temperatures during the Games period are as much as five to six degrees centigrade cooler during the day than in Tokyo, which is more than 800 kilometres further south.
Other heat countermeasures:
– Athletics: 5,000m and longer distance races scheduled in the evening athletics sessions and not in the morning sessions, and moving the marathon and race walk events to earlier starting times.
– Rugby: all morning games scheduled to finish before 12 p.m.
– Cycling: mountain bike start time delayed to 3 p.m.
About Sapporo
- Hokkaido region
- Distance between Tokyo and Sapporo: 825km
- Fifth largest city of Japan by population (1,957,914)
- Climate: humid continental
- Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1972
- Other events: 2002 FIFA World Cup (3 games – Sapporo Dome) and the 2019 Rugby World Cup (2 games – Sapporo Dome)
- Tokyo 2020: host city for the Olympic football tournaments (Sapporo Dome)
2026 Bid; Sapporo withdraws
After Graz and Sion, Sapporo has also withdrawn as a potential candidate city for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The remaining interested NOCs in the dialogue phase are Canada (Calgary), Italy (Cortina d’Ampezzo, Milan and Turin), Turkey (Erzurum) and Sweden (Stockholm).
Press release by the International Olympic Committee:
AFTER SEPTEMBER EARTHQUAKE – SAPPORO TO FOCUS ON CANDIDATURE FOR OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES 2030
THE IOC ONCE AGAIN EXPRESSED ITS SYMPATHY FOR THE VICTIMS AND FAMILIES OF ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE IN HOKKAIDO, JAPAN, WHICH HAS LEFT 41 DEAD AND CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE, WITH MANY STILL IN TEMPORARY SHELTERS. FOR THIS REASON, THE CITY OF SAPPORO, THE JAPANESE NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE AND THE IOC AGREED TODAY THAT THE IOC WOULD NOT PUT SAPPORO ON THE LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES 2026, BUT TO CONTINUE WITH THE CLOSE DIALOGUE ALREADY UNDERWAY FOR THE OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES 2030.
The IOC expressed its understanding that recovery from the earthquake in the region should be the immediate principle focus but greatly appreciated the continued strong commitment as a future host for the Olympic Winter Games.
The announcement came today following a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, between representatives of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), the City of Sapporo, and the International Olympic Committee. It follows months of close collaboration during the Dialogue Stage of the Olympic Winter Games 2026 Candidature Process.
As part of the new Candidature Process, a one-year non-committal Dialogue Stage was introduced to provide Interested Cities and National Olympic Committees with an opportunity to interact with the IOC and discuss how hosting the Games can serve their long-term goals and leave lasting legacies.
The City of Sapporo and the Japanese NOC made it clear that they remain strongly interested in a candidature for the Olympic Winter Games 2030.
Tokyo 2020; Race Walk course in Google Maps (update)
Tokyo 2020; Marathon Course in Google Maps (update)
2026 Bid; Introduction to the seven interested countries and cities
Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee announced the seven NOCs and cities that have expressed interest in hosting the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. On this page a first introduction;
Map
Austria – Graz
Olympic Games in Austria
Summer Olympics: –
Winter Olympics: Innsbruck 1964, Innsbruck 1976, Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games
Graz
Graz is the second-largest city in Austria after Vienna.
Elevation: 353m
Population: 325,021 (2018)
Temperature in February: Average high 5,8°C / Average low -2,9°C
Website: Link
Continue reading “2026 Bid; Introduction to the seven interested countries and cities”
Legacy Olympic Winter Games (update 07/04/2014)
A series of articles by the IOC about the Olympic legacy in former Winter Olympic host cities:
- New ski resort the legacy from Squaw Valley Winter Games
- Sapporo 1972 inspired new generation of Asian winter athletes
- 1960 Winter Games ‘made Squaw Valley what it is today’
- Innsbruck enjoys new generation of Olympic legacies
- Lake Placid enjoys long and continued Olympic legacies
- Innsbruck’s Olympic legacy “is in the city’s DNA”
- Winter Games helped Lake Placid become a “world-class” resort
- World-class facilities provide lasting Olympic legacy for Calgary
Update 17/01/2014
- Infrastructure improvements provide Albertville Games legacy
- Lillehammer 1994 set the stage for sustainable Games legacies
- Lillehammer 2016 is ‘built on the legacy of 1994 Winter Games’
- Transport infrastructure provides lasting legacy of Nagano 1998
Update 07/04/2014
- Salt Lake City still basking in 2002 Winter Games legacies
- Turin enjoys on-going tourism legacy of 2006 Winter Games
- Winter Games provided ‘springboard’ for Salt Lake City
- Olympic Winter Games “totally changed” image of Turin
- Vancouver still enjoying Games legacies
- Whistler used Vancouver 2010 “as a catalyst” for community goals
- Winter Games legacies flourishing around the world