I.O.C. Moves Tokyo Games’ Marathon Site Because of Heat Concerns

The Olympic committee has made several other moves to deal with the heat. The longer track races will be run in the evenings, when it is cooler. Morning rugby games will end before noon. There could be further changes, the committee said.

There are also plans for tents, water misters, fans and sun visors for spectators.

Before the decision to move the marathons, organizers were resurfacing the course with a material called Perfect Cool, which uses tiny ceramic beads to reflect heat. The races would also have started at dawn.

At a canoeing event in Tokyo in early September, organizers tried to cool spectators with shaved ice, but the experiment left fans soaked.

The men’s marathon typically comes on the last day of the Games and is considered a signature event, with the finish or medal ceremony often taking place in the Olympic Stadium. With the event taking place far to the north, its impact will be lessened, though the medal ceremony could potentially still take place before the closing ceremony, in accordance with tradition.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/sports/olympic-marathon-tokyo-heat.html?emc=rss&partner=rss