2021 Tokyo Marathon Canceled Due to Extension of State of Emergency

With the government set to extend the state of emergency in Tokyo and other parts of the country, as of Sept. 6 it is all but certain that the Oct. 17 Tokyo Marathon will be cancelled. 

The published guidelines for the 2021 race state, "In the event that a state of emergency has been issued one month prior to the event as part of the government's efforts against the coronavirus pandemic, or if the local government has issued a request not to hold the race, the Tokyo Marathon will be cancelled."

The current state of emergency in Tokyo runs through Sept. 12, but as it is expected to be extended 2~3 weeks it will still be in force on the 17th. This makes the chances that the Tokyo Marathon will go ahead virtually non-existent.

The event's organizers, the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, plan to hold a board meeting in mid-September to make a final decision.

The 2021 Tokyo Marathon was originally scheduled for Mar. 7, but in October last year in light of pandemic conditions the Foundation's board decided to postpone it to Oct. 17 this year. 

In June this year event organizers announced that general division runners living outside Japan would not be permitted to run. The 2022 Tokyo Marathon is scheduled for Mar. 6.

posted Tuesday September 7th
by Brett Larner