Road race start times moved because of Tokyo heat

The marathon and 35km race walk events at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo will start 30 minutes earlier than scheduled because of the heat.

Temperatures in the Japanese capital are expected to exceed 30C for the majority of the championships, which begin on Saturday.

The women’s and men’s 35km race walk on 13 September, women’s marathon on 14 September, and men’s marathon on 15 September will now start at 07:30 local time (23:30 BST).

World Athletics chief executive Jon Ridgeon said the organisation’s health and science team had assured him the schedule change would make a “significant difference to the athletes”.

Ridgeon added it was not possible to move the start time any earlier than 07:30 because of the “logistical changes required”.

The women’s 20km race walk on 20 September begins at 07:30, but the men’s event on the same day is scheduled for 09:50.

When Tokyo hosted the summer Olympics in 2021, the marathon and race walking events were moved 800km north to Sapporo because of its cooler conditions.

Despite the World Championships taking place later in the year, when temperatures are expected to be lower in Tokyo, conditions have remained similar to mid-summer.

Japan has endured its hottest summer since records began in 1898, with temperatures 2.36C above average.