World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo Adjusts Start Times Due to Scorching Heat
Tokyo’s heatwave is shaking up the World Athletics Championships 2025. Organizers have decided to kick off all road events 30 minutes earlier than planned for the first three days. This change starts on Saturday and aims to keep athletes safe from the extreme temperatures.
The big updates hit the key road races. The women’s and men’s 35-kilometre race walk on September 13 now begins at 7:30 am. The women’s marathon follows on September 14 at the same early time, and the men’s marathon on September 17 gets the same 7:30 am start. Originally, these events were set for 8:00 am to balance weather, logistics, and crowd turnout.
World Athletics and the Local Organising Committee made this call after chatting with their health experts. "Athletes’ health and safety come first," their statement says. They’ve already told all competitors, so everyone can tweak their training and get ready.
Japan’s facing its hottest summer ever, with average temperatures 2.36°C above normal since records started in 1898. Even in mid-September, when the championships run from September 13 to 21, the heat feels like peak summer. No one wants risks for the stars competing here.
This is the 20th World Athletics Championships, drawing over 2,000 athletes from around 200 countries. They’ll battle it out in 49 exciting events over nine days, chasing 147 medals total. Men and women each get 24 disciplines, plus one mixed event. The prize pot? A whopping $8,498,000 to fuel the competition.
Fans, get set for non-stop action in Tokyo – but stay cool while you cheer!
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