Reuters – Tokyo held a marathon event on Sunday (September 15) widely seen as a test case for whether organisers, athletes, and spectators can cope with sweltering temperatures expected with Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games next year.

Temperatures were as high as 30 degrees on Sunday. Runners who participated were optimistic that athletes would be able to deal with the heat during next year’s Olympics, but some spectators expressed concern about cheering runners on under sweltering conditions.

Rei Ohara, a female runner who came third and collapsed after finishing the race, said the event was easy to run thanks to the organiser, who prepared for enough water and ice at resting points.

The race on Sunday featured tents equipped with mist machines for spectators. Officials handed out ice cubes and ice scarves to families waiting in the sun. At some of the rest stops officials said they also planned to give out plastic hand-held fans.

Tokyo government and Tokyo 2020 organizing committee have carried out counter-heat measures for the Olympic and Paralympic games. Temperatures in Tokyo during July and August period when the city will host the games commonly exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86°F), with high humidity adding to people’s discomfort.

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