The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of World Athletics Championships 2025, slated to start Saturday, has announced that all road events during the first three days of the tournament in Tokyo will now begin 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled due to extreme heat conditions. The move is aimed at safeguarding the health and safety of competing athletes.
The revised start time for the women’s and men’s 35km Race Walk on September 13, the Women’s Marathon on September 14, and the Men’s Marathon on September 17 is 07:30 am (4:30 am IST).
Three Indians will be in the fray during the road events, with Priyanka Goswami in women’s 35km Race Walk and Ram Baboo and Sandeep Kumar in Men’s 35km Race Walk.
“World Athletics (WA) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC), in consultation with the World Athletics Health & Science Department, have taken this decision that puts the highest priority on athletes’ health and safety, and it has been communicated to the athletes as early as possible to allow them to prepare and adjust to the new start time,” the LOC said in a statement.
The road events were initially scheduled to start at 08:00 am (5:00 am IST), taking into account climate conditions, operational logistics and the goal of maximising spectator attendance. However, Japan has recorded its hottest summer since 1898, with temperatures averaging 2.36°C above normal.
While mid-September is usually cooler in Tokyo, temperatures this year are expected to remain at summer-like levels, prompting the precautionary adjustment.
The 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships will feature over 2,000 athletes from around 200 countries competing across 49 events from September 13-21. A total of 147 medals will be awarded across the nine-day competition, which also carries a total prize money pool of USD 84,98,000.
There are 24 events each for women and men, along with one mixed event, highlighting the balance and inclusivity of the championships. The early adjustment underscores the organisers’ commitment to athlete safety while maintaining the competitive integrity and spectacle of the championships.
India’s 19-member squad will be led by Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra, who returns to defend his men’s javelin title.