Search
shop

Test Event dates and details for Tokyo 2020 announced

Details have been announced today of the Test Event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to be held from 15-18 August 2018 at Odaiba Marine Park
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
STRENGTH. ENDURANCE. PERFORMANCE.

12 months before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Triathlon events, athletes will have an opportunity to race over the same course in Tokyo at the ‘2019 Test Event for the Tokyo 2020 Games – World Olympic Qualification Event‘. The event will include individual, Mixed Relay and Paratriathlon races.

In addition to the opportunity to preview the course, the event will also include “the same points for the Ranking and Individual Olympic Qualification Ranking as the Grand Final”, which will likely ensure that anyone seriously seeking to become ITU World Triathlon Champion in 2019, will be there. As for prize money – which was missing from the 2015 Rio Test Event – no mention, at least yet, of that.

Here is the full announcement from the ITU today.


Tokyo 2020 Olympic Test Event confirmed for August 2019

The International Triathlon Union, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Japanese Triathlon Union are pleased to announce the dates for the 2019 Test Event for the Tokyo 2020 Games – World Olympic Qualification Event. Running from August 15 to 18, it will incorporate Elite male and female races, Mixed Relay and Paratriathlon races.

All of the races will take place in the Odaiba Marine Park, the very same venue and courses where, almost exactly one year later, the world’s top triathletes will be vying for Olympic glory. Those competing in the Tokyo Test Event will be able to familiarise themselves with the seasonal temperatures and conditions that they can expect to experience a year later.

“ITU is very happy to have agreed the dates for this Test Event and the timetable that will closely reflect conditions that our athletes will face during the Olympic Games in 2020. This is a fantastic course and it should not be underestimated how important it is for our preparations and for the athletes’ safety to be able to hold and learn from such an event well in advance of the start of the Games,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President.

The Elite individual races races will start and finish in Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo Bay, an urban resort with white sandy beaches overlooked by Tokyo’s high-rise waterfront buildings that has been the home of Japan’s National Triathlon Championships for more than 20 years. The athletes will swim for 1.5km in Odaiba Bay, then head out on the 40km bike ride in and around the park, passing through the leafy West Promenade district and its waterfalls before finishing with a 10km run in the same setting.

The Mixed Relay, added to the Olympic programme for the first time, involves teams of two men and two women completing a short-course triathlon, each team member completing a 300m swim, a 7.4km bike ride and a 2km run before handing off to a teammate. The Paratriathlon will consist of a 750m swim, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run, also in Odaiba Bay, again over the same course that will be showcased at the Paralympics.

The Individual events will take place on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 August, with 65 men and 65 women participating, and will reward the same points for the Ranking and Individual Olympic Qualification Ranking as the Grand Final. The Mixed Relay event will see 20 Teams competing and will form part of the 2019 Mixed Relay Series, rewarding series-level points for the Mixed Relay World Ranking and the Mixed Relay Olympic Qualification Ranking.

The Paratriathlon event, which will be disputed on Saturday, August 17th, will be a World Cup-level event with 70 paratriathletes participating.

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
Dave Ellis / Luke Pollard - World Para Triathlon Championships Pontevedra 2023
Golden opportunity – British Triathlon launches search for LA2028 paratriathlon guides
IRONMAN Lanzarote 2024 - Anne Haug on run course
Best marathon shoes for Ironman – the ‘legal’ super shoes you CAN wear to level up your run split
Challenge Sanremo 2024 - Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade
How to fuel your triathlon training: Expert nutritionist tips to help you nail every session
swim start IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2024 photo credit Tony Svensson IRONMAN
Level up your Ironman swim split – must-read tips from an expert swim coach
Ironman gear guide – everything you need to get to the finish line of a full distance triathlon
latest News
Taylor Knibb 2024 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Taupo New Zealand
US triathlon phenom Taylor Knibb hails great rival Kat Matthews for record-breaking IRONMAN Texas win
Richard Varga Jonny Brownlee Arzachena
Triathlon legend Jonny Brownlee reveals ‘Last Dance’ motivation behind latest challenge
IRONMAN Kona 2022 Age Group Results
How will “re-imagined” IRONMAN World Championship at Kona actually look for Age Groupers?
Lucy Charles-Barclay IRONMAN World Championship Kona 2023 Finish
IRONMAN World Championship goes ALL IN on Kona again with men and women to race on same day from 2026
Laura Philipp and Kat Matthews on the run at the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship
Nice gets consolation prize of 70.3 Worlds after IRONMAN World Championships return to Kona
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...