Tokyo Tightens Security and Heat Precautions as World Athletics Championships Open

Nine days of competition put Tokyo on alert

Tokyo has tightened security as the World Athletics Championships open at the Japan National Stadium on Saturday, September 13, 2025, bringing the event back to the city for the first time in 34 years. More than 2,000 athletes from nearly 200 teams will compete over nine days, through September 21, with large crowds expected inside the stadium and along routes through the capital.

Emperor Naruhito and other members of the imperial family are expected to attend. Their anticipated presence adds to the security demands of a competition combining packed evening sessions at a stadium with more than 67,000 seats and major road races across Tokyo. Strong public interest means authorities must manage people gathering at several locations, sometimes at the same time.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is increasing patrols around the stadium, transport hubs and fan zones. Officers will watch for suspicious objects and behavior, while vehicle and pedestrian traffic will be controlled in designated areas. Everyone entering the stadium must pass through checkpoints where bags and other belongings are inspected.

Heat is another major concern. Temperatures of 31 to 34 degrees Celsius, together with high humidity, are forecast across the opening days. Organizers have moved the men's and women's 35 km race walks and both marathons forward by 30 minutes, to 7:30 a.m., and have arranged water, shade, cooling tents and medical support.

The local organizing committee has described the earlier starts as a health and safety priority. Those changes also affect the security operation: police, medical staff and other teams must be ready across multiple locations at dawn, with preparations for the road events beginning well before sunrise. Protection against deliberate threats and preparation for heat illness will run alongside each other throughout the championships.

Police cover stations, walkways and stadium gates

Visible and plainclothes police officers are being deployed in and around the National Stadium, at nearby train stations and along the walkways spectators use to reach the venue. Plainclothes officers work without a police uniform, while uniformed patrols provide a visible presence in crowded areas.

Police are also assigned to patrol inside the stadium, monitoring aisles and concourses. These are the routes people use to reach their seats, leave the stands and move between parts of the venue. Keeping them moving is part of managing the large crowds expected for the evening sessions.

Security staff will enforce the stadium's terms and conditions, including inspections of bags and personal items at checkpoints before tickets are scanned. Screening lines have been planned around predictable surges in arrivals before evening sessions and major finals.

Attendees can expect longer queues during finals toward the end of the week and on the opening ceremony day, when dignitaries are present. The entry process combines checks of belongings with ticket checks, so the busiest periods will involve more than simply passing through a turnstile.

Keeping crowds moving and emergency routes clear

Traffic restrictions outside the stadium will help keep areas for passenger pickups and dropoffs clear and preserve access for emergency services. Controls on vehicles and pedestrians in designated areas are part of the wider operation around the venue.

Police are asking people to report unattended items promptly. Patrols around transport hubs, fan zones and the stadium perimeter will focus on suspicious objects and behavior as spectators arrive, gather and depart.

Volunteers and stewards will direct people on bridges and footpaths near the stadium to prevent bottlenecks after sessions finish. A bottleneck occurs when a large crowd reaches a narrower passage and movement slows, allowing people to build up behind it.

Medical first responders will be positioned inside the stands. They will be ready to deal with heat illness, trips, falls and other problems associated with large crowds in warm conditions. Their presence also allows help to reach spectators without waiting for a team to travel from outside the venue.

Street races require security across many neighborhoods

The marathons and race walks create a different security task from the stadium competition. Their courses cover many kilometers of public streets and pass through varied neighborhoods. Police must prepare a long route rather than concentrate all checks at the entrances to one building.

Authorities plan layered security along the routes, including course sweeps and canine units before athletes arrive. These precautions have been influenced by lessons from past incidents, including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

Crowd barriers are planned for congested points, with restrictions on traffic crossing the routes at designated intersections. The start and finish areas typically have screening similar to that used at a stadium, together with secured boundaries. Other parts of the course use a mixture of barriers, fencing and monitored spectator areas where space permits.

The 7:30 a.m. starts mean security and medical teams will mobilize across Tokyo well before sunrise. Preparations must cover the route, the places where crowds gather and the facilities needed by competitors before racing begins.

Coordinators will also watch crowd density in areas exposed to the sun. Police and volunteers can guide spectators toward shaded sections or rest tents within the event area, linking crowd management with the effort to reduce heat illness.

Earlier starts and 185 water spots address the heat

Tokyo has experienced a record hot early September, with average high temperatures around 33 degrees Celsius and high humidity. Thousands of residents were transported to hospitals for heat stroke during the previous month, illustrating the health risks extending beyond athletes and competition venues.

The men's and women's 35 km race walks and both marathons will begin at 7:30 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than previously scheduled. Along the marathon course, organizers have set up 185 water spots for athletes. Additional misting and ice will be available in team areas, and medical stations will be staffed to respond to heat stress.

Shade structures, cooling tents and medical teams will support both participants and spectators. The operation must account for athletes working hard over long distances as well as people standing or sitting in warm, humid conditions to watch them.

The key dates and schedule changes are:

• August 2025: Thousands of residents were transported to hospitals for heat stroke.
• Early September 2025: Tokyo experienced record heat, with average highs around 33 degrees Celsius.
• September 13, 2025: The World Athletics Championships open at the Japan National Stadium.
• During the championships: Both 35 km race walks and both marathons are scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m., following a change of 30 minutes.
• September 21, 2025: The nine days of competition conclude.

How organizers measure heat danger

Athletics organizers use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature scale, usually shortened to WBGT, to assess heat stress. It combines temperature, humidity, wind, sun angle and cloud cover to judge the conditions people face, rather than relying on air temperature alone.

Humidity matters because it affects how readily sweat evaporates, which is one way the body cools itself. Sun and wind also change how hot conditions feel to someone competing on a road or sitting in a stadium. WBGT brings those factors into a single measure used for safety planning.

For stadium and road settings, the stated WBGT thresholds are:

• 25 degrees: Caution.
• 28 degrees: A severe warning.
• 30 degrees or higher: Dangerous conditions.

These thresholds inform decisions about start times, the arrangement of hydration points along courses and the placement of cooling areas for athletes and fans. The forecast air temperatures of 31 to 34 degrees Celsius describe one part of the weather; WBGT incorporates the other conditions that affect heat stress.

Cooling tents, wearable alerts and medical patrols

Organizers have added shade tents made from radiative cooling materials near the warmup track and in public areas. These materials are designed to release heat, helping the tents provide relief from hot conditions. Cooling facilities are part of the preparation for spectators as well as competitors.

Volunteers and staff will wear devices similar to watches that estimate core body temperature and issue alerts when it reaches risky levels. Core temperature refers to the temperature inside the body. The devices are intended to flag developing heat problems among people working at the championships.

First responders will patrol the stands to identify early signs of heat illness. Stadium announcements and screens will encourage spectators to drink water, take breaks in shaded areas and use the event's cooling points.

These measures also help event coordinators manage medical demand. If many people become ill at once, an event command center can face a surge of calls. Hydration, shade, alerts and early assistance are intended to reduce that pressure while protecting individuals.

Coe puts athlete protection at the center

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has addressed the climate challenge facing outdoor sport. Discussing heat risks around the championships, he said the federation would act decisively to protect athletes even if broader policy falls short.

Coe also said sport leaders may need to make unilateral choices to keep competitors safe. In practical terms, that means making safety decisions themselves, including decisions affecting competition arrangements, rather than waiting for wider policy action.

Tokyo's preparations bring those concerns into the daily running of the event. Earlier road race starts, hydration facilities and medical support sit alongside police patrols, entry checks and traffic controls. The number of police officers being deployed has not been specified.

Key Points

• The championships run from September 13 to 21, 2025, marking their first return to Tokyo in 34 years.
• More than 2,000 athletes from nearly 200 teams will compete, with Emperor Naruhito and other imperial family members expected to attend.
• Police are increasing patrols, inspecting belongings at stadium entrances and preparing security along road race routes.
• Both 35 km race walks and both marathons will start 30 minutes earlier, at 7:30 a.m.
• Opening days are forecast to reach 31 to 34 degrees Celsius with high humidity.
• Heat precautions include 185 marathon water spots, cooling tents, medical teams and temperature alerts for staff and volunteers.