Athletes participate in annual Tokyo Marathon 2016

TOKYO, JAPAN, Mar 09 (ANI): With Tokyo being selected to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tokyo Marathon 2016 wheelchair race was sanctioned by the international Paralympic Committee. Tokyo established the "Semi-Elite" category for superior athletes from outside of Japan to provide better participation opportunities for runners from outside of Japan in the 2016 event. Around 37,000 runners ran through the streets of Metropolitan Tokyo. With its blend of old and new, Tokyo provides a fantastic venue for one of the world's greatest marathons. Tokyo joined in 2013 as a sixth and the newest race of the World Marathon Majors, to provide momentum to the marathon movement, to help running take root across Japan and unite runners and race supporters across the country. Through its theme, "The Day We Unite," the Tokyo Marathon unites runners, 10,000 of volunteers, and over 1,720,000 crowds cheering on the race day. The organisers and participants united in their effort to advance the