Tokyo joins world marathon majors, first in Asia

The Tokyo Marathon will join the World Marathon Majors in 2013, the first in Asia, dpa quoted the Tokyo metropolitan government as saying Friday. The race in the Japanese capital will become the world's sixth major marathon race, joining Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago and New York. Since its start in 2007, the race in the Japanese capital has become hugely popular among an ever-increasing number of marathon runners in Japan. About 300,000 runners apply for its 36,000 slots. The 2013 marathon will be held on February 24, the year's first race of the World Marathon Majors. The official announcement the Tokyo's inclusion was to be made in New York Friday ahead of the New York City Marathon. Tokyo Vice Governor Naoki Inose told a news conference he believes the Tokyo's inclusion in the majors will provide a boost to the city's bid to the stage the 2020 Olympics. "This will beam out to the world the attraction of Japan and Tokyo and boost the Olympic bid," he said. Tokyo is bidding against Istanbul and Madrid, with the deciding vote by the International Olympic Committee set for September 2013