Volunteer orientation for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25
From 19 to 24 April 2025, nearly 2,700 volunteers gathered at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Centre in Shibuya, Tokyo, for a six-day orientation ahead of this September’s World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. The sessions marked the first opportunity for the volunteer team to meet in person and begin building the foundation for a successful event.
The orientation opened with an inspiring video message from Naoto Tobe, Japan’s national record holder in the men’s high jump and Executive Director of Public Relations for WCH Tokyo 25.
In the first half of the programme, volunteers attended a classroom session covering an overview of the championships, their roles and responsibilities, key guidelines, and the mindset needed to support a world-class sporting event.
The latter half of the day focused on team-building activities, delivered in collaboration with the Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center. Among them was a lively drawing game that helped break the ice and foster a strong sense of camaraderie among participants.
Feedback from volunteers was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing excitement and a renewed sense of purpose:
“I feel even more motivated to give it my all and help make the event a success.”
“The group activities really showed me how important teamwork will be.”
“The Edo-purple staff uniforms looked amazing!”
Next, volunteers will receive their shift assignments, activity locations, and roles. A mandatory online training programme will follow, with venue- and role-specific sessions scheduled to begin in mid-August.
Preparations for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 are picking up pace, with the volunteer team now one step closer to being event-ready.
