Carl Lewis wins the 100m in a world record at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo (© Getty Images)
Plaque name: Tokyo
Location: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 1, 2-8-1, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo 163-8001
Plaque awarded: 06/07/2025
Reason: Plaque Category – City
On the award of the plaque, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe commented: "Tokyo's credentials as a World Athletics Heritage City are beyond question. The host to the 1964 and 2020 Olympic Games and the 1991 and 2025 World Athletics Championships, Tokyo has historically been the stage for great competitions and has witnessed numerous world records.
"Bob Hayes, Abebe Bikila, Ann Packer, Betty Cuthbert, Carl Lewis, Mike Powell, Karsten Warholm, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Yulimar Rojas are just a few of the track and field greats, both past and present, whose performances in the Japanese capital have created headlines around the world.
"Annually, 38,000 runners also take to the streets of the Japanese capital. In a country where the marathon race is a sacred sporting tradition, the Tokyo Marathon is rightfully one of the World Marathon Majors.
“Yet among all other reasons, the heroic staging of the rescheduled 2020 Olympic Games during the pandemic exemplifies the unique contribution that Tokyo has made to the history of our sport.
“Congratulations, Tokyo, on the award of this exceptionally well-deserved honour.”
The World Athletics Heritage Plaque awarded to Tokyo (© Getty Images)