Men’s 100m
Date: July 31 (Japan) / July 30 (U.S.) — Preliminary Round
Time: Sat 31 July 9 a.m. local time/ 8 p.m. EDT
Date: July 31 — Round 1
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 1 — Semifinals/Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time/ 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 100m
Date: July 30 (Japan) / July 29 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9:00 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: July 31 — Semifinals/Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Men’s 200m
Date: August 3 (Japan) / August 2 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 3 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 4 — Final
Time: 6:30 p.m. local time / 5 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 200m
Date: August 2 (Japan) / August 1 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 2 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 3 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Men’s 400m
Date: August 1 (Japan) / July 31 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9:10 a.m. local time / 8:10 p.m. EDT
Date: August 2 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 5 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 400m
Date: August 3 (Japan) / August 2 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 4 — Semifinals
Time: 6:30 p.m. local time / 5:30 a.m. EDT
Date: August 6 — Final
Time: 7:50 p.m. local time / 6:50 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Men’s 800m
Date: July 31 (Japan) / July 30 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 1 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 4 — Final
Time: 6:30 p.m. local time / 5:30 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
Every 800m race has three key parts. Part 1: The start through the first 400m split, with some taking it out fast in hopes of hanging on and others pacing themselves, running fast but efficiently. Part II: The rearranging that typically starts at 400 meters when the runners enter the turn for the final lap, with some trying to maintain and others quickening their turnover, all jostling for set-up positioning along the backstretch. Part III: The final kick in the last 200–150 meters as runners slingshot around the turn and try to find an open lane to the finish. With individual strengths and preferences determining tactics, there’s often more drama and lead changes per second than during any other track and field event.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Men’s 800m in Tokyo
Women’s 800m
Date: July 30 (Japan) / July 29 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: July 31 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 3 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
Every 800m race has three key parts. Part 1: The start through the first 400m split, with some taking it out fast in hopes of hanging on and others pacing themselves, running fast but efficiently. Part II: The rearranging that typically starts at 400 meters when the runners enter the turn for the final lap, with some trying to maintain and others quickening their turnover, all jostling for set-up positioning along the backstretch. Part III: The final kick in the last 200–150 meters as runners slingshot around the turn and try to find an open lane to the finish. With individual strengths and preferences determining tactics, there’s often more drama and lead changes per second than during any other track and field event.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Women’s 800m in Tokyo
Men’s 1,500m
Date: August 3 (Japan) / August 2 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 5 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 7 — Finals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
The 1500m race at major championships usually plays out in one of three ways. Often, it’s a slow, tactical affair, with the leading contenders unwilling to push the pace over the opening half as others follow in their slipstream. In this case, athletes will jostle for position through the opening 800 meters, after which the gears slowly start shifting and someone winds the pace up at the front on the penultimate lap, but few will truly go for broke until the final 200 meters.
Other times, the race can be slow from the beginning but someone without super-fast finishing speed will inject a mid-race surge, trying to break clear. This is rare due to it often backfiring for the athlete, who more often than not gets swallowed by the pack and quickly dropped off the back.
The third option is that the race is fast from the start, which occurred in both men’s and women’s finals at the 2019 World Championships, where Timothy Cheruiyot and Sifan Hassan were so superior that they decided to replicate races on the circuit and be their own pacemaker. Occasionally, such athletes will employ one of their teammates to sacrifice their own chance, act as a rabbit and push the pace early.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Men’s Olympic 1500m
Women’s 1,500m
Date: August 2 (Japan) / August 1 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 4 — Semifinals
Time: 6:30 p.m. local time / 5:30 a.m. EDT
Date: August 6 — Final
Time: 7:50 p.m. local time / 6:50 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
The 1500m race at major championships usually plays out in one of three ways. Often, it’s a slow, tactical affair, with the leading contenders unwilling to push the pace over the opening half as others follow in their slipstream. In this case, athletes will jostle for position through the opening 800 meters, after which the gears slowly start shifting and someone winds the pace up at the front on the penultimate lap, but few will truly go for broke until the final 200 meters.
Other times, the race can be slow from the beginning but someone without super-fast finishing speed will inject a mid-race surge, trying to break clear. This is rare due to it often backfiring for the athlete, who more often than not gets swallowed by the pack and quickly dropped off the back.
The third option is that the race is fast from the start, which occurred in both men’s and women’s finals at the 2019 World Championships, where Timothy Cheruiyot and Sifan Hassan were so superior that they decided to replicate races on the circuit and be their own pacemaker. Occasionally, such athletes will employ one of their teammates to sacrifice their own chance, act as a rabbit and push the pace early.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Women’s Olympic 1500m
Men’s 5,000m
Date: August 3 — Round 1
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 6 — Final
Time: 7:50 p.m. local time / 6:50 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
Very few 5000m championship finals are run at a fast pace from the gun, with most seeing a series of alternating surges during the first 8–10 of the 12.5 laps, making the field yo-yo into an elongated line before clustering together again. Ethiopia and Kenya typically field such strong Olympic teams that many of their athletes work together to ensure the race is run to suit.
When the pace is slow, up to a dozen athletes can still be in contention at the bell, where the tempo explodes as each runner tries to move away from the group — and the rhythm keeps accelerating through the final turn and onto the homestretch. In those scenarios it will usually take a 52-second final 400m for a man or a sub-60 second last lap for a woman to take gold.
Those who don’t have this kind of closing gear have to hope to tire the speedsters’ legs by making the pace quicker throughout, and often will start to accelerate with up to 800 meters to go. In quick races, there’s usually only a handful of athletes in contention at the bell, and from there it’s about which man can hold on and kick in a 53–54- second final lap, and which woman can finish it off close to 60 seconds.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Men’s 5000m in Tokyo
Women’s 5,000m
Date: July 30 — Round 1
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 2 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
Very few 5000m championship finals are run at a fast pace from the gun, with most seeing a series of alternating surges during the first 8–10 of the 12.5 laps, making the field yo-yo into an elongated line before clustering together again. Ethiopia and Kenya typically field such strong Olympic teams that many of their athletes work together to ensure the race is run to suit.
When the pace is slow, up to a dozen athletes can still be in contention at the bell, where the tempo explodes as each runner tries to move away from the group — and the rhythm keeps accelerating through the final turn and onto the homestretch. In those scenarios it will usually take a 52-second final 400m for a man or a sub-60 second last lap for a woman to take gold.
Those who don’t have this kind of closing gear have to hope to tire the speedsters’ legs by making the pace quicker throughout, and often will start to accelerate with up to 800 meters to go. In quick races, there’s usually only a handful of athletes in contention at the bell, and from there it’s about which man can hold on and kick in a 53–54- second final lap, and which woman can finish it off close to 60 seconds.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Women’s 5000m in Tokyo
Men’s 10,000m
Date: July 30 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
The 10,000m was once described by Sebastian Coe as “lap after lap of waiting,” and that’s often accurate about the 25-lap race, with athletes trusting their kicks and biding their time until the closing mile in many championships. In Tokyo, however, the longest event on the track is likely to be a grueling test in both the men’s and women’s races. Many of the leading contenders for gold don’t possess strong kicks and will have no option but to push the pace from far out, thinning the field as contenders fall off the back. Still, a fast kick — after miles of a punishing pace — will nonetheless likely be needed to win gold.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Men’s Olympic 10,000m
Women’s 10,000m
Date: August 7 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
The 10,000m was once described by Sebastian Coe as “lap after lap of waiting,” and that’s often accurate about the 25-lap race, with athletes trusting their kicks and biding their time until the closing mile in many championships. In Tokyo, however, the longest event on the track is likely to be a grueling test in both the men’s and women’s races. Many of the leading contenders for gold don’t possess strong kicks and will have no option but to push the pace from far out, thinning the field as contenders fall off the back. Still, a fast kick — after miles of a punishing pace — will nonetheless likely be needed to win gold.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Women’s Olympic 10,000m
Men’s 110m Hurdles
Date: August 3 — Round 1
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 4 (Japan) / August 3 (U.S.) — Semifinals
Time: 9:00 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 5 — Final
Time: 9 a.m. local time/ 8:00 p.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 100m Hurdles
Date: July 31 (Japan) / July 30 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 1 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 2 (Japan) / August 1 (U.S.) — Final
Time: Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Men’s 400m Hurdles
Date: July 30 (Japan) / July 29 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 1 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 3 (Japan) / August 2 (U.S.) — Final
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 400m Hurdles
Date: July 31 (Japan) / July 30 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 2 — Semifinals
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: August 4 (Japan) / August 3 (U.S.) — Final
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase
Date: July 30 (Japan) / July 29 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 2 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
With 35 barriers, seven of them water jumps, the 3000m steeplechase is one of the toughest races in the sport of track and field. An event traditionally dominated by Kenya, many major championship finals have seen Kenyans work together to keep the pace high from the start. Championship finals are usually not as quick as races on the circuit, given the absence of pacemakers, and typically boil down to a last-lap kick. However, there are many occasions where the pace is fast from the outset as the athletes with the quickest PRs seek to minimize the risk of either being out-kicked or suffering a fall due to the grouping of athletes over the barriers.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Men’s Olympic 3000m Steeplechase
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase
Date: August 1 (Japan) / July 31 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9:10 a.m. local time / 8:10 p.m. EDT
Date: August 4 — Final
Time: 6:30 p.m. local time / 5:30 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
How the race is run:
With 35 barriers, seven of them water jumps, the 3000m steeplechase is one of the toughest races in the sport of track and field. An event traditionally dominated by Kenya, many major championship finals have seen Kenyans work together to keep the pace high from the start. Championship finals are usually not as quick as races on the circuit, given the absence of pacemakers, and typically boil down to a last-lap kick. However, there are many occasions where the pace is fast from the outset as the athletes with the quickest PRs seek to minimize the risk of either being out-kicked or suffering a fall due to the grouping of athletes over the barriers.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Men’s Olympic 3000m Steeplechase
Men’s 4 x 100m Relay
Date: August 5 (Japan) / August 4 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 6 — Final
Time: 7:50 p.m. local time / 6:50 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 4 x 100m Relay
Date: August 5 (Japan) / August 4 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 6 — Final
Time: 7:50 p.m. local time / 6:50 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Men’s 4 x 400m Relay
Date: August 6 — Round 1
Time: 7:50 p.m. local time / 6:50 a.m. EDT
Date: August 7 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Women’s 4 x 400m Relay
Date: August 5 (Japan) / August 4 (U.S.) — Round 1
Time: Time: 9 a.m. local time / 8 p.m. EDT
Date: August 7 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
4 x 400m Mixed Relay
Date: July 30 — Round 1
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Date: July 31 — Final
Time: 7 p.m. local time / 6 a.m. EDT
Venue: Olympic Stadium
Men’s Marathon
Date: August 8 (Japan) / August 7 (U.S.) — Final
Time: 7 a.m. local time / 6 p.m. EDT
Venue: Sapporo Odori Park
How the race is run:
A 26.2-mile test on the streets of Sapporo, this year’s Olympic marathon will likely feel a whole lot longer for competitors with hot temperatures and high humidity the norm in Japan at this time of year — even in the northern island of Hokkaido. While many big-city marathons employ pacemakers who push things along from the start, the rabbit-less early pace in championship marathons is usually pedestrian, as athletes bide their time and wait for others to make a move. The pace will often increase after the first 10K, and by halfway will usually be moving at a similar pace to Marathon Majors. As in all marathons, the final 10K is the key section, where the leading contenders finally play their hand, the pack thins to a few, and, in the end, the medals are decided. At this Olympics it may come down to who best survives the war of attrition, given how difficult the conditions could be.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Men’s Olympic Marathon
Olympic Marathon Course Details and History
Women’s Marathon
Date: August 7 (Japan) / August 6 (U.S.)
Time: 7 a.m. local time / 6 p.m. EDT
Venue: Sapporo Odori Park
How the race is run:
A 26.2-mile test on the streets of Sapporo, this year’s Olympic marathon will likely feel a whole lot longer for competitors with hot temperatures and high humidity the norm in Japan at this time of year — even in the northern island of Hokkaido. While many big-city marathons employ pacemakers who push things along from the start, the rabbit-less early pace in championship marathons is usually pedestrian, as athletes bide their time and wait for others to make a move. The pace will often increase after the first 10K, and by halfway will usually be moving at a similar pace to Marathon Majors. As in all marathons, the final 10K is the key section, where the leading contenders finally play their hand, the pack thins to a few, and, in the end, the medals are decided. At this Olympics it may come down to who best survives the war of attrition, given how difficult the conditions could be.
Insider’s Guide:
Who to Watch in the Women’s Olympic Marathon
Olympic Marathon Course Details and History