Osaka Marathon Organizer: City on Display to the World

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:07 JST, February 26, 2023

OSAKA — “We were able to showcase Osaka to the world,” said Masayoshi Matsumoto, a chief of the 2023 Osaka Marathon organizing committee, at a press conference after the World Congress of the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races (AIMS) on Saturday.

On Sunday, people from the general population were able to run in the Osaka Marathon for the first time in about three years. Top runners from Japan and abroad, as well as about 30,000 others, took part in the race, which started at the Osaka prefectural government building and finished at Osaka Castle Park. As the runners raced through the city, they were able to view Midosuji and other famous Osaka locations.

AIMS is a global association of long-distance race organizers, and its general meeting is held every two years. This year’s meeting was set to coincide with the Osaka Marathon.

Through lectures and panel discussions, the race organizers and others from around the world exchanged opinions on topics, such as how marathons should be held after the pandemic.

“Osaka is undergoing a period of great change ahead of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo,” said Matsumoto, who is also the chairman of the Kansai Economic Federation, expressing his pleasure at being able to host the AIMS congress in Osaka ahead of the marathon.

Matsumoto was then presented with a plaque of gratitude by AIMS President Paco Borao after the press conference on Saturday. Borao praised the Osaka Marathon and said that the venue, preparations and everyone’s welcoming spirit were all excellent.