The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4. This edition will award 50 athletics gold medals, with the athletics events staged at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya.

The marathon schedule that many marathon fans care most about was finalized yesterday — both the men's and women's marathons will start on September 26. Average temperatures in Nagoya in September and October are around 24°C, not much cooler than the last Hangzhou Asian Games, so another hot battle is likely this year.

At the previous Games, He Jie, Zhang Deshun and Yang Shaohui took gold, silver and bronze in the marathon events. This year's entry lists remain highly anticipated. Japan announced its Hangzhou Asian Games marathon roster at the end of March 2022. With no World Championships siphoning athletes away this year, whether Japan will send a stronger squad to defend the home turf is another key point to watch.

This year's racewalking competitions will produce four titles: men's and women's half-marathon racewalks (September 23) and men's and women's full-marathon racewalks (September 27).