When Olympics organisers shifted the marathon event from Tokyo to Sapporo, they did so because of concerns about the intense summer heat in the capital.
Two years down the track, critics say organizers have effectively leapt from the frying pan into the fire.
Sapporo is currently under a COVID-19 state of emergency amid a resurgence in coronavirus infections.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.