If you’re not from Japan, watching the way the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships are staged can feel unbelievable. The entire event runs like a carefully choreographed performance–down to the way the track is reset between races.
In a video posted on Instagram by preferredrecruit, the preparation of the hurdles placed on the track was captured in flawless detail. Every movement is synchronized: volunteers in matching uniforms glide smoothly into position, hurdles are set down and adjusted in unison, and even the miniature Honda carts start and stop at the same moment, rolling to their marks with perfect precision.
According to World Athletics, more than 3,000 volunteers are working at the meet–500 more than the 2,500 at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. But judging by the seamless execution, it looks to be many more. At every turn, there’s someone ready to help, direct or reset–making Tokyo appear to set a new standard for efficiency at a world championships. And now, six days in, it’s gone off without a hitch.
Of course, this level of organization, while impressive, isn’t surprising in Japan. Harmony and efficiency are woven into daily life in Tokyo–and nowhere is that more obvious than on the subway, where unspoken rules create order in what could easily be chaos (speaking from Toronto TTC experience). Commuters line up neatly instead of clustering, wait for others to completely disembark before boarding and avoid talking on the phone, eating or carrying bulky luggage that clogs the aisles. Arrows on the stairs and escalators keep people flowing in opposite directions without conflict–and unlike in Toronto, people actually follow these directions.
Sure, there are measures in place in other busy cities, but it’s the unwritten rules that don’t always translate. With Tokyo’s population mirroring Canada’s, it makes that disconnect even more noticeable.
The same quiet consideration that shapes everyday life is on display at Tokyo 2025–turning a massive global championship into something that looks less like organized sport and more like a flawlessly rehearsed performance. If there was a gold medal on presentation, Tokyo has set a top-of-the-podium precedent for future championships to follow.
