It was also the first international sports event to be held in the "Bird's Nest" stadium since the 2008 Summer Olympics.
When the Japanese representatives were announced, the crowd at the Beijing Bird's Nest Stadium became silent.
The Beijing Olympics got under way in spectacular fashion today with a lavish opening ceremony at the Bird's Nest stadium.
It is located near the Olympic Cauldron, on the northwest side of the Bird's Nest Stadium.
The concert, was to be held at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, China on October 10, 2010.
The Beijing Zoo is after 13 miles (21km), the half-way point of the race, and the marathon ends with a lap around the Bird's Nest stadium.
The Bird's Nest stadium is on the $2.40, while China's manned spacecraft Shenzhou 7 is depicted on the $2.50.
A British consulting engineer delivered the Bird's Nest stadium at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the Watercube.
The Birds Nest Stadium).
Running from the Forbidden City to the Bird's Nest stadium, the endurance athlete - who has run a sub three-hour marathon - described the conditions as "brutal".
