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As running takes off in the city, race organisers say they lack government support. Photo: SCMP

Too many roadblocks for running events in Hong Kong, say runners

Critics say the government doesn't do enough to support races that are vital for the community

Running may be increasingly popular in Hong Kong but some say the government is dragging its feet when it comes to supporting key events and engaging the public.

"Running competitions are not just for runners," said Cheung Leong, founder and CEO of RunOurCity. "They exist to serve the whole community."

The sport has taken off in a big way in Hong Kong. And celebrity runners are adding to its popularity. Canto-pop star Sammi Cheng Sau-man regularly shows off her sporty photos, while style guru Hilary Tsui Ho-ying has travelled from Hong Kong to Nagoya, Japan, and Washington to take part in marathons.

And with more interest, there are more races and events. This year, 73,000 people registered for the annual Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in February. It was followed by Streetathon, a 10km charity run through the streets of Kowloon East, and Totem Run, a charity race in the countryside to raise money for the Christian Zheng Sheng College. Both races are organised by RunOurCity.

Add to that numerous trail running events across the city and enthusiastic groups such as the Harbour Runners, who meet every Wednesday for an urban night run. The city also hosted its first Colour Run on December 7. More than 16,000 people took part in the untimed 5km race, and were showered with coloured powder as they ran.

But Cheung, who said he hoped to expand the scale and routes of Streetathon and other races, said organising the events in Hong Kong wasn't easy. Aside from funding issues, the government was reluctant to close down roads for such races.

"Many people advised us not to even try to organise this race because it was too complicated," Cheung said.

He said the Development Bureau's Energising Kowloon East Office helped the group to liaise with government departments when they began organising the event last year. The first meeting was in October and involved a long list of stakeholders, he said. "Police, transport, the district office, fire services [and more] … it was very intimidating."

But it's not just the race organisers who are finding the complexity of staging the events tough going, Cheung said.

Runners aren't happy either. Chong Hiu-yeung has been running for over a decade. He said the government didn't do much to help such races because it saw them as an inconvenience to the public. He gave the example of the Hong Kong Marathon, which starts in the early hours and finishes before the city has woken up. The race, organised by the Amateur Athletic Association, passes some of the city's iconic sites, including the Tsing Ma Bridge.

"The race doesn't engage the community," Chong said.

The runner, who has taken part in 26 marathons around the world, said Hong Kong was almost 40 years behind other cities in how it hosts its marathon.

Chong said the New York City Marathon helped to engage the community in the 1970s when it was rerouted. "New York City in the 1970s was known for its high crime rate and poor infrastructure, but the race successfully engaged the community and rebuilt the city's image."

He recently travelled to Okinawa for the Naha Marathon, and got a taste of the local culture. "But the Hong Kong government doesn't have this vision," he said.

The problem is that everything comes down to economic benefits in Hong Kong, he said.

More than 8,000 people - the maximum - have signed up for the next Streetathon race on February 8, which kicks off from the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, heads along the Kwun Tong Promenade and ends in Kowloon Bay. It includes a 10km race and a new 21km half-marathon and will be followed by a carnival and a concert featuring local bands.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Too many roadblocks for running events in HK?
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