Hong Kong Marathon organisers to axe November race, plan to move it to February 2024
- Officials had originally planned 2 events this year, with the winter race doubling up as the Asian Marathon Championships
- November is turning into a packed month for sport in the city, with Cross Harbour Swim, Cyclothon and Gay Games all taking place
There will not be a second Hong Kong Marathon this year, after organisers decided to axe November’s race in favour of moving it to a “more desirable” date.
With a host of high-profile events already scheduled for that month, including the Gay Games, the Cross Harbour Swim, and the World Rallycross Championship, the race is likely to be moved to next February.
Officials said the weather had also played a part in the decision, with conditions at the end of the year not as conducive to distance running as at the start.
“We have many considerations for running a big event like the marathon and always try to find the best possible date to accommodate the interest of the runners,” Kwan Kee, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, said. “There has been plans to have one later this year but now it looks likely we will change the date to next year.
“We are still negotiating with all parties involved and hopefully we can announce more details for the next marathon very soon.”
The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, the city’s flagship athletics event, has traditionally been held at the beginning of the year. February’s race was the first since October 2021, with the year before falling foul of the coronavirus pandemic.
Entries though were slashed by 75 per cent to just 18,500 runners, and the 2022 race was delayed until the start of this year, albeit with a larger field of 37,500 participants.
“The organisers always want to keep the tradition of running the Hong Kong marathon in the early part of the year, especially our everyday life is now getting back to normal,” a source said. “They have already planned one in early 2024, and if they keep the November race this year, some people may consider the two races are too close.
“After all, long-distance runners need time to prepare and it will be difficult for them to finish one and immediately start preparation for the next one. This is why the organisers are considering skipping the one in November and combining it with the 2024 race.”
While officials are targeting an event after Lunar New Year, they still need approval from the government to use Victoria Park for the finish line.
There is also the need to get approval from the Asian Athletics Association, which had designated the proposed race in November its 2023 Asian Marathon Championships.
If the date is changed, officials will need to also make sure that top runners from the region will still want to take part.
Separately, the city’s Athletics Series returns for its third leg at Wan Chai Sports Ground this weekend, and hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu is back.
Lui, who missed the Asian Indoor Championships in Kazakhstan in February because of injury, faces tough competition from Shing Cho-yan, who reached the women’s 60m hurdles final in Astana.
Also competing will be Hong Kong record holders Tiffany Yue Nga-yan in the women’s long jump and Shannon Chan in the triple jump, while the women’s high jump will see keen competition among Phoebe Chung Wai-yan, Wong Yuen-nam, Tiffany Tang Yi-ching and Priscilla Cheung Ching-laam.
