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The Hong Kong Marathon (香港馬拉松), sponsored by
Standard Chartered Bank Standard Chartered plc is a multinational bank with operations in consumer, corporate and institutional banking, and treasury services. Despite being headquartered in the United Kingdom, it does not conduct retail banking in the UK, and around 9 ...
, is an annual
marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
race held in January or February in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
. In addition to the full
marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
, a 10 km run and a
half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...
are also held. Around 70,000 runners take part each year across all events. High levels of humidity and a difficult course make finishing times for the Hong Kong Marathon comparatively slower than other large marathons. The course records were both set in 2019. Kenyan Barnabas Kiptum holds the men's record of 2:09:20 hours while Belarusian Volha Mazuronak holds the women's record of 2:26:13 hours. The marathon is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by
World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...
. The Hong Kong Marathon has hosted the Asian Marathon Championship race on four occasions (2002, 2008, 2013, and 2015).


History


Initial era

The race traces its history back to 1981 when the first race was held in Sek Kong comprising four circuits of the roads around Sek Kong Camp where it started and finished. The race continued to be held here during the 80s (see records below). It became the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Marathon, launched by the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association. The route was between
Sheung Shui Sheung Shui (, literally "Above-water") is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling–Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southeast ...
and
Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern provi ...
.Exhibition on a marathon in Victoria Park, February 2008, by the organizer of the Marathon The race endured organisational difficulties due to a lack of funding and was not held from 1989 to 1991. After two further editions, the race was again suspended from 1994 to 1996.Civai, Franco (11 March 2011)
Hong Kong Marathon
Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...
. Retrieved on 5 February 2012.


Standard Chartered era

Standard Chartered Bank Standard Chartered plc is a multinational bank with operations in consumer, corporate and institutional banking, and treasury services. Despite being headquartered in the United Kingdom, it does not conduct retail banking in the UK, and around 9 ...
stepped in as a title sponsor for the 1997 race and it garnered a field of 1,000 runners. The relaunch of the race saw increased participation from top-level East African runners – the men's race has been won by either a Kenyan or Ethiopian runner for all but two years from 1997 to 2012. The 1998 marathon established a new course, starting at
Tsing Ma Bridge Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's 16th-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion. The bridge was named after the two islands it connects, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan. It has tw ...
and ending at the newly finished
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distingui ...
on
Chek Lap Kok Chek Lap Kok is an island in the western waters of Hong Kong's New Territories. Unlike the smaller Lam Chau, it was only partially leveled when it was assimilated via land reclamation into the island for the current Hong Kong International ...
. The total number of entrants increased to 6,000 participants. In 1999, the race was moved to urban areas for the first time, starting in
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
, ending at
Sham Shui Po Sports Ground Sham Shui Po Sports Ground () is public sports ground located in Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It opened on 9 January 1988. Facilities *1 all-weather, international standard 400-metre running track (8 lanes) *1 grass pitch with flood ligh ...
, with 7,000 participants. The route was altered again in 2000, as it started from
Hong Kong Cultural Centre The Hong Kong Cultural Centre () is a multipurpose performance facility in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Located at Salisbury Road, Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, it was built by the former Urban Council and, since 2000, has been administered by the ...
,
Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...
, and ended at the Sham Shui Po Sports Ground. The half-marathon was added, alongside the already-existing full marathon and 10 km race. In 2001 the number of participants exceeded 10,000. The racecourse started from
Nathan Road Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post– World War II years as the Gol ...
, then out to
West Kowloon West Kowloon () is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. It is bounded by Canton Road to the east, Victoria Harbour to the west and the south, and Jor ...
, onto
West Kowloon Highway West Kowloon Highway is a section of Route 3 in Hong Kong, built as part of the Airport Core Programme. This dual-three-lane expressway runs for 4.2 km (), connecting Western Harbour Crossing in the south with Tsing Kwai Highway in the nor ...
, followed by
Cheung Tsing Tunnel Cheung Tsing Tunnel, also spelled Cheung Ching Tunnel, is a dual tube 3-lane tunnel on Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong. It is part of Route 3. Its east end connects to Cheung Tsing Bridge and west Cheung Tsing Highway. The tunnel was opened on ...
,
Tsing Ma Bridge Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's 16th-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion. The bridge was named after the two islands it connects, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan. It has tw ...
,
Ting Kau Bridge Ting Kau Bridge is a long cable-stayed bridge in Hong Kong that spans from the northwest of Tsing Yi Island and Tuen Mun Road. It is near the Tsing Ma Bridge which also serves as a major connector between the Hong Kong International Airport ...
, then going all the way back into
Western Harbour Crossing The Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Isla ...
, ending at Golden Bauhinia Plaza in Wan Chai North. The race was incorporated as one of the four legs of the Standard Chartered-sponsored The Greatest Race on Earth in 2005. In 2006 the marathon was held on 12 February, with a prize fund of US$100,000. Almost 40,000 joined the Marathon. Two fainted during the race and one died on 14 February, resulting in the competition's first fatality. Reflecting this, first-aid services were introduced for the 2007 edition, but weather conditions seriously affected the runners. A record-breaking number of 6249 participants took part, 16.7% of whom experienced an injury. Hot weather sent 35 participants to hospital, including one young runner who died.


2008

In 2008 the marathon was held on 17 February, participated by some 42,000 runners, of which over 30,000 joined the 10 km event. (Originally 49,000 had signed up but 7,000 of them did not turn up.) The 10 km race took place at
Island Eastern Corridor The Island Eastern Corridor (IEC) is an expressway built along the northeastern shore of Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It starts from Causeway Bay in the west and ends in Chai Wan in the east. It is mostly part of Route 4. The section betwe ...
instead of
Western Harbour Crossing The Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Isla ...
like in previous years. The race track started from City Garden in
North Point North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island, the area is named after a cape between Causeway Bay and Tsat Tsz Mui that projects toward Kowloon Bay. Locat ...
, and ran eastwards until
Shau Kei Wan Shau Kei Wan or Shaukiwan is a neighborhood in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island. The area is bordered by Chai Wan to the east, Mount Parker to the south, Sai Wan Ho to the west, and Victoria Harbour to the north. Shau Kei Wan is cons ...
, where it made a U-turn, back along with westbound IEC and ended at Victoria Park, near the western terminus of the IEC. Due to the proximity of Island Eastern Corridor from residential blocks such as those at City Garden, and also the early starting time of the races (05:10 to 06:40), residents complained about noises as loud as 60 dB. The organizer, however, stated that it hopes to use IEC again for the 2009 Marathon since it successfully alleviated the problem of large numbers of runners rushing into Western Harbour Crossing, which made breathing difficult within the tunnel. The new route was welcomed by the participants, saying that it was better than the old one. The full and half marathon's race tracks remained generally the same, starting from Nathan Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...
, then going out to
West Kowloon West Kowloon () is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. It is bounded by Canton Road to the east, Victoria Harbour to the west and the south, and Jor ...
using
Austin Road Austin Road is a road in-between Tsim Sha Tsui and Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was named after John Gardiner Austin, Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1868 to 1879. The northeast part of this street is noted for clubs, fields, and mi ...
, followed by
West Kowloon Highway West Kowloon Highway is a section of Route 3 in Hong Kong, built as part of the Airport Core Programme. This dual-three-lane expressway runs for 4.2 km (), connecting Western Harbour Crossing in the south with Tsing Kwai Highway in the nor ...
and
Tsing Kwai Highway Tsing Kwai Highway () is a section of Route 3 in Hong Kong, previously known as Route 3 - Kwai Chung Section. From its junction with West Kowloon Highway at Mei Foo Roundabout, the expressway runs in the form of a three-kilometre dual-four-la ...
, where half-marathoners turn back. Full-marathoners continue through
Cheung Tsing Tunnel Cheung Tsing Tunnel, also spelled Cheung Ching Tunnel, is a dual tube 3-lane tunnel on Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong. It is part of Route 3. Its east end connects to Cheung Tsing Bridge and west Cheung Tsing Highway. The tunnel was opened on ...
, then do a return trip each on
Tsing Ma Bridge Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's 16th-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion. The bridge was named after the two islands it connects, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan. It has tw ...
and Ting Kau Bridge. Competitors then ran back all the way to
West Kowloon West Kowloon () is the western part of Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong, situated within the Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District. It is bounded by Canton Road to the east, Victoria Harbour to the west and the south, and Jor ...
, joining half-marathoners again at
Kwai Chung Kwai Chung is an urban area within Tsuen Wan New Town in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Together with Tsing Yi Island, it is part of the Kwai Tsing District District of Hong Kong. It is also part of Tsuen Wan New Town. In 2000, it had a p ...
, and into
Western Harbour Crossing The Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Isla ...
. The finishing point, however, was changed to Victoria Park instead of the Golden Bauhinia Plaza in Wan Chai North. This arrangement was welcomed by elite athletes, citing that it would improve their performance.
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
ese runner Koichioro Fukuoka won the full marathon in 2:16:50, ending
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
's four-year domination of the event.


2009

The race for 2009 took place on 8 February, with the courses for all events remaining the same as the previous year. About 55,000 people enrolled, among which 51,272 runners turned up (of which 31,000 were of the 10 km event, 7000 in full marathon), breaking previous records. The prize pool was US$100,000, with the winner getting US$20,000.
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
n runner Cyprian Kiogora Mwobi won the full marathon in 2:14:57, setting a new course record. The women's title was won by Winnie Frida Kwamboka Nyansikera, also Kenyan, in 2:41:25. The finishing rate this year was 98%. The injury count was 394, of which 16 were sent to hospital (including a case due to a temperature), down from 31 in 2008. 5000 runners requested massage due to
cramp A cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful skeletal muscle contraction or overshortening associated with electrical activity; while generally temporary and non-damaging, they can cause significant pain and a paralysis-like immobility of the aff ...
s. Blind students participated in the 10 km race with an escort by their teachers. The relative humidity that day was high at 60%-85%, making the race less comfortable. The inclination on the course was also a subject of complaint. Two runners were found using identical number bibs with the number "4", and this spurred discussion. The number belonged to the Hong Kong delegate, Lau Kwong-man. Several days later, his coach, Ng Fai-yeung, admitted that he took one bib (Lau got two bibs for being an invited runner, one in front and one on rear) from Lau, wore it, and accompanied Leung Yuen-fan, another teammate, in the race. The event committee delivered its verdict on 12 February with reference to the scandal, disqualifying Lau and Leung from the race. The HKAAA has considered holding a disciplinary hearing on the matter.


2010–present

The 2010 race saw Cyprian Kiogara Mwobi become the first man to defend his title in Hong Kong, and only the second person to do so after Yuko Gordon won the women's races in 1983 and 1984. At the 2011 edition, held on 20 February, Nelson Kirwa Rotich won the men's elite race in a time of 2:16.00 hours. However, it was the women's elite race that proved to be the high point of that year's events: young Kenyan runner Janet Rono failed to gain a position within the invited foreign athletes and she chose to fund her own journey and participation for the event. The move paid off as she won the race in a new women's course record time of 2:33:42, erasing Irina Bogachova's ten-year-old mark. The route was modified in the 2012 race to pass through the
Central Piers The Central Ferry Piers (Chinese: 中環碼頭) are situated on the northeast part of Central, Hong Kong Island. The ferries mostly depart to Outlying Islands in the New Territories, with the exception of Pier 1 serving as a governmen ...
and the newly reclaimed areas around the
Tamar site Tamar ( ) is the administrative centre of Hong Kong located in Admiralty. The headquarters of Hong Kong's Legislative Council and Central Government are located in Tamar. Adjacent to the island's financial heart at the Central harbourfront ...
. Ethiopians set new course records for both men's and women's races: Dejere Abera for the men's record with 2:11:27 hours and Misiker Demissie for the women's record with 2:30:12 hours. The wheelchair race was resumed after 14 years of hiatus, with full marathon and 3 km courses. The second fatality in the competition's history occurred that year, when a 26-year-old male half marathon runner fell unconscious after he passed the finish line, and announced dead after he was sent to hospital. The 2013 edition was held on 23 February and
Julius Maisei The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain t ...
(2:14:18) and Misiker Demissie (2:30:49) won the elite races. The 2014 races were won by two Ethiopian athletes who self-funded to enter the race. Feyera Gemeda and Rehima Kedir won the men's and women's races in 2:15:05 and 2:34:53 hours, respectively. A 24-year-old male Ng Cheuk-yue from the 2015 race died of an unknown cause in a hospital after a heart attack and then head injury just one hundred metres away from the finish line. A 49-year-old male runner is currently in a hospital after falling ill at the
Tsing Ma Bridge Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's 16th-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion. The bridge was named after the two islands it connects, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan. It has tw ...
. Ethiopian runner Sentayehu Merga Ejigu won the men's race with two hours, thirteen minutes, and forty-six seconds; North Korean runner
Kim Hye-gyong Kim Hye-gyong (; or ; born 9 March 1993) is a North Korean long-distance runner. Marathoner Kim Hye-song is her sister. They are fraternal twins. Hye-gyong is the younger. Their mutual coach, Jong Myong-chol, describes their healthy rivalr ...
won the woman's race with two hours, thirty-one minutes, and forty-six seconds.Lau, Kenneth (26 January 2015)
"Marathon tears and triumphs."
''The Standard''. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
Thirty more people were hospitalised: three serious, nineteen stable, and eight discharged. The (20th) Hong Kong Marathon (2016) had the first Official Theme Song of the race - Life And Marathon (人生馬拉松) sung by Hong Kong singer
Eason Chan Eason Chan Yick Shun (born 27 July 1974) is a Hong Kong singer and actor. Chan was ranked sixth in the 2013 Forbes China Celebrity Top 100 List. In 2006 Chan's Cantonese album ''U87'' was named one of ''Time'' magazine's "Five Asian Albums W ...
, being recorded on his newest album ''Getting Ready'' (準備中) released on 10 July 2015, and Eason was formally invited to participate on this race with being granted "Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon VIP Pass" by Standard Chartered Bank and Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association. The 2017 course omitted the Tsing Ma Bridge due to complaints by motorists. After omitting it again in 2018, race organizers stated that it was unlikely to ever return to the marathon course. In 2019, a new course record of 2:09:21 was set by Barnabas Kiptum. The 2020 edition originally scheduled in February was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.Hong Kong Marathon and other major events are cancelled
CNN. Retrieved on 25 January 2020.
Similarly, the 2021 edition of the race, originally scheduled for January, was postponed to due to the pandemic.https://www.hkmarathon.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SCHKM2021_Race-Day-Postponement-Press-Release-E_FINAL.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20201204134518if_/https://www.hkmarathon.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/SCHKM2021_Updated-Race-Date-Announcement-E.pdf The marathon was won by Christy Yiu and Wong Kai-lok, both from Hong Kong. Wong won by four seconds in his debut marathon, which he ran against the advice of his doctors, after having taken two years to recover from a serious knee injury. As this was the first edition of the race held since the pandemic began, the number of participants was reduced by about 75 percent, and no overseas runners were invited. As this was also the first edition held since the implementation of the
Hong Kong National Security Law The Hong Kong national security law, officially the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a piece of national security legislation concerning Hong Kong. It ...
, runners were warned against making political statements, and some runners reported being banned from the race due to wearing apparel containing the words "Hong Kong".


Course


Standard Chartered era

The course initially used in 1997 ran from
Sheung Shui Sheung Shui (, literally "Above-water") is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling–Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southeast ...
to Shenzhen via
Huanggang Huanggang is a prefecture-level city in easternmost Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Mountains and is named after Mount Huanggang. It borde ...
. The marathon begins on
Nathan Road Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong, aligned south–north from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with visitors, and was known in the post– World War II years as the Gol ...
in
Tsim Sha Tsui Tsim Sha Tsui, often abbreviated as TST, is an urban area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsi ...
, crosses Stonecutters and
Ting Kau Bridge Ting Kau Bridge is a long cable-stayed bridge in Hong Kong that spans from the northwest of Tsing Yi Island and Tuen Mun Road. It is near the Tsing Ma Bridge which also serves as a major connector between the Hong Kong International Airport ...
s, then runs through Cheung Tsing and
Western Harbour Tunnel The Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Is ...
s before finishing in Victoria Park. The
Tsing Ma Bridge Tsing Ma Bridge is a bridge in Hong Kong. It is the world's 16th-longest span suspension bridge, and was the second longest at time of completion. The bridge was named after the two islands it connects, namely Tsing Yi and Ma Wan. It has tw ...
was added to the course in 1998 but was removed in 2017 due to complaints by motorists.


Winners

Key: : Course record (in bold) : Asian Marathon Championship race


Initial era


Standard Chartered era


See also

*
Beijing Marathon The Beijing Marathon () is an annual marathon race held around October in Beijing, People's Republic of China, since 1981. The race begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes in Celebration Square in Olympic Green. The full marathon is the onl ...
* Macau Marathon


Notes


References

;List of winners *Civai, Franco (2011-03-11)
Hong Kong Marathon
Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...
. Retrieved on 5 February 2012.


External links


Official websiteHong Kong's Marathon Guide
- information on this and other running competitions in Hong Kong

{{Standard Chartered Marathons in China M Recurring sporting events established in 1997 Standard Chartered