The annual Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon has increased the number of participants from 55,000 to 60,000 - and would introduce a new route for the full marathon for next year's event, organisers said on Tuesday.
The sporting event is scheduled to take place next year in Hong Kong on February 28.
The race has proved very popular in Hong Kong in recent years with many people still anxious to participate -€“ even after entry registrations close.
Participants in next year's 42.2 kilometre race will start at Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui next year -€“ as in previous years -€“ and run along the Western Kowloon Highway.
But runners will enjoy a new view when they reach Cheung Sha Wan – as they will have to turn left along the newly-opened Ngong Shuen Chau Viaduct. They will then pass across Stonecutters Bridge before reaching the Tsing Ma Bridge. There, they will rejoin the old route until they finish at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, organisers say.
Half marathon and 10km racers will run the same routes as in previous years. But there will be one more start for the 10km -€“ accommodating 4,000 more participants – and an additional 1,000 people for the half marathon.
The Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association said it was confident the increased quota of 5,000 would be filled.
“People everywhere around the world are becoming more aware of the importance of living a healthy lifestyle that embraces regular exercise,” said HKAAA president Alex Moh Ho-chap.
“The Hong Kong Marathon's inclusive, community-based nature is ideal for demonstrating this,” he added.
Moh was speaking at a press conference at the Standard Chartered Bank headquarters in Central.
Online and postal entries open on Tuesday“ - with an early bird offer of HK$270 for local runners and HK$290 for overseas runners.
For more information visit: Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2010 website
SCMP. Oct 13, 2009.
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11 comments:
What a good new!! It said that the number of participants have increased from 55000 to 60000. There are lots of people who want to join it, but there are insufficient supply availiable. It breaks the problem. Also, there are a new route, which can attract more people to join, since the idea was fresh. And the Half marathon will have one more start and an additional 1000 participants in half marathon. Joining the marathon can maintain our health, but i think the most important things are that applicants must be available to join, i recommand that they should go and have a body check, whether they are affordable or not, and they should have pratice before the marathon start. So that it can avoid accident and protect your own life.
The application fee is suitable, since the fee for overseas appliciants are just higher than the local's $20 which is $290, it can attract more tourist to join and it can encourage them to spend time and money in Hong Kong in order to irritate the economic. And it can maintain a high reputation of our metropolis.
So, Andy, will you join? I am thinking of joining half marathon, which is about 21km. I have not run that long, but I think I'm going to train for that.
Oh! i think marathon is too difficult for me to join. Either 21 km or 10 km, i will swoon if i try to run. In the sport day of my secondary school, I had run 3 km, used about 14 minutes.(It is really fast for me!) After the run, my legs were aching for few days. If I go to run marathon, i must have a long holiday to relax.
There's many people get hurt in marathon, so, if you want to join, you must have enough training and worm up.
i have forget to leave my name,
6AB1 Yau Yee Fung 41
exercise is a regular practice, not just for marathon. though i appreciation with the motivation that was created by the marathon letting more people to concern about their health but ,is that enough? this event will only hold annually and the movitaion will decline over time. so a man should have the right idea on how important health is.
Honestly, I have not joined the Standard Chartered marathon uptil now. It is because I have a lot of my own business to do on most Sundays. Every year, the Chief Executive will be the guest of honour of this event. When I mention the Chief Executive, most of you will think of the Policy Address 09-10 ,which has been released today by Donald Tsang ,the Chief Executive of HKSAR. During this period of time, three Legislative Council members throw the cardboards they made to Donald Tsang and show their discontent to him. Of course ,they has been banished from the conferernce room by security guards finally.
It is a great news for those who want to participate in the annual Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon since a new route would be introduced for full marathon for next year event.
Actually I can run for a long long way because I have trained for a few years. But I am not used to run for a long way. It is now too diffcult for me.
Re: Mr Fu
Are you sure to join the event? You really don't like a sporty guy.Hahaha....
6AB1 Fung Mei Yee
I think that was a good news for those people who trained for many months but can't join the marathon last year.Also,the marathon can encourage people to do more exercise and it will be good for their health.
For me,i don't think i will join the marathon.Although i have trained the long run from form 1 to 5,i don't think i have enough ability to run for 10km because i usually trained for 1.5km to 3.5 km only.But i knew some friends that joined the 10km last few years,they really trained very hard and still need a week so recover for their body after the 10km run.So i won't join the marathon because i don't want to get hurt by myself.
The increase in the number of participants and so? As you said before, Mr fu, many paople just took photo and walked as they went shopping! I can only say that those people was really idle..
umm.. actually i want to join half marathon, but i am not used to run. I go hiking and gym sometimes.. My bf want to join too! 8-D
6AB1 Sabine Lau
Sabine, if you have decided to join this event, you need to start your training. We can talk about that if you want to.
Hi everybody
I would love to run the full marathon but could get registered only for the half marathon challenge :-((
Anybody wants to swap? Or simply to sell his/her marathon number? I am ready to pay more.
Thx to contact me: vsahuc@hotmail.com
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