Standard Chartered HK Marathon sees over 74,000 participants

The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon (SCHKM) has seen nearly 74,000 participants this year, with some runners dressing up as various creative characters such as wealth god. 

On 9 February, this year's SCHKM included participants from more than 100 countries and regions, with nearly 15,000 non-local runners, around 20% of total participants, which accounted for about 20% of the total participants.

Some participants dressed up as wealth god to celebrate Chinese New Year with Hongkongers, carrying gold ingots to spread new year blessings along the route, according to HK01 and The Standard. This also reflects hopes for an improved Hong Kong economy and the upcoming Budget 2025, which hopes benefit citizens.

In addition, some notable costumes feature Wukong from the video game Black Myth: Wukong, the Joker, Super Sentai, as well as anime characters such as Pikachu from Pokémon and Luffy from One Piece.

Speaking at a press conference at SCHKM, Kwan Kee, chairman of the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates, said the weather, atmosphere, and attendance were "ideally good," with participation reaching 90%. He also mentioned the upcoming opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) on 1 March, calling it a unique sports landmark. The association is exploring its feasibility for hosting future events.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s finance chief, Paul Chan, said in his weekly blog yesterday that the sporting event merges sports with the urban landscape of Hong Kong, providing participants with a unique visual and experiential perspective of the city. This makes it a prime example of "experiencing travel through sports."

“Hundreds of shops along the route participated in the event, seizing business opportunities while supporting the occasion, thereby maximising the economic benefits of this major event,” he said. 

“The Kai Tak Sports Park will open in March, hosting a series of major international sports and cultural events. The economic benefits and promotion of a vibrant Hong Kong that this venue could bring are truly exciting to anticipate,” he added.

Awarded "M" mark status by the Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC), the SCHKM launched its first marathon expo at the Kai Tak Sports Park from 5 to 8 February, featuring over 40 booths. To encourage community involvement, a special cheering station was established, allowing the public to record supportive messages that will be played at a designated spot along the race route on race day.

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