Hong Kong Marathon 2024 entries back to pre-pandemic level, as officials celebrate return to ‘normal’
- Organisers set a quota of 74,000 runners, with only 37,000 and 18,500 taking part in the last two respective editions of the city’s largest sporting event.
- ‘This is an important figure as it proves that Hong Kong is back to normal in the post- pandemic period,’ athletics chief Kwan Kee says
Entries for next year’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon will return to pre-pandemic levels, with 74,000 runners to take part in the largest sporting event in the city on January 21.
At the launch of the 2024 event on Wednesday, the chairman of the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates, Kwan Kee, said they would accept the same number of runners that took part in 2016, with 22,000 in the marathon, 21,500 in the half marathon, and 30,500 in the 10km.
“This is an important figure as it proves Hong Kong is back to normal in the post- pandemic period,” Kwan said. “We hope our flagship event can continue to produce positive energy for the community, and that Hong Kong people can once again enjoy long distance running as before.”
The number of marathon runners will be the second largest ever – just 500 short of the 2019 event, after the February 2020 event, which had 74,000 entries, was cancelled.
The 2021 event was postponed until October that year, with the total number of entries slashed by 75 per cent to 18,500, while the 2022 event was not held until February this year, with the total number of entries halved from the pre-pandemic period of 37,000.
Priority entry registration will open on Thursday for those who have met the requirements of the challenge groups in various age categories, along with guaranteed entry registration for those who were accepted for the 2020 event and have not used their quotas for the last two events.
Public ballot registrations, including those with disabilities and those taking part in the wheelchair race, will open on September 21, with results to be announced on October 9.
Next year’s Hong Kong Marathon will double up as the Asian Marathon Championships for the fifth time, and Kwan said that invitations would be extended to all member associations soon.
“Some countries in the region are likely to send their top runners such as China, Japan, and South Korea, as this is the Asian Championships,” Kwan said.
“After all, they can also target the total winning purse of US$314,000, which is very attractive for a marathon.”
Hong Kong’s women’s record holder Christy Yiu Kit-ching, who gave birth to her second baby in April, said she would take part in the 2024 event, but she is yet to decide if she will compete in the half- or full-marathon.
“I only resumed training and competition recently and it all depends on my form and condition, on which event I will take part,” Yiu said at the launch ceremony.
“I also plan to take part in next year’s Tokyo Marathon, as I have never joined the so-called Six Majors in the marathon.
“If I can succeed in getting a slot for Tokyo – which will take place in March – I may consider the half-marathon in Hong Kong, as the time will be too close for two marathons.”
Yiu, who represented Hong Kong at the 2016 Rio Olympics, decided to skip the Asian Games in Hangzhou because of her second baby, and will now set sights on the 2026 Games in Nagoya.
“The Paris Olympics will be too soon to make the qualification [requirements], and the next Asian Games should be in the right time frame,” she said.
Organisers will continue to give out a HK$10,000 incentive to local marathon runners – only those in the challenge groups – who can meet the finishing time of three hours for the men’s race, and 3:30 for the women’s.
The reward scheme commenced last year, with 218 runners taking home the prize.
