The media darling of the marathon, Fauja Singh, completed the 10km race and his example spurred, and perhaps shamed, younger men in the local Sikh community to join him.
'We had close to 40 people from the Sikh community running with him today. He is an inspiration to all of us,' said Gill Gurmeet Singh, the man responsible for bringing the 100-year-old 'Turbaned Torpedo' to town.
'He is very famous in our community and it is great to see him doing things like this at his age.'
The presence of the yellow T-shirted and turbaned brotherhood was also helpful for Fauja Singh, who said they shepherded him towards the finish line.
'I'm old and a little bit weak, not as strong as I used to be, and by being around me they protected me,' he said after completing the course in one hour, 34 minutes and 54 seconds.
'It was very crowded and there were a lot of people, but I really enjoyed running in Hong Kong. This is my first time and I have liked everything I have seen in Hong Kong and I like the people, too.
'My goal was to finish in one hour and 30 minutes. It is not my personal best but I am satisfied with the result. I felt great and very comfortable,' he added holding a small Hong Kong flag.