Too many roadblocks for running events in Hong Kong, say runners
Critics say the government doesn't do enough to support races that are vital for the community
Running may be increasingly popular in Hong Kong but some say the government is dragging its feet when it comes to supporting key events and engaging the public.
"Running competitions are not just for runners," said Cheung Leong, founder and CEO of RunOurCity. "They exist to serve the whole community."
The sport has taken off in a big way in Hong Kong. And celebrity runners are adding to its popularity. Canto-pop star Sammi Cheng Sau-man regularly shows off her sporty photos, while style guru Hilary Tsui Ho-ying has travelled from Hong Kong to Nagoya, Japan, and Washington to take part in marathons.
And with more interest, there are more races and events. This year, 73,000 people registered for the annual Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in February. It was followed by Streetathon, a 10km charity run through the streets of Kowloon East, and Totem Run, a charity race in the countryside to raise money for the Christian Zheng Sheng College. Both races are organised by RunOurCity.
Add to that numerous trail running events across the city and enthusiastic groups such as the Harbour Runners, who meet every Wednesday for an urban night run. The city also hosted its first Colour Run on December 7. More than 16,000 people took part in the untimed 5km race, and were showered with coloured powder as they ran.
But Cheung, who said he hoped to expand the scale and routes of Streetathon and other races, said organising the events in Hong Kong wasn't easy. Aside from funding issues, the government was reluctant to close down roads for such races.
"Many people advised us not to even try to organise this race because it was too complicated," Cheung said.