Female runner, 52, dies after running 10km event in Hong Kong marathon

Victim is the third person within five years to die after competing in one of the event’s races

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The woman died after taking part in the 10km race. Photo: Handout

Published: 4:45pm, 13 Feb 2017Updated: 9:09am, 14 Feb 2017

A 52-year-old runner has died after competing in the 10km event at Sunday’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon.

The woman collapsed near the finishing line in Victoria Park. She was taken to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai before being transferred to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan, where she died at 3.41pm on Monday, the Hospital Authority said. The cause of death was unknown.

She was the third person in five years to die after competing in one of the event’s races.

In 2015, Ng Cheuk-yue, 24, died in hospital hours after collapsing just 100 metres from the finishing line of the 10km race.

And a 26-year-old man died in 2012, moments after completing the half marathon.

Following his death, marathon organisers increased the number of medical staff on site from 700 to more than 800.

At least 27 people were taken to hospital following Sunday’s event, but almost half were discharged within a few hours.Two men, aged 46 and 23, were in critical condition but had improved to serious on Monday night.

The organisers said introducing screening processes to assess the health of participants was too costly and impractical, adding this practice was not done at marathon events in any other city.

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