Opinion | Help needed to make dream real
Government and members of the public will have to get onside if HK marathon is to become one of the world's biggest and best
Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng has a dream - that one day the Hong Kong Marathon can be among the biggest and best in the world.
The Standard Chartered Bank chief is realistic enough to concede his dream encompasses the whole shebang - all three categories of races - which successfully concluded last Sunday.
Hong Kong may never be able to match the numbers of runners taking part in the full marathon in cities like London or Boston, but what we can aspire to is making our event even more attractive, so that more people will take part in the 10-kilometre, half-marathon and marathon, and the world's best elite runners will be drawn to compete.
This is in essence Hung's dream. But to achieve this, it simply does not mean the bank increasing prize money, which is now in the region of US$250,000 - although that will always help draw top runners. What is required is more support from all sectors of Hong Kong.
The government's help is paramount. They hold all the cards, the ace being the ability to close roads for longer. Last Sunday, the Island Eastern Corridor, the course for the 10-kilometre races, had to be given back by 10am. The course for the half-marathon and marathon had to be opened to traffic by 2pm.
Organisers are begging for more road time. That will help them squeeze in more runners. This year only an additional 2,000 runners split among the three categories could be accommodated.
But while quantity is good, the focus should also be on quality. It is here that we feel the bank and the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association are lagging - they must keep pushing for a better route for the marathon.