Organisers of next year's Standard Chartered Marathon are hoping the event will become a permanent fixture and would one day rival the world-renowned races in Boston, London and Honolulu.
Following the tremendous success of the New Airport Marathon last February, it is hoped that the event will become a permanent fixture on the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) calendar.
Mervyn Davies, the bank's Group Executive Director for Hong Kong, China and Northeast Asia, said a new and more exciting marathon was in prospect.
'A great city needs a great marathon. We are pleased that next year's marathon will start in the heart of Hong Kong,' he said.
The race, scheduled for February 28, will be held in the urban streets of Hong Kong for the first time, making it an even bigger spectacle than the airport marathon.
Starting at Chater Road in Hong Kong's Central district, the 42-kilometre race will take runners through the Western Harbour tunnel, along the Route Three Expressway, through the Cheung Tsing Tunnel, across the Ting Kau Bridge and back, finishing at the Sham Shui Po Sports Ground.
