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SCMP Reporter

INTERNATIONAL Challenge Day organisers face the formidable task of collecting and collating two million or more entries by 9 o'clock tonight.

  That is when preliminary results are due to be announced at the official closing ceremony.

  An army of Urban and Regional Council staff and volunteers across the territory has been assembled for the task.

  One person who is confident it can all be achieved is Mr Johnny Woo Wai-man, co-chairman of the Joint Urban Council/Regional Council International Challenge Day Steering Committee.

  Much will depend on the performance of five Hewlett-Packard computers in the control room at Regional Council headquarters.

   Provided by the major event sponsor, Hewlett-Packard (Hongkong), the computers will collect the ID card number of every contestant, district by district, and produce a total turnout together with a district breakdown within 24 hours of the midnight torchlight run that starts the contest.

  Not all the hard work will be done on International Challenge Day. For nearly a month, the Urban and Regional Councils' offices and recreational venues throughout the territory have been collecting group, family and individual entry forms.

  As publicity for International Challenge Day peaked, these offices were supplemented by special collection points at MTR and KCR stations and public housing estate offices.

  Today, a bank of 20 telephone lines will be manned from midnight to 9 pm. Entries phoned in to this hotline will be keyed into the HP computers and added to the final tally.

  ''The computers are vital to the success of International Challenge Day,'' said Mr Woo.

  ''By continually analysing the incoming entries, we will be able to provide a running total throughout the day, which, in turn, will encourage more people to join in.

  ''At the same time, we will be able to say which districts are more active and maybe encourage the less-active districts to do more. It's a fun day but there's a serious goal behind it - to improve the health and physical fitness of Hongkong people.''   An accurate total is expected to be available by midnight.

  of International Challenge Day.

  The efficiency of the system has one problem. Vancouver's International Challenge Day will start a full 15 hours behind Hongkong's.

  Considering the speed at which the Hewlett-Packard computers will process Hongkong's results, the Canadians will have a good idea of the number to beat by 6 am - plenty of time left to pressure their couch-potatoes into 15 minutes of knee-jerks.



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Hewlett-Packard

Computers to provide running total as population exercises