'Your body will be losing heat. If you don't cover up and stay warm, you could run the risk of hypothermia'
The coldest marathon in Hong Kong history is expected to be run on Sunday. And worried organisers have warned the record 24,000 runners to stay warm after the race finishes and prevent hypothermia.
'This will most probably be the coldest Hong Kong Marathon. We have warned people to bring along more clothes and to bundle up after the race,' said William Ko, chairman of the organising committee for the 2004 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, yesterday.
Leading Hong Kong athlete Gillian Castka said the biggest danger facing the large number of amateur runners was the risk of suffering hypothermia or abnormally low body temperature.
'You think you are hot at the end of the race but really your body will be losing heat. If you don't cover up and stay warm, you could run the risk of hypothermia,' said Castka, winner of the women's half marathon event last year.
An e-mail warning has been sent out to thousands of runners by the organisers asking them to bundle up. The average temperature in February in Hong Kong ranges from 14 to 19 degrees Celsius. Sunday's forecast is 9-12 degrees Celsius with rain.
Extra measures are also being taken to offer support to runners at the finish at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, among them being the presence of the auxiliary medical service. First aid will be available at the start and finish and at all water areas along the route. In addition, first aid patrols will monitor the route. In an extra twist, organisers have asked restaurants and coffee shops in the vicinity of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to open early.
