A collection of the city's senior executives and community leaders put on a show of unity yesterday, and hoped that by giving up their time on a Sunday morning - and by giving their muscles a little workout - they might have raised spirits in Hong Kong.
The Leaders Cup was a new event at this year's marathon, and though the course was hardly taxing - 1.8km from Wan Chai Sports Ground to Victoria Park and a more user-friendly set-off time of 9am - it was a full-blooded contest right to the finish line.
And right there in the thick of things was a man who knows a thing or two about racing - even though he finished some distance behind the leaders.
'If possible I run five times a week, six to 10km,' Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said. 'So I was ready. But this was a bit of fun and I was only just getting warmed up by the end.'
Engelbrecht-Bresges - a man used to seeing roaring crowds weekly at Happy Valley and Sha Tin racecourses - said he was impressed by how passionate the support was yesterday from the public.
'It's a tremendous event to bring the community together and I hope it can find more support,' he said. 'I think sport is very important for Hong Kong, for Hong Kong people and for the brand of Hong Kong, and this event is one of the best.'