Hong Kong Marathon called off, organisers say left with no choice after government does not grant approval in time
- Organisers had been in talks with the authorities about how to stage the race while satisfying Covid-19 rules imposed on sporting events
- It follows the cancellation of the city’s 10K Championships, and badminton and fencing tournaments
In a statement issued late on Friday, the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates said it had “regrettably taken the decision to cancel the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2022, originally scheduled for Sunday, 20 November”.
Officials had previously given the government until the end of this week to decide whether the race could go ahead, and had asked to increase participant numbers to 25,000 from the 18,500 who ran in last year’s event.
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“In view of Hong Kong’s latest pandemic situation, the organiser has yet to receive notice of approval,” the HKAAA said. “The decision is made based on the fact that with only two months remaining before the event day, there is insufficient time for runners and relevant stakeholders to adequately prepare for the race.
“The organiser would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support to the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon and will continue to closely monitor the pandemic development while looking forward to resuming the event when the situation permits.”
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said officials had done their best to get the marathon approved, and denied the government was against the return of sport in the city.
“Of course there are different departments within the government to give their views,” he said. “As you can see, we have been gradually granting approvals for contests in the past few days.