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Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon
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Baggage deposit service at Victoria Park provided for runners entered in the 25th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hong Kong Marathon: tough battle expected with 13 overseas invited runners returning to city’s flagship event

  • Kenyan’s Julius Kipkorir Tuwei and Philemon Kiptoo Kipchumba both have personal bests below 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Hong Kong record holder Gi Ka-man aims to become fastest home finisher, but faces challenge from Wong Wan-chun, Ngai Kang and Chow Hon-nip

Reigning champion Wong Kai-lok expects tough battle in the bid to replace him as Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon champion, with 13 overseas runners in Sunday’s field.

With his sights set on the Tokyo Marathon in three weeks, Wong has opted to run in the half-marathon on Sunday, leaving his title up for grabs.

Among the challengers to Wong’s crown are Kenyan pair Julius Kipkorir Tuwei and Philemon Kiptoo Kipchumba, both of whom have personal bests under 2 hours and 10 minutes, some 20 minutes faster than Wong’s winning time of 2:31:10 in 2021.

“The Hong Kong course is very challenging with lot of uphill and downhill routes and coupled with the demanding weather for long distance running, the result is difficult to predict,” Wong said.

“The return of overseas invited runners will make the event more attractive as these runners are very fast and they will dominate the race, leaving little chance for local runners.”

Overseas runners (left to right) Limenih Getachew, Fantu Eticha Jimma, Rahman Tusa Chota and Tigist Memuye Gebeyahu. Photo: Edmond So

In total six ‘gold’ status athletes, two men and four women, have been invited to the city’s flagship athletic event, and Kwan Kee, Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates chairman, said it had been difficult to get a full field.

“World Athletics does not set any requirement on the number of these gold status athletes for this year as the pandemic just ended, but I am sure they will get back to normal requirement soon or later,” he said.

A gold label event requires 12 gold status runners, six men and six women and the Hong Kong showpiece has been a gold label event since 2016.

There were no overseas runners at the last race two years ago when strict quarantine measures were still in place, leaving Wong to become the city’s first home champion.

Of the two men’s gold runners, Tuwei, who has a personal best two hours seven minutes and 43 seconds, has raced in Hong Kong before, finishing 12th in 2019.

Runners and officials meet the press ahead of the 25th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday. Photo: Edmond So

The 29-year-old said running in the city before would definitely be an advantage.

“I still have some memory of the route which should help,” said Tuwei, adding the weather should not affect his performance.

His fellow countryman Kipchumba has a faster personal best of 2:07:28, which he set as he won the Munich Marathon last year in his debut.

With only one marathon under his belt, Kipchumba has yet to achieve gold status but the 25-year-old is definitely another favourite for his fresh legs.

“I am happy to come to Hong Kong and although this is my first time here hopefully I can get a good result,” Kipchumba, the youngest of all six invited runners, said. “I don’t know anything about the route but was told it is very challenging. Still I am confident that I can handle it well.”

In the women’s category, gold runner Rose Chelimo had little worries over the weather as she said Hong Kong was quite similar to her home country Bahrain.

The 34-year-old, who finished eighth in the 2016 Rio Olympics, has a personal best 2:23:12 set last year, but said it would be difficult to break it in Hong Kong.

The three other gold runners are all from Ethiopia with Rahma Tusa Chota another favourite. “This is my first race in Hong Kong and my target is to become the champion,” the 29-year-old said.

While the overseas runners will be vying for a US$30,000 winner’s cheque, there will be another tight battle among the domestic runners.

Hong Kong record holder Gi Ka-man will face tough challenges from Wong Wan-chun, who’s record was broken by Gi in 2021, Ngai Kang, the best local finisher in the 2018 Hong Kong Marathon, and Hanniel Chow Hon-nip, Hong Kong record holder in the 3,000 metre steeplechase and the fastest home finisher in the 2019 event.

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