A tourism carnival or elite-level race? What could be next for the Hong Kong Marathon
Olympic gold medallist Vivian Kong tells Legislative Council race could mirror France’s famous wine run; sports minister details other options
Olympic gold medallist and tourism lawmaker Vivian Kong Man-wai has suggested turning the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon into a broader cultural experience, mirroring France’s Marathon du Médoc or London’s Ciderthon.
Local officials said after January’s race, when almost 120,000 people applied for the 74,000 places across the three events – the marathon, half-marathon and 10km – that they would discuss what changes might be made.
And ideas have ranged from changing some of the routes to following Singapore’s lead and staging races across two days.
During a meeting of the Legislative Council on Wednesday, sports and tourism minister Rosanna Law Shuk-pui revealed Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) officials were also discussing how to further expand an event that has grown from the 1,000 runners who took part in 1997.
Law, who first proposed adding Hong Kong-style snacks, including egg waffles and milk tea to marathon refreshment stations last month, described Kong’s idea as “a direction worth considering” and agreed that it might appeal to general runners and help them “experience the local customs and culture”.
The Marathon du Médoc, where participants, most of whom wear fancy dress, can drink wine at more than 20 stops along the 42km (26.2-mile) route, was cited as an example of how a race could double as a cultural and gastronomic festival.