Cold feet: 13,000 Hong Kong Marathon entrants fail to show up, but wet and windy weather can’t dampen spirits for the rest

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Hundreds of runners pass along Nathan Road in Mong Kok during yesterday’s Hong Kong Marathon. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 10:30pm, 17 Jan 2016Updated: 9:48am, 18 Jan 2016

Thirteen thousand Hong Kong Marathon entrants apparently looked out of their windows yesterday morning and immediately went back to bed, but those who did take their place at the start line did not have their spirits dampened by the worst weather in the race’s history.

Organisers said only 61,000 of 74,000 registered entrants took part, as rain poured and wind blew with varying degrees of ferocity during much of the city’s largest mass-participation event.

On occasionally treacherous roads from Mong Kok to Victoria Park, there were plenty of opportunities to slip and slide, and there was a minor pile-up at the start of the 10-kilometre race, the busiest event.

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Ten people were taken to hospital, six men and four women, but none of the cases were thought to be serious, said organisers. The cool weather appeared to have limited the serious injuries and even fatalities that have occurred in previous editions.

WATCH: Joy for winners

As ever, African runners took the top prizes, with Kenyan Mike Kiprotich Mutai, 29, winning the men’s full marathon in two hours 12 minutes and 12 seconds and Ethiopian Haylay Letebrhan Gebreslasea (25, 2:36.51) the women’s.