Ronaldo and Rooney? Hong Kong marathon organiser hopes to use star power to boost annual races
Event organiser Kwan Kee declines to name names, but says promotions and more urban routes should lift the marathon
The organiser of the city’s annual marathon plans to invite international sports legends of the calibre of soccer players Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney to cheer next year’s runners in its bid to promote the annual event as an international brand for Hong Kong.
“We hope to be one of the best in Asia,” said Kwan Kee, chairman of the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association, the organiser of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, in an interview with the Post.
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“Just as Singapore’s marathon successfully invited Liverpool football legend John Barnes to be a special guest in 2013, we hope that we can make use of this superstar appeal next year to help forge a brand name for Hong Kong’s marathon,” he explained.
Admitting he had some names in mind, Kwan, however, declined to say what superstars would be invited as guests for next year’s race.
He expressed the hope that through various promotions and the use of more urban routes to reach out to the community, the race could prompt a city-wide sports culture promoting a healthy lifestyle and sustainable development and encouraging charity in the city.
“I hope that the Hong Kong marathon can be an event that every Hongkonger is proud of and in which they feel they have a part to play. Unfortunately Hong Kong right now is riddled with conflict and controversy,” he said.
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