Hong Kong Marathon adds 1,000 extra runners thanks to new route up Nathan Road
Straight road to Mong Kok may mean faster times, organisers say
Organisers of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon have managed to squeeze in an extra 1,000 runners for next year's race, taking the total to 74,000, after eliminating a bottleneck in Canton Road.
The January 17 marathon and half marathon will now head down Nathan Road from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mong Kok instead of turning off after 100 metres - a change organisers say could mean faster times.
The organising committee had been fighting for more than a year to get the new route approved for the 20th anniversary edition of the city's biggest mass-participation event, chairman William Ko Wai-lam said.
Both the marathon and half marathon follow the same route until runners in the latter turn for home at the Tsing Kwai Highway, and the routes have changed little since 2001.
Runners previously turned off Nathan Road into Austin Road, then followed Canton Road to the West Kowloon Expressway. The new route, approved by Yau Tsim Mong District Council's traffic and transport committee this month, will see runners take Argyle and Cherry streets, then Lin Cheung Road.
"I think most of the runners will welcome this extended use of Nathan Road, because they can run on a much wider road and have faster results," said Ko.
