Jog on: Nathan Road street sellers expect lost business due to Hong Kong Marathon as disruptions anger residents
Rain wasn’t the only dampener to today’s marathon
The popular Standard Chartered marathon on Sunday morning has angered many citizens working in Mong Kok as the annual race extended its route into the area for the first time.
Slightly more than half, or 39,000 out of a total of 74,000 runners, are expected to compete in the marathon and half marathon started as early as 6am from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mong Kok via Nathan Road – one of the busiest roads in town – before taking Argyle and Cherry streets, then Lin Cheung Road.
The north-bound lanes of Nathan Road were blocked off from around 4am to 10am.
Runners in previous marathons turned off Nathan Rd into Austin Rd, then followed Canton Rd to the West Kowloon Expressway.
Despite downpours, some runners wore disposable raincoats and their supporters were excited. Many supporters shouted as runners passed by.
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But not everybody was happy. Chu Yuet-han, 62, who has run a newspaper stand at the intersection of Nathan Rd and Argyle St for four years, said one of her stacks of newspapers had not arrived by 7.30am due to the blocked road. She said copies of the paper would normally arrive around 6am.
