Hong Kong experts urge runners to get heart checks before races after marathon death

Post learns Zhang Zhichong’s collapsed body was found at around noon after competing in Hong Kong’s biggest annual marathon and certified dead before 1pm

‘A thorough heart examination can find [hidden and congenital heart issues] out, but the biggest problem is how can you persuade the runners to go check,’ expert says

Reading Time:2 minutes

One sports expert has warned that introducing mandatory heart checks for marathon runners may trigger a large-scale debate. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 8:06pm, 21 Jan 2024Updated: 11:55pm, 21 Jan 2024

Marathon runners should have heart health checks before competing at events, medical and sports experts have warned after the death of a 30-year-old man in the wake of Hong Kong’s biggest annual race.

A police insider said Zhang Zhichong collapsed near a platform escalator at the Tin Hau MTR station near the finish line of the annual Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Sunday.

He was discovered around noon, still wearing his running clothes and with his number bib, the source said.

Zhang was taken to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai but was pronounced dead on arrival just after 1pm.

Runners take part in Sunday’s marathon. Dr Cheng Chi-man, the president of the Hong Kong Medical Association, said runners with a known history of medical conditions and risk should avoid unnecessary stress. Photo: Elson Li

The Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates, which co-organised the event, confirmed the man had taken part in the half-marathon, but did not release his name. The association also expressed its condolences to the runner’s family.