Hong Kong Marathon organisers set date for next race, targeting 74,000 entries
- Next event will be held on January 21, 2024, with competition doubling up as the Asian Marathon Championships
- Officials want to increase number of runners but say government still needs to give approval
The next Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon will take place on January 21 next year, while also doubling up as the Asian Championships, officials said on Thursday.
And with the city reopening to the outside world after the coronavirus, organisers want a return to pre-pandemic levels, when they had as many as 74,000 entrants.
This year’s race in February attracted 37,000 runners, the most since Covid-19 hit the city.
“We still need a lot of negotiation with the authorities regarding the entry number, but are glad we can now fix a date which suits the runners,” Kwan Kee, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, said.
Kwan revealed that officials had initially expected to hold the race in February, after Lunar New Year “because of other events to be held at Victoria Park”.
“But thanks to the efforts made by all parties involved, we have resolved the problem,” Kwan said.
