Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge half marathon organisers target annual event
- Inaugural event will see 8,000 runners traversing 55km bridge, which opened in 2018, on Sunday
- ‘We’d also like to see more distances and quotas become available too,’ athletics chief Kwan Kee says
Local athletics officials hope the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Half Marathon will evolve into an annual event with various distances, and even see participants running beyond the Hong Kong section of the bridge in the future.
The inaugural event will see 8,000 runners traversing the 55-kilometre (34 miles) bridge, which opened in 2018, on Sunday. Of the 2,500 places reserved for a “Challenge Group” – the elite contingent – there will be 18 runners from eight overseas countries.
“It’s our vision to have an annual event for this iconic bridge going forward,” Kwan Kee, chairman of the HKAAA [Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates], said. “We’d also like to see more distances and quotas become available, too.
Kwan added it was his “ dream” to let competitors run beyond the Hong Kong section of the bridge and even hinted there had been discussions with relevant authorities in Guangdong and Macau.
“Whether it can be done depends on the government because there are a lot more involved when runners go over the border,” he said. “There are technicalities to deal with too, like ventilation and emergency medical services if we are to run through the six-kilometre tunnel.”
