Hong Kong bridge half-marathon returns, bosses say food, water, delay issues resolved
- Second edition to be held in January, and race chief says improvements have been made since the first race
Organisers of the Bank of China Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Half Marathon said they had addressed some of the issues it was plagued by last year, as the second edition was announced on Friday.
The race, held on the Hong Kong side of the bridge, is set to return on January 5, and has been designated a Gold Label Road Race by global governing body World Athletics.
When the inaugural 8,000-runner race on the bridge took place last November, participants were left frustrated by a lack of food during and after the event, a shortage of toilets and water and absence of sports drinks, and delays in the bus service ferrying them to and from the start and finish line.
“We received all the comments from the runners and we are more than happy to improve the situation,” said Simon Yeung Sai-mo, chairman of the organising committee, when asked whether mistakes were made last year.
Yeung defended last year’s decision not to include food along the route or in finishers’ packs, saying World Athletics rules did not require it for half-marathons finished in under 2½ hours.
“We noticed that for many of [last year’s] runners, it might be the first time that they participated in a half-marathon,” Yeung said.
