Over 600 injured and 37 hospitalized in Hong Kong Marathon

 

    Hong Kong Marathon

The most representative long-distance running event in Hong Kong, established in 1997 to celebrate the handover. The race format includes a full marathon (42.195 km), a half marathon (21.1 km), and a 10 km race. Each category is further divided by gender and age group. This year, 72,000 people registered for the Hong Kong Marathon, with 65,000 actually participating, setting a new record for the event.

The annual Hong Kong Marathon was held yesterday morning in Hong Kong. This well-known marathon in the Asia-Pacific region saw a record 72,000 participants this year. According to information from the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association, 65,000 runners ultimately took part, also a record for the event. Despite the day featuring many inspiring participants embodying the spirit of pushing limits, numerous runners experienced discomfort, with over 600 injured and 37 hospitalized, two of whom were in critical condition at one point.

What upset many runners even more was that during the 10 km race, some participants caused chaos at the start by taking selfies with their phones, resulting in multiple people falling and getting injured.

With the slogan “Asia’s Strongest,” the Hong Kong Marathon may only have a 17-year history (the first edition was held in 1997), but its public participation rate is astonishing. For this edition, the 72,000 registered participants represent one percent of Hong Kong’s total population, with 90% of them being local residents. The first registration day sold out this year.

Fauja Singh, a 101-year-old British man of Indian origin, who participated in last year’s 10 km race, ran again this year. The world’s oldest professional marathon runner completed the course in 1 hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

Leung Tsz-yu, a 21-year-old Hong Kong girl who had her right leg amputated following a traffic accident last year, also completed the 10 km race in 1 hour and 29 minutes. Leung, wearing a prosthetic leg, was initially worried about finishing, but she succeeded. “The decision to compete was to challenge myself. Finishing the race proves that determination is the most important thing.”

The wheelchair half marathon, held for the first time this year, was won by former Hong Kong wheelchair fencer Fung Ying-ki. He was the only one among the six participants to finish the race. Hong Kong Marathon Committee Chairman Ko Wai-lam told reporters that this attempt was very meaningful, and that the other participants were not incapable of finishing. “Because wheelchair racers are slower, accidents could obstruct others. To minimize risks from sharing lanes, slower wheelchair athletes were taken by shuttle bus.”

In the men’s full marathon, the top three spots were all taken by African runners, with Kenyan runner Mercy Chesang winning in 2 hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds. The women’s race was won by defending champion Biruktayit Degefa, who crossed the line first in 2 hours, 30 minutes and 49 seconds.

Ko Wai-lam confirmed in a post-race interview that 65,000 runners participated. While this final number set a record, he also noted that around 10% of registered participants typically do not show up, mainly due to weather.

Earlier, Ko Wai-lam revealed in an interview that approximately 570 people were injured or felt unwell after the Hong Kong Marathon. Subsequently, the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association, citing data from the event’s medical support team, said, “As of 1:30 pm, there were 262 cases of cramping, 380 cases requiring wound dressing. Additionally, 37 people had to be hospitalized, including 26 men and 11 women, aged between 20 and 72. Two men were in critical condition.” The two critically ill men, aged 47 and 51, are being treated at Ruttonjee Hospital.

Regarding the many participants who fainted, Professor Raymond Liang, Associate Head of the Department of Physical Education at Hong Kong Baptist University, considered it isolated, as the weather that day was moderate despite some wind and not oppressive. Ko Wai-lam also stated: “The weather on race day was fine, and the air quality data provided by the Environmental Protection Department met competition conditions.”

In fact, it is not the first time so many participants have been injured. In 2006, the Hong Kong Marathon with 40,000 participants resulted in one death, 22 hospitalizations, and 4,800 cases of cramping. In 2007, lessons were learned and more emergency arrangements were made, yet 6,249 people still felt unwell or were injured, accounting for 16.7% of participants. Thirty-five required hospitalization, including one young and experienced male runner who nearly died of suspected heatstroke. Last year, 658 people suffered cramps, 276 received wound dressings, 38 were hospitalized, and one male runner died suddenly.

In Liang’s view, the frequent injuries in recent years are largely due to inadequate preparation. “In recent years, the number of Hong Kong Marathon participants has risen sharply. Many upgrade from the 10 km to the ‘half marathon,’ and many newcomers without any foundation start competing, ignoring the risks involved.” He emphasized the physical and mental demands of marathons. “Even ‘half marathon’ runners should train for at least half a year before participating.” He said long-distance running carries certain risks and urged runners to train for 3–6 months prior and be fully prepared.

Staff from the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association also stressed that the event aims to encourage more people to engage in sports—not for untrained individuals to rush into challenging limits.

Actually, the Hong Kong Marathon this year placed significant emphasis on participant safety. Months before the event, 12 experts including cardiologists and coaches formed a preparation team to provide training advice online and answer participant questions. The event even offered training courses for new runners.

“We found that in past marathons, most hospitalized runners were those lacking sufficient sleep, so starting last October, we’ve stepped up publicity in this area.” Ko Wai-lam also said that to manage the increasing number of participants, this year’s staff count rose to 5,000, including 800 in the medical support team alone.

In fact, to ensure safety, the organizing committee considered requiring participants to submit health certificates, but due to the related costs of over a thousand Hong Kong dollars, it was deemed impractical and difficult to implement.

Ko Wai-lam revealed that many of the injured runners this year were hurt due to chaos and falls at the start of the 10 km race. Many participants used their phones to take selfies at the start, leading to congestion on the track and eventually causing trampling and falls. “The chaos caused by selfies led to several collisions. After reviewing the situation, we will consider whether to include a rule banning phone selfies during the race. I hope all participants will pay attention to their own and others’ safety,” said Ko Wai-lam.