The annual Hong Kong International Marathon kicked off on February 5, setting a new record with 70,000 participants. However, a 26-year-old male runner from Hong Kong collapsed and died suddenly after crossing the finish line.
On the 5th, the annual Hong Kong International Marathon was held on both sides of Victoria Harbour, with the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Donald Tsang, officiating the event. Since its inception in 1997, the Hong Kong International Marathon has attracted tens of thousands of participants every year, and this year saw a record-breaking turnout of over 70,000. The race included various categories such as the 10-kilometer, half marathon, and full marathon. This year, Hong Kong athletes also claimed the men's and women's titles in both the 10-kilometer and half marathon events.
In the full marathon, Ethiopian athlete Abera Darge won the men's title by a narrow margin. He and the Kenyan runner Kipkorir, who came in second, crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, both finishing in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 27 seconds. The third-place finisher was also from Kenya, just one second behind the top two.
The women's full marathon was also won by an Ethiopian athlete, who triumphed after breaking through a challenge from two Kenyan runners.
The half marathon challenge started at 5:30 a.m., with Hong Kong, China athletes Ki Ka-man and Yiu Shuk-ching winning the men's and women's titles respectively.
Another 10-kilometer race saw 37,000 participants. Among them, 100-year-old Indian runner Fauja Singh, along with his son and teammates, completed the race successfully. This veteran of global marathon events said that if invited next year, he would return to compete in Hong Kong again.
However, the race was marred by tragedy when a 26-year-old male runner from Hong Kong collapsed and died after crossing the finish line. The deceased had previously participated in and completed the event twice. The cause of death remains unclear. Cardiologists analyzed that the cause may be related to an undiagnosed heart condition or cerebrovascular disease.
On the 5th, two other runners were in critical condition and were admitted to the intensive care unit, while more than 30 others were hospitalized.
The organizing committee chairman stated that medical support staff provided immediate assistance to the affected runners and transported them to hospitals. He believes it is impractical to require all participants to submit medical certificates.