9th February 2025 – (Hong Kong) The annual Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon took place today, attracting around 74,000 participants across the full marathon, half marathon, and 10-kilometre (10K) events. The full and half marathons commenced from Tsim Sha Tsui, while the 10K race began at the Eastern Corridor, with all routes finishing at Victoria Park.
By 10am this morning, at least six runners required hospital treatment, with one individual transported to Queen Mary Hospital and five others sent to Ruttonjee Hospital, all reported to be in stable condition.
At 9.19am, a male runner in his fifties collapsed during the race but regained consciousness and was taken to Queen Mary Hospital for care. Shortly after, five more runners were admitted to Ruttonjee Hospital, one of whom needed to wear an oxygen mask upon arrival.
Notably, one female runner required thermal wrapping for warmth during her transfer to Ruttonjee Hospital.
This year’s marathon maintained its participation cap at approximately 74,000, featuring events for marathon, half marathon, 10K, and wheelchair races, and including slots for athletes with disabilities, using the same routes as last year. The marathon and half marathon started on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, while the 10K race launched from the Eastern Corridor, with all races concluding at Victoria Park.
As in previous years, the Eastern Corridor served as the venue for the 10K event, with the challenge group starting at 5.30am. Many runners arrived early for warm-ups before the 5am start. The Hong Kong Observatory forecasted temperatures to dip to 11 degrees Celsius this morning, prompting numerous participants to don plastic raincoats for warmth; the official temperature at the start was recorded at 13.9 degrees Celsius.
In the competitive races, Bethwell Kipkemboi of Kenya emerged victorious in the full marathon, finishing in a remarkable time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 13 seconds. His compatriots, Kennedy Kipyeko and Vincent Kiprono, followed closely behind, securing second and third places, respectively. In the women’s category, Belarus’s Volha Mazuronak crossed the finish line first, although her time of 2:27:00 fell short of her course record. Ethiopia’s Emebet Niguse and Tadelech Bekele claimed second and third positions, further showcasing the strength of international runners in this prestigious event.
