Hong Kong runners, it’s time to lace up as the city’s biggest marathon is happening this weekend! The Hong Kong Marathon on February 9, 2025, will see 74,000 participants take to the streets all across the territory in three races — the marathon, half-marathon, and 10km run. There will also be widespread road closures in effect from the night before the race until the event wraps up on Sunday afternoon. This year’s edition will include the Hong Kong Marathon Expo, which will be held at Kai Tak Sports Park in the run-up to the race.
Race courses and events for Hong Kong Marathon
The courses for this edition of the mega running event will remain the same as previous years, with the full marathon beginning at Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui and ending at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. Participants will pass through some of the city’s best-known landmarks like the Ting Kau and Stonecutters bridges and the Western Harbour Crossing. They will also run along the iconic Victoria Harbour before crossing the finish line.
While the start and finish points for the half-marathon remain at the same as the full marathon, runners will turn back on the Tsing Kwai Highway and head straight to the underwater harbour crossing instead of heading along the bridges. The 10km race will be confined to Hong Kong Island, and will start at the Island Eastern Corridor and end at Victoria Park.
This year, the city will host the first Hong Kong Marathon Expo at Kai Tak Sports Park from February 5-8, 2025. The four-day fair will have 40 booths with games and photo ops to drum up enthusiasm for the main event on Sunday. Visitors can also head to Kai Tak Arena to check out the Runners Wall, which has the names of all registered 74,000 competitors.
Road closures during Standard Chartered Marathon
Since all three races involve major expressways and streets in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories, roads will be closed to traffic in phases from 11:30pm on February 8 to 1:15pm on February 9. The most significant road closures will be:
- Nathan Road: Traffic from both directions between Salisbury Road and Gascoigne Road, as well as the northbound carriageway between Gascoigne Road and Argyle Street, will be closed.
- Island Eastern Corridor (IEC): Eastbound and westbound carriageways between Victoria Park Road and Shau Kei Wan will be closed from 1:15am.
- Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel: The eastbound section between Central and Wan Chai will be closed from 1:15am, requiring traffic diversions via Connaught Road Central and Gloucester Road.
- West Kowloon Highway: Various sections of this major highway will be closed shortly after midnight on February 8.
- Western Harbour Crossing (WHC): The Hong Kong-bound tube will be temporarily closed from 12:45am, affecting cross-harbour traffic between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. However, the Kowloon-bound tube will operate as usual.
For more information on road closures and traffic diversions during the Hong Kong Marathon, click here.
Image credits: Hong Kong Marathon