The 26th edition of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon will take place on Sunday, January 21. The race, which is open to 74,000 runners, marks the first time that the event quota has returned to pre-pandemic levels. This year’s edition of the marathon is of extra significance as it will double as the 19th Asian Marathon Championships. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Hong Kong’s most important running event.
How many races are there?
The majority of runners will take part in three main races: the full marathon (42 km), half marathon (21 km) and the 10 km run. There will also be a 10 km wheelchair race, and a trial wheelchair race.
Each of the races will have different start times. The full marathon will have a six-hour limit and will have four staggered starts — at 6am, 6.20am, 6.40am, and 7am. The half marathon, which runners should complete within three hours, will begin earlier, with the first start at 5.40am, with subsequent starts at 7.50am, 8.10am, and 8.30am.
The 10 km run has an outer time limit of two hours, and will also have its first start at 5.40am, followed by starts at 6am, 6.20am, 6.40am, 7am, 7.20am, 7.40am, and 8am. The wheelchair races will begin at 5.20am (10 km) and 6.10 am (trial race), and have maximum time limits of 1 hour and 5 minutes, and 25 minutes respectively.
What are the race routes?
Two of the races — the full marathon and half marathon — will span across Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui, while the other three races will be confined to Hong Kong Island. The race routes are:
Marathon
Start: Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Finish: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
Route: The marathon begins on Nathan Road, crosses Stonecutters and Ting Kau bridges, then runs through the Cheung Tsing and Western Harbour tunnels, and ends at Victoria Park.
Half marathon
Start: Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Finish: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
Route: The race starts at Nathan Road, goes along West Kowloon Highway, through the Western Harbour tunnel, then finishes at Victoria Park.
10 km race
Start: Island Eastern Corridor near Central-Wan Chai Bypass
Finish: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
Route: The race runs eastwards along the northern part of Hong Kong Island towards Shau Kai Wan, and back west towards Victoria Park.
Wheelchair 10 km
Start: Wan Chai Sports Ground, Wan Chai
Finish: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
Route: The route takes participants from Wan Chai Sports Ground to Central Pier via Hung Hing Road and Lung Wo Road, and then takes them east towards Victoria Park by way of Lockhart Road and Hennessey Road.
Wheelchair trial
Start: Wan Chai Sports Ground, Wan Chai
Finish: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay
Route: The race starts at Wan Chai Sports Ground, runs through Marsh Road, Lockhart Road, and Sugar Street, before ending at Victoria Park.
Which roads are closed during the marathon?
The following roads in the Yau Tsim Mong district will be closed on January 21 for the full and half marathons, and will be reopened gradually at or before 10.15am, depending on the progress of the marathon:
- The entire section of Nathan Road between Salisbury Road and Gascoigne Road (north-south direction)
- A section of northbound Nathan Road between Gascoigne Road and Argyle Street
- Argyle Street westbound between Nathan Road and Tong Mi Road
The Eastern Corridor from Victoria Park Road to Shau Kei Wan and the Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel will be closed for the 10 km race, from 1.30am onwards on January 21. Vehicles will be diverted to Connaught Road Central, Gloucester Road, King’s Road, etc. Vehicles travelling to and from the Eastern Harbour Crossing must use the Sai Wan Ho or Thornhill entrances and exits to enter and exit the tunnel. These routes will be gradually reopened, depending on the progress of the marathon.
For more information about road closures and traffic diversions, refer to the government press release.
What are the MTR timings during the marathon?
The first departures of all MTR lines will be advanced on January 21, except for the Disneyland Resort and New East Rail lines. The first trains on the Tuen Ma Line and East Rail Line will depart at 3:25am. Trains will depart every 8-15 minutes and resume normal services from 6am.
What will the bus schedules be on race day?
There will be 28 special bus routes to take runners going to Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay on race day. Participants can also take the following overnight bus routes, which operate between 12am and 5.40am:
- N21, N21A: Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) to Tsim Sha Tsui
- N50: Tuen Mun (Yan Po Road) to Tsim Sha Tsui (Kowloon Station)
- N216: Yau Tong Public Transport Interchange to Hung Hom Station
- N241: Cheung Wang to Hung Hom Station
- N271: Tai Po (Fu Heng) to Hung Hom Station
- N281: Kam Ying Court to Hung Hom Station
- N796: Lohas Park to Mong Kok (Circular)
Starting from 11.15pm on January 20, about 210 daytime buses and 35 green minibus routes will adjust their services in phases, including suspending, shortening or changing their routes, and temporarily relocating stops until the roads are reopened.
What will the weather be like during the marathon?
The marathon will take place just after the expected cold snap next week, but minimum temperatures will start to drop on the morning of January 21, with a forecasted low of 15 degrees Celsius. There is a low chance of rain, with humidity levels ranging between 55% and 75%.
For more information on Hong Kong weather, visit the Hong Kong Observatory website.
How much prize money will the winners get?
Hong Kong male permanent residents who complete the full marathon within three hours will get HK$10,000, while women who hold permanent residency in the city who finish the race in under 3.5 hours will also get HK$10,000. There are other special prizes for permanent residents who finish the various races in the top three positions.
For more information about the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2024, visit the event website.
Image credits: Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon
