The 25,000 spots in the Hong Kong Marathon will be up for grabs as early as Friday, the event’s organiser has announced, adding that the prize money for runners who finish under three hours will be HK$10,000.
At a launch event on Tuesday, the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) said it had been liaising with the government and hoped to further boost the number of participants if the Covid-19 situation eases.
The event, slated for February 12, almost did not go ahead, with the HKAAA announcing in mid-September it would axe the competition saying the government had failed to give approval in time amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Days later, it brought the race back and announced the rescheduling.
Registrations open
The organiser has allocated 6,000 places each for the marathon and the half-marathon, while the 10-kilometre race has 13,000 spots.
The online registration for the Challenge Entry will open on Friday, while the Public Ballot category will open on November 15.
| Entry category | Registration period |
| Challenge Entry | Nov 4 – Nov 10 |
| Guaranteed Entry | Nov 10 – Nov 14 |
| Public Ballot | Nov 15 – Nov 21 |
| Disability Entre | Nov 15 – Dec 30 |
| Charity Entry | Dec 13 – Dec 30 |
HKAAA Chairman Kwan Kee said he hoped “the epidemic will ease soon and more restrictions can be relaxed” to allow more spots in the popular running competition. Kwan added the association was working on inviting overseas elite runners to join the event.
Topped-up prize money
The marathon’s long-time sponsor Standard Chartered Bank also announced that “sub 3” runners, referring to men and women who clock a time of under three or three-and-a-half hours, respectively, will receive HK$10,000. The reward used to be just $1,000.
Only permanent residents of Hong Kong are eligible for the topped-up prize, with the organiser saying it hopes to “encourage local runners to achieve their personal best.”
All participants will also be given a special commemorative medal as the upcoming event will mark the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Marathon.
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