A 30-year-old man has died after finishing a half-marathon during the city’s largest annual long-distance running event, the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon (SCHKM), on Sunday.
The man was spotted sitting down on the platform at Tin Hau MTR station – near the finishing point of the race – by MTR staff at around 11.50 am, a spokesperson from the train company told Ming Pao on Monday. After MTR staff approached the man and asked if he needed any help, he said he needed some rest but was otherwise fine.
He was found passed out near the platform at 12.12 pm. The man died after being admitted to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai for emergency treatment.
Over 67,000 runners participated in the marathon’s various events – a full marathon, a half marathon, or a 10-kilometre run – this year as race quotas returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Responding to an enquiry from HKFP, the Hospital Authority said that 44 runners had been admitted to emergency facilities at public hospitals by 12 pm on Monday. Among them, one had died, one was in a critical condition, four were in a serious situation and eight were stable. Thirty had been released from hospital.
A male runner who ran in the 10-kilometre race was found unconscious after suffering a cardiac arrest near the finishing line, local media reported. His condition improved after receiving on-site emergency treatment and being admitted to hospital.
The event organiser, the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates and sponsor Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited expressed their condolences to the family of the runner who died.
“The Organiser is contacting his family according to the information provided by the runner to understand their needs, and is ready to provide them with suitable assistance,” a statement posted on the marathon’s official Facebook page said. “The Organiser reminds all runners to closely monitor their post-race physical condition and allow themselves recovery after the race.”
At noon on Sunday, organisers said that 842 people had been injured during and after the marathon.
Hidden heart disease
Axel Siu, former dean of the Hong Kong College of Emergency Medicine, said in Ming Pao on Monday that runners should seek help if they experienced chest discomfort, dizziness, difficulty breathing, or an unstable heart beat that last for more than five minutes.
Six runners who participated in the Hong Kong marathon over the past 20 years had died, including the young man who died on Sunday.
Louie Lobo, associate head of the Department of Health and Physical Education, told Oriental Daily on Monday that many of these deaths were related to congenital factors, such as hidden heart problems.
Lobo suggested that runners should undergo regular cardiovascular examinations before long-distance running if they have any family history of heart disease.
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