Running News Daily

Running News Daily is edited by Bob Anderson in Mountain View, California USA and team in Thika Kenya, La Piedad Mexico, Bend Oregon and Chandler Arizona.   Send your news items to bob@mybestruns.com  Advertising opportunities available.   Over one million readers and growing.  Train the Kenyan Way at KATA Running Retreat Kenya.  (Kenyan Athletics Training Academy) in Thika Kenya.  Opening in june 2024 KATA Running retreat Portugal.  Learn more about Bob Anderson, MBR publisher and KATA director/owner, take a look at A Long Run the movie covering Bob's 50 race challenge.  

Index to Daily Posts · Sign Up For Updates · Run The World Feed

Share

Hong Kong Marathon rescheduled for February next year

The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon has been rescheduled to February next year, the organizer announced on Tuesday, days after canceling the race amid ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in the city.

“The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) announced today… that it has received the Government’s full support to actively plan the staging of the 25th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday, 12 February 2023,” a press statement by the organizer read.

Last Friday, the HKAAA said the sporting event would not go ahead in November as planned, citing “insufficient time for runners and relevant stakeholders to adequately prepare for the race.” Organizers said they had yet to receive approval from the government with only two months remaining.

Commissioner for Sports Yeung Tak-keung questioned the group’s reason on Monday, saying the 2021 race was also approved with only two months to go.

He said the government had been in close contact with the organizer and provided help as best as it could. Yeung at that time said the HKAAA did not consider postponing the race, even there was an available slot in February.

Rescheduling

The HKAAA on Tuesday, however, reversed course, hours after Chief Executive John Lee had expressed disappointment over the axing of the popular sports event.

“Our position is very clear, we are very supportive and we want both sides to work towards the goal of making it happen,” Lee said during his weekly press briefing. “[I]t is both [in] the organiser’s interest, and Hong Kong government’s interest and the community’s interest for these things to happen. So I want that common will to be developed for the good of Hong Kong.”

Further details were yet to be announced by the HKAAA, but it promised to “strictly adhere to and implement all necessary anti-pandemic measures,” and work closely with relevant government departments.

Covid concerns

Several sporting events have been canceled or relocated due to Hong Kong’s strict Covid-19 measures, with all incoming travelers required to undergo three days of hotel quarantine and four days of “medical surveillance.” The city also maintains a four-person public gathering limit and an outdoor mask mandate.

Blaming the stringent quarantine rules, the organizers of the 2023 World Dragon Boat Racing Championships abandoned Hong Kong for Thailand on Sunday. The previous day, the Oxfam Trailwalker event was also called off.

Lee on Tuesday said the government would review the pandemic situation and make necessary adjustments to the quarantine policy, with an announcement to follow “as soon as possible.” Experts have called for measures such as mandatory hotel quarantine to be scrapped so that Hong Kong can begin to return to normalcy.

Hong Kong has reported a total of 1.71 million Covid-19 infections and 9,901 related deaths since the pandemic began.

 

(09/20/2022) Views: 896 ⚡AMP
by Almond Li
Share
HONG KONG MARATHON

HONG KONG MARATHON

The Hong Kong Marathon, sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, is an annual marathon race held in January or February in Hong Kong. In addition to the full marathon, a 10 km run and a half marathon are also held. Around 70,000 runners take part each year across all events. High levels of humidity and a difficult course make finishing times...

more...


Running News Headlines


Copyright 2024 MyBestRuns.com 8,069