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The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HK Section) Half Marathon took place on Sunday morning, drawing a large crowd of participants and spectators.
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The first race commenced at 7.15 am today, with runners gathering as early as 6 am to warm up.
The race was officially started by Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Benson Kwok Joon-fung, Director of Immigration, and other dignitaries.
Ethiopian runner Milkesa Mengesha Tolosa and Kenyan runner Grace Loibach Nawowuna emerged as the winners of the men's and women's challenge group races, respectively.
Local athlete Chong See-yeung was the fastest local male runner, finishing in 1 hour, 9 minutes, and 44 seconds. Virginia Lo Ying-chiu led the local women, completing the race in 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 45 seconds.
However, several runners were injured or felt unwell during the event. By 11 am, 19 participants had reported injuries or felt unwell, with three needing hospitalization for symptoms including body cramps, falls, and dizziness. All were conscious when transported.
Simon Yeung Sai-mo, chairman of the organizing committee, was pleased with the event's outcome, noting that the participation rate was 93 percent. He highlighted the achievements of overseas runners who set new records at the venue.
Yeung expressed hopes for making this event a permanent fixture on the sports calendar, emphasizing its potential to attract international runners and promote Hong Kong.
In response to feedback about the narrow starting point, Yeung explained that the track's layout was constrained by the need to accommodate a round-trip route and emergency access on the bridge.
The race, which attracted about 8,000 participants, including around 1,600 from abroad, has been recognized as a "M" Mark event and was recently upgraded to a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.
