Marathon organizer warns runners against carrying political slogans

21-10-2021 15:33 HKT

Those who carry political slogans in this Sunday's Standard Chartered Marathon will risk getting banned from the race, its organizer warns.

The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates stated on Thursday that political elements and slogans should not be included in sports events.

“We strongly advise runners to respect the official rules and to ensure the event to be taken place in an orderly manner,” it stated.

“Anyone who violates the law or breaches the official rules will be barred from participating the event. If needed, the organizer will seek assistance from law enforcement agencies.”

The organizer added that it “strongly condemns” anyone who makes use of the marathon as a platform for conveying and promoting political messages. It warns it has “zero tolerance” for people breaking the law.

Runners who wear special attire or carry backpacks must undergo security check by the organizer at the security booth located at the start area.

The latest statement came after the association said earlier this week that it will not ban runners from wearing certain colors to the race. It also said it found slogans such as “Hong Kong, fight on!” to be acceptable.

Since the unrest in 2019, the color yellow has represented the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong. Blue represents the pro-establishment camp. Protesters also usually dressed in black.

Earlier this week, businessman Herbert Chow Siu-lung uploaded a picture of himself dressed in a black tee with the slogan "Hong Kong, keep it up", as his store Chickeeduck promotes attire for marathon running.