The government supports expanding the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon along two possible directions — developing it into a world-class professional race and transforming it into a city-wide carnival — according to Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui.
Her remarks follow calls to increase the marathon’s capacity or turn it into a two-day event after more than 120,000 applications were received this year for just 74,000 slots.
Speaking at the Legislative Council on Wednesday, Law expressed optimism about possible expansion where feasible, citing the marathon’s growth from 1,000 runners in 1997 to 74,000 in 2026.
She said the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliations (HKAAA) has formed a dedicated working group to study future development directions for the event, with proposals expected to be submitted within months.
While stressing the importance of defining a clear direction — whether targeting a higher-level professional competition or a public carnival — Law said the two objectives are not mutually exclusive.
Acknowledging calls from runners to elevate the marathon’s status, Law also encouraged other races to make use of Hong Kong’s scenic waterfront to showcase the city’s landscape.
She added that the HKAAA will assess proposals based on key factors including runner safety, event quality, traffic impact, costs, and benefits to the public and tourism sector.
In response to tourism-sector lawmaker Vivian Kong Man-wai’s suggestion to combine a food festival with the marathon to encourage longer tourist stays, Law agreed there is potential to incorporate local characteristics to promote sports tourism.
Addressing earlier online criticism over her suggestion of offering milk tea to runners, she clarified that such arrangements would not apply to elite athletes but could be considered for recreational or tourist participants.
She cited France’s Marathon du Médoc, which combines running with wine-tasting, suggesting a similar approach could allow runners to enjoy Hong Kong’s night views and culinary offerings.
On proposals to collaborate with more organizations to boost participation, Law said the current structure could be affected if the course and race day remain unchanged.
However, she said she is open to ideas involving multiple race days or significant route changes, which could create more room for expansion.
Following the enhancement of the “M” Mark System last August, Law said around 50 applications have been received so far, with about half already approved. She expects these approved events to generate significant economic benefits in the coming years.
