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For most of the year, Hong Kong’s bridges, tunnels, and expressways carry commuters and freight through the city. On Sunday, however, parts of that network were given over to cyclists, international competition, and an event designed to promote sports tourism.
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The 2026 Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon brought riders to the West Kowloon Cultural District for a program combining mass-participation rides, elite racing, and a free waterfront carnival. At its center was a new 56-kilometer non-race ride, extended from the previous 50km format and promoted as a “five tunnels, three bridges” course.
Starting and finishing at the West Kowloon Cultural District, the 56km route passed through Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin, and Kowloon City. It included the Central Kowloon Bypass, connecting Yau Ma Tei and Kai Tak, as well as Cheung Tsing Tunnel, Tsing Ma Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, Nam Wan Tunnel, Stonecutters Bridge, Eagle’s Nest Tunnel, and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel.
A shorter 32km ride broadened the event’s appeal, while the UCI Class 1.1 road race featured about 100 riders from 17 professional teams representing 11 countries and regions. The new 100km race course began in West Kowloon and incorporated landmarks and major infrastructure that included Stonecutters Bridge and the Central Kowloon Bypass.
The setting mattered too. The West Kowloon Carnival offered free admission, live performances, family activities, food, and opportunities to try newer sports including pickleball, paddleball, and teqball, a football-based game played across a curved table. The program allowed non-cyclists to share in the occasion while following the racing on site. According to event coverage, more than 6,000 cyclists took part across the day’s events. Riders praised both the move to West Kowloon and the longer 56km route, saying the changes offered a fresh experience and would help stimulate interest in cycling and sports tourism.
By late morning, the roads had reopened, and Hong Kong’s traffic resumed its usual pace. But for a few hours, the Cyclothon gave the city a different kind of momentum – competitive, communal, and distinctly Hong Kong.
Bernard Charnwut Chan is the chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District
