Road closures set for weekend as triathlon and cross-border marathon take place

Hong Kong will see significant road closures and crowd control measures this weekend as the National Games triathlon and cross-border marathon get underway, according to Yeung Tak-keung, director of the National Games Coordination Office.

Yeung said on Thursday that preparations are set with some traffic diversions already in place to allow venue setup and give athletes time to familiarize themselves with the course.

The triathlon will dominate the Central–Wan Chai waterfront on Saturday and Sunday. Individual men’s and women’s races will be held on Saturday morning, followed by the mixed relay on Sunday afternoon. Swimming will take place in the waters off Wan Chai, while the cycling segment will run along the waterfront road between the Central Ferris Wheel and Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai. Running — including the finish line — will be staged inside the Central Harbourfront Event Space.

To facilitate the races, the entire waterfront corridor from Central to Wan Chai will undergo phased road closures before and during competition hours.

Yeung noted that unlike previous triathlons, where spectators gathered informally at roadside spots, this year’s event will feature a designated spectator zone inside the Central Harbourfront Event Space. Ticket holders will be able to watch the race on big screens, view the cycling and running segments up close, and witness the finish line moments from just meters away.

Yeung also addressed concerns raised during an earlier test event, where athletes reported multiple sharp turns and incidents of falls or punctured tires.

He acknowledged that the course is “indeed more challenging” due to its number of bends, but stressed that the layout fully meets international standards. Experts from the China Triathlon Sports Association carried out an on-site inspection and gave the course a “100-point” assessment.

Saturday will also see the start of the cross-border marathon at 7am from Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. About two kilometers after the start, runners will cross the Shenzhen Bay Port into Hong Kong, then proceed along highways in New Territories West toward Tuen Mun. 

After a turnaround roughly 10 kilometers along the route, athletes will complete about 21.8 kilometers on the Hong Kong side before re-entering Shenzhen to finish the remaining distance.

To ensure safety and allow course preparations, the Shenzhen Bay Port will undergo temporary closures. Vehicle clearance will be suspended from 2am Saturday, while passenger immigration services will also be halted.

The port is expected to gradually resume normal operations after 11am, once both Hong Kong and Shenzhen have completed course clearance near the border area.