The TWGHs “iRun” – The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) Special Marathon 2026 on Sunday (Jan 11) saw a record turnout of over 5,500 runners of varying abilities and their pair-up partners joined to promote social inclusion.
The event this year is supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and took place along the Central and Western District Promenade and Lung Wo Road.
Participants are not only from Hong Kong but also from Beijing, Guangdong Province and Macau. Runners with intellectual disabilities were paired with volunteers in a 3km challenge race, with pre-race training sessions arranged to help pairs get to know each other.
The winning teams will receive sponsorship to participate in marathons outside Hong Kong.
The run also hosted the 1km “iRun for Family”, giving children aged six to 11 with intellectual disabilities and their families the chance to enjoy sporting fun together.
Furthermore, a new “1km iRun Group” was introduced this year to include participants with disabilities such as visual impairment, hearing impairment or those undergoing mental rehabilitation.
About 800 volunteers, including members of the HKJC’s volunteer team, participated as pair-up runners or helpers to share the joy of running.
HKJC Club Steward Philip Lo Kai-wah said iRun provides diverse support to improve participants’ physical health and foster social inclusion, and HKJC has always placed great emphasis on the community’s needs
Organized by TWGHs and supported by the Trust since 2012, iRun aims to give people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy of sports and become more involved with the community.
