'Race For Water' charity trail run abruptly cancelled with no reason given

Local charity organization, A Drop of Life (ADOL), announced early Sunday morning the cancellation of its annual "Race For Water" charity trail race scheduled for March 22, without providing a specific reason. 

In a social media post, the organizer stated that the decision came after "careful consideration”.  It is confirmed that all registration fees and donations will be fully refunded, with participants to be notified shortly. 

The organization also apologized to the public for any inconvenience caused and expressed sincere gratitude to its supporters. 

Concluding the post, they stressed that ADOL is a local registered NGO and that all funds raised through its activities are utilized for charitable purposes.

The race, first held in 2013, requires participants to carry 4.5 or 5 liters of water while completing the trail courses on Hong Kong Island, symbolizing the daily struggle of villagers who must travel long distances for clean water in Cambodia and Nepal.

After a hiatus due to the pandemic, the race resumed in 2023, attracting over a thousand runners and raising more than HK$910,000. 

The sudden announcement has left many participants shocked, with some sharing confusion as they had only received their race packs the day before the cancellation.