The Northern Metropolis Marathon kicked off on Sunday morning, drawing around 15,000 participants across full marathon, half marathon, 10-kilometer, and 1,600-meter events.
The full marathon started at 6.30am at the Heung Yee Kuk New Territories Building in Sha Tin, with the starting gun fired by Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen and Heung Yee Kuk Chairman Kenneth Lau Ip-keung.
Some runners said that the higher temperature and humidity were less than ideal for a marathon, meaning they would not chase personal bests.
Others expressed excitement about experiencing the Lung Shan Tunnel section, adding that they would stay hydrated and adjust their running pace according to physical conditions.
Another runner aimed to finish the race within four hours and forty-five minutes to experience the new routes in the Northern Metropolis, while expressing concerns about uphill sections in the later stage.
The runner noted that preparation included uphill training, and shorter steps would be adopted if physical condition deteriorated.
The full marathon starts from the Heung Yee Kuk New Territories Building in Shek Mun, Sha Tin, running through Sha Tin, Yuen Chau Tsai and Lam Tsuen River in Tai Po, Lung Shan Tunnel, and Tin Ping Estate, before finishing at Fanling Bypass, which is opened to a running event for the first time.
The half marathon route stretched from the Hong Kong Science Park to the Fanling Bypass.
