Painful end for some 250 in Streetathon

Around 250 runners were injured in the Hong Kong Streetathon yesterday as over 15,000 braved the chilly weather, some wearing cosplay costumes for the popular event that returned after a two-year hiatus.

The half-marathon (21 kilometers) started at 4.45am and the marathon (42km) at 5am at East Coast Park Precinct near Island Eastern Corridor.

Runners passed through the Eastern Harbor Tunnel before reaching the finish line in To Kwa Wan.

A 10-kilometer race started at 9.30am from Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel. It passed through Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Link and finished at Kwun Tong Hoi Bun Road.

Andes Leung Pak-hang, chief executive and co-founder of organizer RunOurCity, said some 3,000 people ran in the marathon, while there were more than 4,000 in the half-marathon and 8,000 in the 10km race.

Many runners were injured, including three women and two men requiring hospitalization, he said.

"Most of the injured individuals suffered minor abrasions from falling in their haste to cross the finish line," Leung said. "The most severe injury involved a female participant who sustained a right hand fracture near the 10km finish line."

Some participants complained the route signs were unclear, making them ask race officials for directions frequently, but some officials gave incorrect directions.

Leung said it may have been due to a lack of manpower to install proper signage.

"We will plan to improve the situation in the future and apologize to the 30 to 50 runners who mistakenly took the half-marathon route," he said.

One of the runners dressed up as Spiderman, while others wore Christmas costumes.

Many said their costumes actually helped keep them warm. The observatory recorded a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius at Kwun Tong yesterday morning.

A university student named Lau finished first in the half-marathon. He said the weather was suitable for long-distance running.

At the opening ceremony, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the government will continue to work with various sectors to enhance the popularization of sports and promote mass participation, which will help transform Hong Kong into a more vibrant cosmopolitan city.

Meanwhile, four male runners at a Taipei marathon were hospitalized, with three suffering from a cardiac arrest while another had a stroke.

All four, aged between 26 and 50, were rushed to hospital, with their condition improving after treatment.

The Taipei Marathon started at 6.30am with the temperature at 11 degrees Celsius, with nearly 30,000 participants, making it the largest event in its history.

marcus.lum@singtaonewscorp.com