Northern Territories Marathon draws 15,000 runners in Hong Kong
About 15,000 runners took part in the Northern Territories Marathon on 1 November, with full, half, 10km and 1,600m races. Officials started the full marathon at 6:30 am. Runners cited high humidity and looked forward to trying new routes including Lung Shan Tunnel and Fanling Bypass.
About 15,000 runners participated in the Northern Territories Marathon, organised by the New Territories Heung Yee Kuk, on 1 November. The event featured full marathon, half marathon, 10km and 1,600m races.
The full marathon started at 6:30 am from the New Territories Heung Yee Kuk building, with the starting gun fired by Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Tse Ma and Heung Yee Kuk chairman Lau Yat-keung.
One runner said the day's temperature and humidity were relatively high and not ideal for a marathon, so he would not try to break his personal best. Another runner said he hoped to experience the Lung Shan Tunnel section of the route, and would drink water regularly and adjust his pace according to his physical condition.
A runner aiming to finish within 4 hours 45 minutes said he wanted to experience the new route in the Northern Territories but was concerned about uphill sections later in the race. He said he had practised running uphill beforehand and might switch to short, quick steps if his condition worsened.
The full marathon route started at the New Territories Heung Yee Kuk in Shek Mun, Sha Tin, and passed through Sha Tin, Tai Po's Yuen Chau Tsai and Lam Tsuen River, Lung Shan Tunnel, Tin Ping Estate area, before finishing on the Fanling Bypass, which was opened to a running event for the first time. The half marathon ran from Hong Kong Science Park to Fanling Bypass.
