Hong Kong Marathon: tough battle expected with 13 overseas invited runners returning to city’s flagship event
- Kenyan’s Julius Kipkorir Tuwei and Philemon Kiptoo Kipchumba both have personal bests below 2 hours 10 minutes
- Hong Kong record holder Gi Ka-man aims to become fastest home finisher, but faces challenge from Wong Wan-chun, Ngai Kang and Chow Hon-nip
Reigning champion Wong Kai-lok expects tough battle in the bid to replace him as Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon champion, with 13 overseas runners in Sunday’s field.
With his sights set on the Tokyo Marathon in three weeks, Wong has opted to run in the half-marathon on Sunday, leaving his title up for grabs.
Among the challengers to Wong’s crown are Kenyan pair Julius Kipkorir Tuwei and Philemon Kiptoo Kipchumba, both of whom have personal bests under 2 hours and 10 minutes, some 20 minutes faster than Wong’s winning time of 2:31:10 in 2021.
“The Hong Kong course is very challenging with lot of uphill and downhill routes and coupled with the demanding weather for long distance running, the result is difficult to predict,” Wong said.
“The return of overseas invited runners will make the event more attractive as these runners are very fast and they will dominate the race, leaving little chance for local runners.”
In total six ‘gold’ status athletes, two men and four women, have been invited to the city’s flagship athletic event, and Kwan Kee, Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates chairman, said it had been difficult to get a full field.
