Elite female runners to be lured to break 10km world record on new Hong Kong airport runway
The race on the new tarmac will be held in November, with organisers hoping to attract 12,000 runners, including 50 of the world’s top women
Hong Kong will invite some of the best female runners to attempt to break the 10km world record in a race held on the city airport’s new runway, organisers announced on Tuesday.
The race – officially known as the Hong Kong International Airport/Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon: Three-Runway System 10km International Race – will take place on November 17 on the centre runway, which is expected to open at the end of the year.
Officials hope more than 12,000 runners will take part, with 50 spots reserved for the women’s elite challenge, where athletes will attempt to break the female-only world record of 30 minutes and one second, set by Kenya’s Agnes Tirop in 2021, five weeks before she was murdered at home.
“We have big aspirations this time. We want to leverage the advantage of the runway being a flat running track. Our aspiration is to achieve a women’s 10,000 world record. This is a rare opportunity,” said Kwan Kee, the chairman of the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA).
“We are trying our best efforts to invite international elite woman runners to take part in the run. Through our agents, we have reached out to four elite runners who are among the top 10.”
Speaking at a press conference at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) announcing the event, the body’s executive director Dennis Ng Yu-ho declined to take questions about why his organisation had not produced any top runners in the past 20 years, after he mentioned bringing the best to the city to race.
