Marathon organisers urge runners to monitor their conditions following a death

Organisers of the annual Standard Chartered Marathon have reminded runners to “closely monitor their post-race physical condition and allow themselves recovery after the race.” The warning came after a 30-year-old participant collapsed at Tin Hau MTR station following the race.

There were multiple injuries, according to the Hospital Authority. At 4 pm yesterday, a total of 39 runners had been admitted to hospital, with one death pending investigation and one in critical condition due to heart overload. As of Monday, he is still receiving medical treatment in Ruttonjee Hospital.

The Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited stated their deepest condolences to the family of the deceased athlete and offered assistance as necessary.

“Overexertion, heat stress, dehydration and cardiovascular issues could all be the cause of death in a marathon," said Dr. Hon Sze-sze, Principal Coordinator of Sports Program at Hong Kong Baptist University,

"In order to avoid injuries, we should do foot preparation activities before the race and maintain appropriate fluid intake during the marathon.. If we feel ill, we must stop running  to avoid overexertion,” she added.

The Standard Chartered Marathon kicked off at Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui at 6 am on Sunday. It included a full marathon, a half marathon, and a 10-kilometre challenge.

Kenyan runner Seroi Anderson Saitoti, 31, won the men's overall full marathon with a time of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 50 seconds. Medina Armino, 26, from Ethiopia won the women’s overall full marathon with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes and 47 seconds.

Local athlete Yiu Kit-ching, 35, performed very well with a time of 2 hours 41 minutes and 9 seconds.

Local runner, Wong Kai-lok, 28, said the route of the Standard Chartered Marathon is　mostly mountain roads, which are more rugged than normal marathon routes.

“Going up and down the hill is physically demanding, especially in the Western Harbour Tunnel where there is an uphill climb at about 34 kilometres," he said.

The Asian Marathon Championship was held along the same route on Sunday. It was the first time this race has resumed since the pandemic ended in 2022.

"We see this championship as a show of friendship between different countries in Asia, as this is the first time since the pandemic that we have come together to compete in a marathon," said Dahlan Al Hamad, president of the Asian Athletics Federation.