First Northern Metropolis Marathon Held

The inaugral Northern Metropolis Marathon was held today, drawing around 15,000 participants.

Organiser Heung Yee Kuk hopes the route can be extended into Shenzhen in the future.

The full marathon started at 6:30am at the Heung Yee Kuk Building in Sha Tin.

Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak and Heung Yee Kuk Chairman Kenneth Lau fired the starting gun.

Runners passed the Science Park promenade, enjoyed the sunrise, and turned onto Tolo Highway.

After passing Yuen Chau Tsai Park, they headed north along the Lam Tsuen River.

They ran through the Lung Shan Tunnel and finished at the Fanling Bypass.

It was the first time the bypass served as a marathon route since it opened in May.

One runner found the route challenging due to elevation changes, but said the Northern Metropolis scenery was refreshing.

Another runner noted the winding streets in Fanling and the headwind on the bypass made the race difficult.

The men's full marathon champion was a local resident familiar with the route.

He said he treated the race as practice since he regularly ran in the area.

The half marathon started at Science Park at around 6am, with runners also crossing the finish line at the Fanling Bypass.

The women's half marathon champion said she paced herself well through the undulating second half of the course.

The organiser, Heung Yee Kuk Chairman Kenneth Lau believed future routes could expand to San Tin, the Loop, or even Shenzhen, as current construction in Yuen Long limited this year's path.

Participants received gifts after the race, including a 50 dollar voucher to use at nearby restaurants.