FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hong Kong Marathon Sunday
The 19th edition of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon will take
place early Sunday morning, with Rehima Kedir of Ethiopia defending the
title she won last year; and in the absence through injury of her
colleague, the 2014 men's champion Feyera Gemeda, that race promises to be
closely competitive, with ten sub-2.10 men in contention for the $65,000
first prize.
Word from the various training camps indicates that the recent Ethiopian
grip on the Hong Kong titles is likely to continue via Wosen Zeleke, Girma
Assefa and Solomon Tsige, with leading Kenyan rival being Felix Keny, with
his compatriot William Chebor as outsider. Similarly, in the women's race,
Kedir is likely to be challenged by her training partners, Selomie Getnet
and Afera Godefay.
Keny is the fastest man in the field, with three sub-2.08s to his credit,
and a best of 2.07.14, from his win in Valencia, Spain in 2013. But Girma
Assefa is reckoned to have made an impressive comeback in training, and is
reputedly back to something like his best form of three years ago, when he
clocked 2.07.43 in Paris. Chebor has two course records to his name, which
also indicates a winner. But the man for the special occasion is Siraj who,
when he won the Rome Marathon in 2010, took off his shoes and padded
barefoot across the line in honour of his compatriot, Abebe Bikila, who
opened the African floodgates 50 years earlier, when winning the 1960
Olympic title in the Eternal City.
Women's marathoning has a more recent history, but no less impressive for
the strides the practitioners have made in the last three decades, since it
became commonplace. Paula Radcliffe's world record, of 2.15.25 is less than
ten seconds slower than Abebe's winning time in Rome. Like last year, Kedir
isn't the fastest woman in the field, but having paid her own way here in
2014, she made an astute investment, which paid off handsomely, when she
took home $65,000. Along with colleagues, Godefay and Getnet, Beatrice
Toroitich of Kenya should also be in the mix, as should two north Koreans
(see below).
Concurrent to the main event, the 15th Asian Championships will be held in
Hong Kong for the fourth time, with contestants also competing for the open
prizes. Previous Asian title winner here, in 2013, the Mongolian, Ser-od
Bat-Ochir is missing this year, though his compatriot, Olanbayar Chamsran
should be in contention for a medal. Outstanding favourite, however is Pak
Chol, from the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea, who has run
2.12.41, albeit a half dozen years ago. Equally, his two colleagues in the
women's race, Kim Mi Gyong and Kim Hye Gyong, with 2.26.32 and 2.27.04
respectively are over ten minutes faster than any of the other contenders
for the Asian title. Incidentally, despite the same family name, the north
Korean women are not related, though Hye Gyong does have a running twin
sister, not competing here, named Kim Hye Song.
Overall event entries, including the half-marathon, 10k, and relays top
74,000 this year, with close to 15,000 in the marathon. After a relatively
modest temperature last year, this year's race, beginning at 06.00 local
time, is expected to begin with the mercury at around 15/16C, rising
towards low 20s by the elite finish, between 08.10 and 08.35.
The Marathon was inaugurated in 1997, as a cross-border run (between Hong
Kong and mainland China), to celebrate the return of sovereignty from the
UK. Hong Kong is one of several regions in China designated as a Special
Administrative Region (SAR). Recent differences between local activists and
central government in Beijing resulted in lengthy disturbances before the
end of the old year.
However, student leaders have given assurances that there will be no
disruptions to the Marathon in the wake of the 'Occupy' movement. But,
apparently hundreds of people have pledged to run with yellow umbrellas,
which became the symbol of the movement. Organizing committee chairman,
William Ko advised, "Actually, running with an umbrella is a really tough
task. I suggest they could express their opinions in other places.
further info: +852 5224 6027
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