STANDARD CHARTERED
HONG KONG
MARATHON
February 2019
SCHKM, or simply HK Marathon, is one of the goal races in Asia. It’s like you have to race here if you even plan to race internationally in Asia. So, I planned ahead and booked a flight and a guesthouse only to realize that I have forgotten one very important thing: this is a lottery race. You need to be selected in order to race. I slightly panicked and waited for the registration day and prayed to the heavens that I get selected; otherwise I will spend my vacation in Hong Kong Disneyland. I patiently waited until the results would come out and lo and behold, God has been gracious enough to let me join this race.
I have weeks left to prepare and burn the holiday fats. Last time I was in Hong Kong, they have just been returned back to China from the British. I spent a lot of my free time watching documentaries about Hong Kong and its current state so I would at least know what to expect.
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I heard immigration in Hong Kong is quite strict, especially since I am a solo traveller, so I prepared for the worst by making double print-outs of everything—my passport, my race confirmation and booking accommodation. True enough, they were strict, until I showed them that I am a registered runner for the HK Marathon and I specifically remember the mouth of the immigration official opening wide when she read it and she just let me pass. She might have mistaken me as an invited international athlete but I’m just grateful to have passed that part!
Later on, I got to ride a bus which would go straight to Jordan road where I would be staying. Apparently to ride a train to and from the airport you would need a special ticket (Airport Express) and not the regular Octopus card, which is a little more costly. I chose Jordan road since this is walking distance to the start of the race which is in Nathan road.
I picked up my race kit in the race village in Victoria Park where the finish line would also be. I arrived extra early and there were already a lot of runners waiting for the opening, all of us from different countries. What a beautiful race village it was! More than receiving my bib and singlet I was able to also go around the area and just take a lot of photos. You could really feel the excitement and just how much importance they give to this race.
For the first time in a long time, I was racing at 8 am. I have been so used to racing at 4 or 5 am that I was able to get more than enough sleep for this race, and I was staying 5 minutes from the starting line. I have also been so used to running in hot and humid weather that racing in colder temperatures became challenging for me, not to mention it was also raining that time. So far in this race have I seen some of the most competitive runners since in my previous overseas races a lot have been running for leisure. I saw how runners scolded fellow runners who stopped to take photos along the road. The view was scenic with a lot of ups and downs. Crossing the finish line will make you feel like a winner all on your own. The shots from Marathon Photos were so good that for the first time I purchased race photos.
Everyone in Hong Kong has been incredibly nice (as opposed to the last time I went here where street vendors send you away if you can’t speak their local dialect) and authentic local cuisine was amazing. There were of course the usual destinations like Ngong Ping, One Dim Sum (I’d say this is a destination), Ocean Park, Mong Kok, Sneaker Street, Hong Kong Observatory, Star Ferry, all the possible Michelin-star restaurants and even Tai Po Market. Transportation through train is manageable and the signs are in Chinese characters and English, while voice prompts are in Mandarin, Cantonese and English. I was extremely lucky to have a friend who is a Hong Kong local and she guided me throughout the trip.
Maybe next time when I go back, I could plan that itinerary to Hong Kong Disneyland.
