Humid weather and new inclines to pose special challenge to runners

HONG KONG: A new route and sticky weather will make this Sunday's Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon a grueling test for its 60,000 runners.

Meeting the media Friday, Hong Kong's second ranked male runner Choi Tat-ming said the inclusion of the Stonecutter's Bridge and its steep incline would present a special challenge for runners.

"I've checked out the route by car and I'm concerned there will be a fair amount of wind that runners will have to deal with," he said.

The 36-year-old Hutchison Whampoa draftsman said runners will have to budget their pace and energy in tackling the climb along with the incline out of the Western Cross Harbour Tunnel before heading for the finish line at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

Sunday's weather, expected to be muggy and foggy with rain patches and a high of 25 degrees Celsius, will mean runners will have to drink more water to keep hydrated and cool, Choi said.

On the other hand, pint-sized 21-year-old Indonesian runner Triyaningsih, who broke a South East Asian games record with her gold medal performance in the 10,000-meter run in Laos last year and who is a favorite for the upcoming Asian Games in Guangzhou later this year, said the city's humid weather would not be a barrier for her. She said it was quite similar to her native Java.

Attracting elite athletes from all over Africa and the Pacific Rim, the marathon will also be run by the mainland's Jin Lingling who clinched the bronze at the Xiamen International Marathon on January 2.

Jin started running in 2006 and said she loved pushing the limits of her body - sore limbs, sweat and all.

The daughter of farmers and the only runner in her family of five, she said she started running while pursing a business management degree.

Having run in four major marathons, the 21-year-old Qingdao, Shandong native said marathons are starting to become very popular on the mainland, attributing the growing interest to the effect the 2008 Beijing Olympics held in the nation.

Confessing an ambition to represent the nation at the next Olympics, she said Sunday's humid weather would take a toll on her lungs but added she would be happy to unwind afterwards with some sightseeing and shopping on her first visit to Hong Kong.

A new, higher quota of 60,000 runners has been filled for the 14th Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. The new quota is 10,000 higher than last year's. "We are delighted that running enthusiasts from Hong Kong and around the world have demonstrated their energy and passion by filling our record-breaking quota for entrants so quickly," Standard Chartered Bank Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Benjamin Hung said, adding some 2,000 overseas runners from more than 40 countries and regions had registered.

(HK Edition 02/27/2010 page1)