Hong Kong marathon runners urged to keep warm before, during race

Hong Kong’s marathon runners should dress to protect themselves from the cold and do a long warm-up before the start of the race on Sunday, the Hospital Authority has urged, as the city’s observatory forecast a chilly weekend with the possible appearance of ice in certain areas.

The Hong Kong Observatory said the temperature could drop to 13 degrees Celsius (55 Fahrenheit) on Friday evening, further dipping to 11 degrees on Saturday morning and 9 to 10 degrees on Sunday morning, when the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon takes place.

“Participants should pay attention to keeping their hands and heads warm ahead of the race. They should also stay hydrated,” Dr Larry Lee Lap-yip, chief manager at the Hospital Authority, told a radio programme on Friday.

He highlighted the importance of a long warm-up, adding that “while runners are very experienced, they should not neglect to [take measures to] keep warm even if the body [naturally] warms up while they are working out”.

Hon Kai-kwong, a senior scientific officer at the Observatory, said that if the temperature on Sunday met the forecast of 9 to 10 degrees, it would be the coldest day the city had so far experienced this winter.

“Winds could be fairly strong, too, so wind chill will be more pronounced with our bodies feeling a lower temperature than it actually is,” he said.