Organisers say the Hong Kong Marathon, originally slated to take place on November 20, has been cancelled.

The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates said they made the decision because they’ve so far not heard from the government as to whether the event will be approved.

The association said it had no choice but to cancel this year’s marathon as there would not be sufficient time for runners and stakeholders to make the necessary preparations.

It thanked people for their support, adding it hopes the mega event can be brought back as soon as possible.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung, for his part, said he was informed of the cancellation on Friday evening, and has asked his colleagues to see what they can do to help.

The minister said after receiving the request from organisers last week, the government has worked hard on vetting the application, which involves different departments.

"Recently, we have approved some competitions and activities one after the other, which reflects that the government also hopes to hold more competitions for the public to take part in, without affecting the pandemic situation and maintaining anti-epidemic measures," Yeung added.

Separately, Oxfam Hong Kong announced it will once again hold its Trailwalker race online between November 28 and December 18.

It is the fourth straight year that Oxfam has not been able to hold in-person races.

"Oxfam Hong Kong has received written notice from the government. Although, we have already reduced the event size to 400 teams (1,600 participants), the government believes that there remains a large number of people involved in the event. And with the prolonged duration of the event, participants will need to take off their masks to consume food and beverages," the group wrote in a statement.

It added further details about the event will be announced next week.
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Last updated: 2022-09-16 HKT 21:43