Officials said the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday morning proceeded smoothly, but a review will still go ahead for to identify areas of improvement for the upcoming National Games later this year.

The cross-boundary race which began and ended in Shenzhen while passing through Hong Kong also served as a test event for the 15th National Games marathon later this year.

Thirty-eight athletes from various provinces and cities participated, including three male and three female runners from Hong Kong.

Zhao Chaochuan, from Yunnan, won the men's race in two hours, 17 minutes and 15 seconds.

The SAR's Wan Cheuk-hei was the first man from the SAR to cross the line, clocking a time of of two hours and 33 minutes for eighth overall. He described the whole experience as special.

"No matter if we were running against the wind or there were many slopes, it was still a very special route. We are fortunate to be running it for the first time. We don't know for sure if this will be the exact path for the Games, but I thought the arrangements were ideal," he said.

On the women's side, Guangzhou's Chen Liqin clinched gold in two hours, 44 minutes and 44 seconds. The SAR's Leanne Szeto, at some two minutes behind, also finished on the podium with a bronze.

"There have been marathon events for three consecutive weeks, with this race being the third one, so my feet are starting to get tired. I also feel a bit mentally fatigued from running. I was a little dizzy earlier, but overall it went smoothly. I didn't push myself too hard," Szeto said.

Yeung Tak-keung, head of the SAR's National Games Coordination Office, said the test event ran smoothly and gave Hong Kong marshals valuable experience.

He noted that officials would conduct a review into all aspects of the race ahead of the Games later this November.

"We will consult with the athletes, coaches and other experts to see which aspects of the race needs to be optimised or adjusted. However, we can see that the track's width, curves and incline on the Hong Kong course is suitable for the event. Nonetheless, this will need further review later on," he said.

Around half of the cross-boundary marathon took place on Hong Kong's roads. Starting at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, runners entered the SAR via the Shenzhen Bay Port, before traversing the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and Kong Sham Western Highway viaduct, and returning via the same route.