There might be limitations in featuring waterfront promenades as part of the route for the annual Hong Kong Marathon, sports minister Rosanna Law said on Wednesday, while a study on the event's future development is expected to be done in a few months.

The Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates has been tasked with looking into the feasibility of expanding the marathon's scale, after this year's race where around 120,000 people signed up for the 74,000 slots available.

The secretary for culture, sports and tourism told a Legislative Council meeting that the association would submit concrete proposals "within a few months", with government officials providing feedback and assistance.

Lawmaker Kitson Yang said it is important to update the course of the "extremely challenging" marathon held in Hong Kong, reduce long, steep slopes along the route, and instead have competitors run along Victoria Harbour.

Law, in response, pointed out that there are many factors to consider and said: "The advantage of a waterfront boardwalk is that it is very flat, and there isn't too many traffic lights or intersections. But its problem is that the path is narrower.

"If we use such boardwalks or promenades as part of the route, the number of participants may have to be much less."

Tourism sector lawmaker Vivian Kong said officials could consider merging the sporting event with gastronomy, to encourage participants to stay longer in Hong Kong and boost spending.

To that, the minister said the government is open to the idea, which she noted would cater towards leisure runners.

"For example, there is a red wine marathon in France's Bordeaux. Of course, it is impossible for professional, high-calibre runners to drink red wine when they are looking to beat their personal best in a marathon," Law said.

"But for other runners, who may be taking five, six hours, or even more time to finish the race, this can be enjoyable for them."