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Elizabeth Cheung

Four runners who were ­disqualified in Hong Kong’s annual marathon on Sunday did not intentionally swap their bibs and it was their manager’s ­“incorrect distribution”, the event organiser has said, even though offers for buying the number tags were available online.
The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates said on Monday evening that it had looked into the circumstances behind the disqualification of four mainland Chinese runners whose bibs did not match their identities.
“The four involved runners, who were managed by the same manager, did not engage in intentional bib swapping,” the organiser of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon said.
“The incident was caused by the relevant manager’s incorrect distribution of bibs to the runners, which led to the four individual runners wearing bibs that did not belong to them.”
The association reminded participants to thoroughly check that the names on their bibs were correct before competing in the event.
Two of the disqualified runners had finished first and second in the half-marathon race.
Earlier in the day, a lawmaker and expert had called for identity checks to be stepped up at the sports event.
“The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates in the future should verify the identity of winning runners, who receive prize money, before they get on stage,” lawmaker Benson Luk Hon-man said.
He told a radio show that the identity checks could “help improve the credibility of the association’s Hong Kong Marathon and the public’s trust in the event”.

Luk, who also took part in the race, said identity checks were conducted when runners picked up their packs a few days before the event.
But he said it was not possible to verify whether the race bibs belonged to the right person on the day of the event given the large number of participants.
About 74,000 runners joined the event’s four race categories – the full marathon, the half-marathon, the 10km (6.2-mile) run and the wheelchair edition.
Luk said names were printed on each bib and it was the responsibility of runners to check whether they were wearing the right one.
Professor Patrick Lau Wing-chung, the chair of Baptist University’s department of sport, physical education and health, said athletes would need to be held responsible.
Lau said there were a number of cases on the mainland involving participants who had cheated by hiring runners to compete in races on their behalf.
The Post checked a popular mainland social media platform on Monday and found a user had published a notice on the day of the race asking to pay for a bib in the half-marathon.
The social media user did not state the purpose of acquiring the bib.
Another platform featured posts of runners who were offering to take part in running events on behalf of others.
One user offered to run in races to help clients qualify for the full marathon.
“I help you preserve energy to prevent you from getting injured, so you can perform better during the race,” the user’s post said.


Multiple posts offered services to help runners maintain records on their fitness apps.
Lau said the disqualified runners should also be barred from taking part in races for a few more years.
He said the practice of hiring a runner was sometimes used by internet celebrities who wanted to boost their popularity through an impressive race performance.
“We need to stop this crazy and public practice of hiring someone to run on your behalf … we need to stop this kind of trade, starting with the Hong Kong Marathon,” Lau said on the same programme.
He also urged the association to strictly enforce rules and standards set by the global athletics governing body.
“The organiser will need to make a solemn statement that all behaviour violating the rules, whether intentional or not, will lead to disqualification. They should also be clear about what the penalties will be,” Lau said.
Lau added that he believed facial recognition technology should be able to verify the identity of runners.
Lawmaker Luk said Shanghai’s marathon had already started using the technology to check identities before bibs were issued.
“The bib is issued only if my face, the number on the bib and my name match,” he said.


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Mix-up at Hong Kong Marathon caused by runners’ manager giving out wrong bibs

About 74,000 runners joined the event’s four race categories this year. Photo: Robert Ng

A screenshot of a social media post in which a user asks to buy a bib for the half-marathon. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong’s Chow Yun-fat revels in half-marathon, finishes in under 2½ hours

Chow Yun-fat at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon finish line. Photo: Edmond So

Film star Chow Yun-fat posing with other runners. Photo: Edmond So

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

Runners on the Island Eastern Corridor during last year’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong authorities have urged participants of Sunday’s marathon to do a long warm-up ahead of the race and dress to protect themselves from the cold. Photo: Dickson Lee

Runners in Sunday’s marathon may face coldest day so far this winter in Hong Kong

Runners take part in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon last year. Photo: Elson Li

Pedestrians in Sheung Shui in warm clothing earlier this week, when temperatures dipped to 13 degrees Celsius. Photo: Eugene Lee

News

Hong Kong

Society

‘The four involved runners, who were managed by the same manager, did not engage in intentional bib swapping,’ event organiser says


‘The four involved runners, who were managed by the same manager, did not engage in intentional bib swapping,’ event organiser says.


Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon

Hong Kong sports