A record 78,000 runners will participate in the main races of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2027 on Jan 17, as the half-marathon quota has been raised by 4,000, with 84,000 people expected to participate.

The Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates announced the marathon details on Friday.

The main race day will feature the full marathon, half-marathon, 10-kilometer race, and 10-km wheelchair race. Alongside a newly introduced harborfront run and an upgraded youth run on Jan 16, 84,000 participants are expected to take part in the two-day event.

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Registration will open in phases, with priority entry for qualified runners, disability entry and the 10-km wheelchair race opening on Friday. The public ballot registration will begin at 2 pm on Sept 11.

The race last year attracted 120,000 applicants. To address the overwhelming demand, the association increased the half-marathon quota by 16 percent to 29,000. Full-marathon and 10-km quotas remain unchanged at 18,000 and 31,000 respectively.

Association Chairman Kwan Kee, who also chairs the marathon’s organizing committee, said the association has been liaising with different stakeholders regarding the event’s scale.

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He said that the historic increase in the half‑marathon quota this year broadens the pathway for runners and writes a new chapter in the marathon development of Hong Kong, as the upgraded scale will further consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international marathon event city, fully leveraging the dual effect of “sports + mega events” to showcase the city’s vitality and strength to the world.

Kwan added that the main race will remain a single‑day event this year, and the possibility of holding it over multiple days will be considered in the future.

In addition, a new entry-level “5km Harbourfront Run” will debut on the day before the main race day, with 3,000 places open to participants of all ages and wheelchair users. The route will start at Kai Tak Sports Park, pass along the Kai Tak Promenade, and finish at Shing Kai Road Garden.

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The quota for the Youth Run on the same day will also be increased by 500 to 3,000, encouraging young people to discover the joy of running and building an active lifestyle.

There will also be a Marathon Expo at Kai Tak Arena from Jan 14-17, featuring Hong Kong cultural experience activities and inviting restaurants to offer exclusive discounts from the Marathon Expo through to race day, with over 100,000 expected visitors.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com