PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONHK / RACE GUIDE

Hong Kong Marathon

Name: 74,000 take part in Hong Kong marathon
Uploaded: 2025-02-09
Description: This is Hong Kong’s flagship international marathon. The date shown is based on the next edition confirmed by AIMS. The official website is still listing the January 2026 edition, so check the offici

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Hong Kong
HK

Tom@HK · CC BY 2.0Wikimedia Commons · Ceeseven, CC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons · LN9267, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · LN9267, CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 93 days: Jan 17, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Hong Kong · 42.195km
Entry fee: $90Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Jan 17, 2027 · Entry Sep 11, 2026 ~ Sep 20, 2026

2026

2026Date Jan 18, 2026 · Entry Sep 8, 2025 ~ Sep 17, 2025

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Oct 16, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This is Hong Kong’s flagship international marathon.

The date shown is based on the next edition confirmed by AIMS.

The official website is still listing the January 2026 edition, so check the official page carefully to confirm the edition before registering.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

#January Marathon#HongKong#HongKongHalfMarathon#StandardCharteredHongKongMarathon#World certified marathon#Full marathon Marathon#Overseas Marathon

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 4

Puzzleheaded_Sea7061Ran in 2025

“Had zero expectations and background about the event, but ended up really enjoying myself and hoping to join again one day.”

Puzzleheaded_Sea7061 ran the 2025 Hong Kong Marathon 10km as their first race abroad. They went into detail on kit pickup, the expo, early-morning transit, the climbs on the course and the timing app, and said they'd love to come back.

Read the original on Reddit

oneul travelerRan in 2025

“I participated in the 2025 Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon and ran for myself!”

oneul traveler ran the 2025 Hong Kong Marathon and made a video covering bib pickup, Hong Kong Expo, race-day course conditions and thoughts on finishing.

Read the original on YouTube

therunnerbeans.comRan in 2024

“The route itself was thankfully less hilly than I was anticipating.”

A Hong Kong half marathon runner described the MTR trip and how tough the Western Harbour Crossing felt.

Read the original on therunnerbeans.com

RedditRan in 2021 · Finish time 3:00:21

“No other word more accurately describes what I felt when I crossed the line in 3:00:21.”

In hot, humid October Hong Kong, they pushed their pace in the closing stages and set a personal best, but fell 21 seconds short of their sub-3 goal and felt deeply disappointed.

Read the original on Reddit

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

2026 Full recap

HKAAA · Full recap

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Lottery entry has closed

It ran Sep 11, 2026–Sep 20, 2026.
Check separately whether other entry routes are open and spots remain.

Registration history · The 2027 race opened entry on Fri, September 11, 2026

Lottery

Entry cost TBD

Standard entries for the 2027 Hong Kong Marathon are allocated through an open lottery organized by the event organizer.

You must have been born in 2007 or earlier and have a recorded finish in a race of 10 km or longer held between January 2025 and August 2026.

The open-lottery application period ran from September 11 to 20, 2026.

Organizer's page

First come, first served

Entry cost TBD

The 2027 Hong Kong Marathon offers a first-come, first-served package combining accommodation at an official designated hotel, dinner and race entry.

The package announced by the organizer is limited to 300 packages and includes accommodation and meals.

Its price differs from the standard entry fee, and it cannot be canceled after payment.

Organizer's page

Charity

Entry cost TBD

The 2027 Hong Kong Marathon offers an entry route through organizations allocated places in the official charity program.

You must check the charity’s fundraising and application requirements directly.

The charity runner registration deadline shown in the organizer’s schedule is November 6, 2026.

Organizer's page

Groups

Entry cost TBD

The 2027 Hong Kong Marathon accepts team applications for the open lottery separately from individual lottery applications.

Team lottery applications were also accepted from September 11 to 20, 2026.

Check each participant’s marathon age and finish-time requirements.

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 06:00

Time limit6 hours

Event	Start	Time limit
Marathon42.195km	06:00	6h

Marathon · Gather: Suggested arrival time at Tsim Sha Tsui 04:50 / 05:15 / 05:40 (Marathon Challenge · Run 1 · Run 2 respectively). Baggage check-in hours are 04:50~05:35 / 05:15~06:00 / 05:40~06:25

Hong Kong residents HKD 600 · non-Hong Kong residents USD 90

START

Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Finish · Google Maps

Cutoff
Start line Cut-off Start Time 06:10 / 06:35 / 07:00 (group) · Point 1 Junction of Cherry Street and Lin Cheung Road 07:25 (35 minutes) · Point 2 Turning Point 4, Tsing Long Highway 09:30 (2 hours 40 minutes) · Point 3 Tsing Kwai Highway, near Exit 4 (half marathon turnaround point) 10:50 (4 hours) · Point 4 Western Harbor Crossing Toll Plaza 11:25 (4 hours 35 minutes) · Point 5 Connaught Road West Flyover 12:00 (5 hours 10 minutes) · Point 6 Junction of Hung Hing Road and Marsh Road 12:40 (5 hours 50 minutes) · full marathon End Victoria Park 12:50 (6 hours)

Original course map · resources.hkmarathon.com

Runners start · local time — Marathon Challenge (Senior/Master 1~8) 06:00 · Marathon Run 1 06:25 · Marathon Run 2 06:50

The marathon course starts on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, crosses Stonecutters Bridge and Ting Kau Bridge in succession,

then passes through Cheung Tsing Tunnel and the Western Harbour Tunnel before finishing at Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island.

The first race, in 1997, used a course from Sheung Shui through Huanggang to Shenzhen.

Tsing Ma Bridge was added to the course in 1998 but dropped in 2017 after complaints from drivers.

Around 70,000 people enter each year across the full marathon, half marathon and 10 km, and the event is designated a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.

It takes place every January or February and is generally considered slower than other major marathons because of the high humidity and challenging course.

The course records were both set in 2019.

Kenya's Barnabas Kiptum ran 2 hours 9 minutes 20 seconds in the men's race,

while Belarus's Volha Mazuronak ran 2 hours 26 minutes 13 seconds in the women's race.

The event has also served as the Asian Marathon Championships five times, in 2002, 2008, 2013, 2015 and 2024.

World Athletics Label: Gold Label
AIMS Certified: Member race of the AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races)
Typical race-season temperature: around 16°C (61°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Marathon

Finisher medal

Marathon

Finisher certificate

Marathon

Race expo

10K · Marathon · Half

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Based on the 2026 edition – 1/17 Sat

Pick up your bib at the expo

Show the QR code in the Runner's Pack Collection Email sent before the race to collect your pack (per the 2026 edition: sent from 12/17, also downloadable from the Runner Dashboard).
Pickup is by reserved time slot.
Proxy pickup and race-day pickup have not been officially confirmed.
pickup during the Marathon Expo

Kai Tak Arena

啟德體藝館, inside Kai Tak Sports Park · 38 Shing Kai Road, Kai Tak, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Google Maps Directions

Based on the 2026 edition — 1/14 (Wed)–1/16 (Fri): 15:00–21:00
1/17 Sat: 9:00–16:00

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Jan 17, 2026

Shakeout run

A relaxed group run to loosen up before race day. No pace pressure — everyone's welcome.
Based on the 2026 race. This year's schedule is usually announced 1–3 weeks before race day.

Shake Out Run (Pre-Hong Kong Marathon 2026)

She Runs Collective / Onside Sports Group

When: Sat, January 17, 2026 08:30
Where: Happy Valley Recreation Ground, check-in desk behind Pitch 2, Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Entry fee: Free
How to join: RSVP required

Sign-up & details Google Maps

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startTsim Sha Tsui
Transit cardGet the Octopus Card — cash-only, about HK$39, and it works across the entire network (MTR, buses, trams, ferries), unlike bank-card tap-in which only covers the MTR. Where to buy
Getting to the finishCauseway Bay · Tin Hau MTR Station

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 · Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Tsim Sha Tsui / East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station

Start line on Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Exit of Tsim Sha Tsui/East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station feeds directly into start-area walking routes toward Baggage Check Station and Baggage Deposit Area.

MTR runs special early trains on race morning: first trains depart 03:25-04:08 depending on line, arriving Tsim Sha Tsui ~04:20-04:36; every 8-15 min until normal service resumes after 06:00. Large-scale road closures: phased closure/diversion starting 23:30 the night before Race Day across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories.

No parking at Start Area, along course, or Finish Area except official vehicles. Details are from the 2026 edition Important Notice (Race Day 18 Jan 2026); the 2027 edition (17 Jan 2027) Important Notice not yet published.

Start/finish venues and station names are historically stable year to year, but exact schedules/cut-off times/closure start time should be reconfirmed closer to 2027 race day.

Map

Getting to the finish

Causeway Bay / Tin Hau MTR Station

Finish line at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. Exit of Causeway Bay/Tin Hau MTR Station near Meeting Point (Causeway Bay Sports Ground) adjacent to finish/baggage-collection area.

Public may enter Cheering Zone at Victoria Park via Gate 4 only; Gates 15/16/17 closed to public during race.

Map

Start shuttle

12 special early bus routes plus overnight bus routes running to Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) before the race for participants. Official buses transport participants who miss course cut-off points to the Finish Area at Victoria Park.

Transit card

Octopus Card

At Hong Kong International Airport: MTR Customer Service Centres in the arrivals hall, counters by the Airport Express platforms, 24/7 self-service vending machines, or the 7-Eleven in the Arrivals hall. Also available at almost any MTR station and convenience stores citywide.

Works directly at the gates Alternative: MTR Tourist Day Pass USD 9.60 (approx.

HK$75) — Only worth it if you're packing in 5+ MTR-only rides in a single day, since it excludes Airport Express, Light Rail first class, and doesn't cover buses/trams/ferries the way Octopus does. Airport/MTR counters sell the Octopus card for HKD cash only, so have Hong Kong dollars ready.

The 'Tourist' Octopus starts from HK$39 with no refundable deposit. Foreign Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay contactless cards can tap directly at designated light-blue 'Contactless Payment' gates for MTR and Airport Express rides — but only at adult fares, and it doesn't cover Light Rail, MTR buses, or High Speed Rail.

Octopus, by contrast, works across the whole system: MTR, Airport Express, buses, minibuses, taxis, the street tram, Star Ferry, and outlying-island ferries.

Where to buy

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

At the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, the full marathon and half marathon start on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui,

Kowloon, while the 10 km starts separately on the Island Eastern Corridor.

The full marathon starts in waves: Challenge at 6:00 a.m., Run 1 at 6:25 a.m. and Run 2 at 6:50 a.m.

The time limit varies by event: 6 hours for the full marathon, 2 hours 15 minutes for the half marathon and 2 hours for the 10 km.

Runners in the full marathon, half marathon and wheelchair events must be in the start area 10 minutes before their start,

and 10 km and 10 km wheelchair runners 30 minutes before.

The full marathon is capped at 18,000 runners.

Times are local to Hong Kong. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Mandarin Guest House

Hotel · 33m

6.8/10(335)

View on Booking.com

An Yueet Health Spa & Massage (Central/Mong Kok/Tsuen Wan/Causeway Bay Locations)

$52

Hong Kong Marathon

About Hong Kong Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run