2008-01-24
Elite Runners and Cheering Team Trial Run in Causeway Bay
Are You Ready for Standard Chartered Marathon 2008?

24 January 2008, Hong Kong - Countdown to the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon2008! 50,000 entrants are training hard to get ready for the big day, including the Standard Chartered Greatest Race On Earth Hong Kong Team runners Choi Tat Ming and Wong Siu Ping. They joined several Standard Chartered staff runners and Commercial Radio DJs to site recce and trial run on the new route. Mr William Ko, Chairman of Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon Organizing Committee, guided media to tour around the 10km Race route on the Island Eastern Corridor aboard an open top bus with Choi and Wong analysing and sharing their viewpoints from a runner's perspective.

Choi Tat Ming suggested, "The new 10km route is wide and flat with great road surface condition on the Island Eastern Corridor. Compared to the previous route, the elevation is significantly improved and we can expect many runners can achieve better results if the weather condition is good on the race day."

Two experienced runners then joined Commercial Radio DJs and Standard Chartered staff runners in the crowded Causeway Bay to trial run the final section of the marathon race course. They swept through East Point Road and Great George Street towards Victoria Park while the cheering teams were rehearsing themselves for the runners at the cheering spots including Laforet, Causeway Place and Windsor House to get ready for the Sunday extravaganza on 17 February.

With this year's Marathon ending in Causeway Bay, more spectators can gather along the race course to watch the high level competition and experience the exciting and cheerful atmosphere. Mr Kwan Kee, Senior Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association, encouraged more cheering teams to join and arouse better ambience and show their support to this annual spectacular event.

Mr Benjamin Hung, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd, said, "In less than one month, the Standard Chartered Marathon has started to countdown, and the community is getting ready. This proves Standard Chartered has achieved the sponsorship objective to promote a healthy lifestyle in Hong Kong."

To further encourage community participation in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, the Bank has launched recently a promotional campaign including a TV commercial, bus body and outdoor advertisement cast by Bank staff.

The Standard Chartered Marathon 2008 will be held on Sunday, 17 February in conjunction with the 11th Asian Marathon Championships, showcasing the international profile and recognition of the Hong Kong Marathon. With the new race course on the Hong Kong Island, the event will be supported by huge crowds cheering thousands of runners completing the distance in Victoria Park.