The China Coast Marathon and the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon are two entirely different marathons held in Hong Kong.
The China Coast Marathon is the much smaller but better known marathon race amongst seasoned runners. Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon is the newcomer which is now the biggest annual sports event in Hong Kong, thanks to the paid publicity and 12 years of constant growth. The two marathons are entirely different in various ways.
The China Coast Marathon
The China Coast Marathon was first held in 1981 and is approaching its thirtieth anniversary. The first race was won by the famous distance runner Ron Hill. After his somewhat slow (2 hours 34 minutes and 35 seconds) victory, Hill described the race as the toughest marathon he had run.
The course has been set in the challenging hills of the Sai Kung Country Park. The hilly course together with the high humidity of the Hong Kong spring makes it a demanding and grilling race. Nonetheless, the superb scenery of the coast line, the constant friendly cheers of the local organizers and volunteers, as well as the abundance of delicious snacks and drinks at the end of the race make it a worthy race. (Thanks to their sponsor, Sun Hung Kai Properties, which also runs many five-star hotels in Hong Kong.)
The race is organized by the Athletic Veterans of Hong Kong (abbreviated AVOHK), one of the longest going local running clubs.
The course had been slightly modified in recent years and toughened further. On the current course, the record was set at 2 hours 38 minutes and 44 seconds, by Kevin Ball in 1989. For those who cannot handle the full course, or simply enjoy a shorter race, a half-marathon and a 10 km race is run alongside the full race at the same time. Runners who do mind hills, or are going for their personal best record, may want to consider the alternatives. The small entry limit of 1500 is often unfilled.
The Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon
In comparison, The Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon is now a huge international race. The quota for this year's race was set at 50,000 and they were still filled early after registration opened.
The course is much flatter than the China Coast Marathon but still consists of a couple of sloped, mostly at the tunnels and flyovers. The course starts at Tsim Sha Tsui and goes through Western Kowloon. It takes the runners up to the Tsing Ma Bridge as well as the Ting Kau Bridge. Then it turns back the same route, goes through the Western Harbor Tunnel and lands on Western District of Hong Kong. It then heads east along the Victoria Harbor, traverses Central, Wan Chai, the most crowded tourist district of Causeway Bay and ends at Victoria Park.
The event is organized the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association (abbreviated HKAAA), the largest athletic association in Hong Kong and is well supported by its named sponsor and multitudes of volunteers and the police. The race is usually patronized by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. It is arguably the best known community sports event in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, it is an event that's been criticized repeatedly on various aspects.
Some of the complaints are about lack of spectators which makes the running kind of boring and lonely after the first 25 km or so. Another complaint is about the narrow start of the race course which delays the late starters by as much as five minutes. There are also complaints about lack of scenery alone the way. In summary, for those who are after great support from spectators, as well as a fast time as an intermediate level marathoner, they may have to look elsewhere.
Why Not Run Both
Hong Kong provides two completely different marathons at the beginning of the year. Most runners will find, with ease, the one that suits them best. For the very keen or energetic, they can even run both races, as there is always a time gap of at least three weeks between them.
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