Hong Kong eyes bigger marathon with egg waffles and milk tea to cheer runners

Hong Kong authorities have signalled openness to expanding the city’s annual marathon, suggesting future routes could bring runners closer to the public, allowing residents to cheer them on with “egg waffles and milk tea” along the way.Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui told lawmakers that the government maintained a “positive and open” attitude towards expanding the capacity of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon or even turning it into a two-day event, an idea floated by the organiser earlier.“[Doing so] would attract more tourists to Hong Kong and prolong their stay,” Law said during a Legislative Council meeting on Tuesday.She was responding to a question from lawmaker Dennis Leung Tsz-wing, who asked if Hong Kong would consider combining the marathon with other events, such as a food festival, to attract more diverse tourists.Law replied that the marathon could only be held in the early days of a year given Hong Kong’s climate, while the feasibility of combining it with other events would depend on whether there were any taking place around that time.Children cheer runners during the marathon. Photo: Eugene LeeShe added that the government was also exploring ways to revise the race routes to reduce traffic disruption while allowing closer interaction between runners and spectators.