Chow Yun-Fat and Natalie Tong take a selfie with a group of friends and fans before the 10km marathon. Photo via Sin Chew
On Sunday (Nov 17), hundreds of runners took part in a “once-in-a-lifetime” marathon – the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon Three-Runway System 10km International Race.
The event took place at HK international airport’s new third runway, offering a unique experience for participants.
It’s reported that although it started out as a wet morning, the runners enjoyed the breeze as they ran and also the fact that planes were taking off in the background on the other two runways.
Among the runners in this special marathon were enthusiastic marathoner Chow Yun-fat and his protege, TVB actress Natalie Tong.
Sin Chew reported that the 69-year-old finished the marathon in one hour, 17 minutes, whereas Tong finished just four minutes after him.
It’s a given that Chow could have finished the race faster if not for the fact that he took his time to enjoy the “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.
Along the way too, Chow would slow down to wave at fellow runners who recognised him and apparently even take selfies with them. In 2023, he finished the 10km run in one hour and three minutes.
Chow told the Chinese media that he had a good time running at Hong Kong International Airport.
“It was very special, seeing planes take off and land on both sides.”
Likewise, 43-year-old Tong shared her experience on Instagram, uploading several photos.
In the caption, Tong wrote: “"The weather was perfect – rain stopped just before the marathon began.
“Running so close to planes taking off and landing was an unforgettable experience. Along the way, there was music and cheer squads, creating a fantastic atmosphere.”
Tong was also happy that her performance this year was faster than her last 10km run.
Natalie Tong is happy her time has improved from last year. Photo: Natalie Tong/Instagram
