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Following is a question by the Hon Frederick Fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho, in the Legislative Council today (March 28):
Question:
With regard to the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2007 held on the 4th of this month and the holding of a cross-boundary marathon race, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) given that in its reply to my related question on January 31 this year, the Government said that in the light of last year's experience, the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association ("HKAAA"), the organiser of the aforesaid event, would, in addition to continuing the procedures and arrangements that had been effective over the years, adopt a series of new safety measures for this year's Marathon, whether the Government, HKAAA and the relevant organisations have reviewed why there were still thousands of participants feeling unwell despite the adoption of the relevant measures; if so, of the result of the review, including which measures have been found ineffective; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) given that after this year's event, some academics and runners have made a number of suggestions, which include changing the routes of the event, extending the duration of the races and road closure, setting higher eligibility criteria for joining competitive races, lowering the maximum number of participants, adjusting the starting time for various races to prevent participants from obstructing each other, holding a separate long-distance running carnival for those whose sole purpose is to participate, opening some sections of the routes for members of the public to line both sides as spectators so as to enhance the atmosphere of competition, stepping up efforts to promote correct knowledge of long-distance running, as well as urging participants to adopt a responsible and serious attitude in joining the event and be well-prepared for the race, whether the Government has discussed with HKAAA the aforesaid suggestions; if so; of the results of the discussion; if not, the reasons for that;
(c) whether it knows when HKAAA will decide on the arrangements for next year's event, and whether it will request HKAAA to consult the relevant academics and runners before making decisions in this regard; if so, of the details of the consultation; if not, the reasons for that; and
(d) as the marathon race attracts a huge number of participants every year, and holding such an event also helps promote the benefits of physical exercise to health, and given that this year coincides with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, whether the authorities will consider holding a separate cross-boundary marathon race this year for the celebration of the Reunification; if so; of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) On March 15, the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association ("HKAAA") held a meeting with the relevant government departments and related organisations to review the effectiveness of the measures introduced for this year's Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2007 (the event). On the whole, the arrangements for this year's event are considered satisfactory. 97% of the participants managed to finish the race recording the highest rate of completion among the events held so far. This indicates that the series of safety measures adopted by the HKAAA this year, including strengthening public education and publicity, re-arranging the procedures of the event, enhancing medical support services and offering new environmental protection measures, are all effective.
At the review meeting, the HKAAA and the Auxiliary Medical Services reported that 6,245 cases of request for assistance were received in total on the day of the event, and explained that the figure did not only include the number of participants with injuries, but also the number of participants who approached the medical staff for assistance (e.g. short rests, muscle massage, or requests for medication such as turpentine) at the starting point, along the running course and at the finishing point. Besides, the figure shows the number of requests for assistance rather than the number of persons seeking assistance. Among these cases, injured persons in 35 cases (i.e. 35 persons) had to be hospitalised and most of them could be discharged on the same day. The number of cases requiring bandaging was 456 and the remaining 5,754 cases only involved minor discomfort (such as muscle fatigue or cramp).
(b) & (c) At the review meeting, the Administration has conveyed the relevant suggestions to the HKAAA for consideration and follow-up. The HKAAA advised that they would need longer time for discussions and deliberations since the implementation of the suggestions would involve co-ordination and consultation with a number of parties. It is anticipated that the preliminary assessment results would be available in June or even later this year. Based on that, the HKAAA will confirm whether the relevant suggestions would be implemented for the event next year. For the discussions and deliberations, the HKAAA will continue to listen to the views of academics and runners so as to further improve the arrangements for the event.
(d) If a cross-boundary marathon race is to be held, it is necessary to discuss with the relevant national sports association and related organisations, and to conduct consultations on road closure arrangements with the respective District Councils as necessary with regard to the route of the race. Discussions should also be held with the Central Government on transit arrangements across the boundary and the corresponding facilitation and contingency measures. In view of the time required for the preparation and organisation work, the Administration has no plan to hold a cross-boundary marathon race for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Ends/Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:14
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