SZ-HK cross-border marathon scheduled for Feb. 23

The 2025 Shenzhen-Hong Kong Marathon and the 15th National Games athletics (marathon) test event will take place Feb. 23, according to a press conference held by the Information Office of the Shenzhen Municipal Government on Thursday.

The marathon will feature both men’s and women’s races, each covering the standard marathon distance of 42.195 km. The race will traverse 21.841 km in Shenzhen and 20.354 km in Hong Kong, with the Shenzhen Bay Bridge serving as a key link between the two regions during the event.

Runners set off on the Shenzhen Marathon 2024 from the Civic Center in Futian District at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 1, 2024. Photos by Liu Xudong

The race will start and end at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Nanshan District, with runners crossing through the Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint and entering Hong Kong before returning to Shenzhen. The route passes through Shenzhen’s Nanshan District and Qianhai, and Hong Kong’s Yuen Long District.

The Shenzhen Bay Bridge, connecting Shenzhen and Hong Kong, will be featured along the route of the 2025 Shenzhen-Hong Kong Marathon.

“The marathon serves as a key test event for the 15th National Games’ marathon competition, introducing innovative race organization. For the first time, a dual-region refereeing system will be implemented, with referees from both regions overseeing different sections of the race,” said Kuang Bing, deputy secretary-general of the Shenzhen government.

He also highlighted tech innovations to be employed for the event.

“We’ve introduced smart customs clearance, ensuring athletes experience no delays at Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint. Drawing from the experience of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Road Cycling Race, we will adopt a pre-clearance and a closed-loop arrangement throughout the event. This will enable a zero-delay and zero-wait experience for participants,” Kuang added.

He also emphasized the use of advanced digital technologies to monitor the event in real time.

“We will utilize facial recognition for athlete identification and real-time GPS tracking to monitor both runners and vehicles. Drones will provide live coverage, supporting race management and emergency response,” Kuang said.

Route map of the 2025 Shenzhen-Hong Kong Marathon. Courtesy of the event organizer

To ensure the smooth running of the event, Nanshan District will implement traffic control on some roads, establish 15 green channels for emergency medical assistance, and deploy over 460 volunteers to support the event.

In Hong Kong, eight refreshment spots will be set up at intervals of 22.5 kilometers to provide drinks to athletes, according to the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong). The fire services department and hospital authority have developed a comprehensive medical support and emergency plan.

The operating hours of the Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint will be adjusted as appropriate on the event day. Members of the public and visitors are advised to pay attention to the relevant announcements and duly arrange their itineraries that day.