The annual Macau International Marathon is scheduled to return on December 6 this year, with new passing points, along with two thousand more runners, to be added to the routes.
In light of increasing demand from athletes hoping to participate in the event, the organizer has decided to raise the participant limit to 8,000.
The president of the Macao Sport Development Board, José Tavares, assured media at a press conference on Tuesday that the increase in runners would not cause problems on the track, as course routes have been carefully adjusted after thorough consideration.
According to the chairman of the General Association of Athletics of Macau, Ma Iao Hang, registration for the past several editions of the marathon has also filled to capacity prior to the application deadline.
“With society becoming more aware of living quality and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, more and more long-distance runners have emerged,” said Mr Ma.
The marathon, half marathon and “mini-marathon” courses will start from the Macau Stadium between 6 a.m. and 6.15 a.m. Runners on the marathon and half marathon courses are required to run across the Sai Van Bridge and complete routes that span from the A-Ma Temple on the Macau Peninsula to the Cotai Strip.
Champions and new record-holders will be offered cash prizes totaling MOP 1.496 million.
To ensure smooth operation of the event, the organizer has also increased the number of assisting personnel from 700 to 1,000.
(macaunews/ macaudailytimes)
