Kenya B claims the Standard Chartered GROE Nation’s team Challenge Champion.

Photo by Fu Ching Tak

17 February 2008, Hong Kong – Kenya sealed a clean sweep of the Greatest Race on Earth (GROE) 2007/08 marathon relay series titles in Hong Kong on Sunday morning. Both Kenya Men B and Kenya Women B teams successfully defended leads in their respective Nations Challenge competitions, after their final leg athletes were the first GROE athletes to cross the line in the Hong Kong Marathon. Cyprian Kiogara Mwobi and Anne Jepkemboi Kosgei completed the famously challenging course in impressive times of 2:18:03 and 2:41:09, giving their teams winning cumulative times of 9:09:16 and 10:49:09.

As well as clinching the US$100,000 first prizes, both teams also win US$40,000 for winning the Africa regional category, plus a bonus US$10,000 each as they clinched victory in series record times. The prize money will be shared between the four athletes that make up each team: the first leg athlete who competed in Nairobi; second leg athlete in Singapore; third leg athlete in Mumbai; and the final leg athlete in Hong Kong.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Kenyan men’s team has won the Gold Baton trophy, and means they remain unbeaten since GROE began in 2004/05. Kenya Women B become the first winners of the Women’s Nations Challenge, which was introduced at the start of the current 2007/08 series.

Kenya further confirmed their dominance of the series, with Kenya Men A and Kenya Women A teams both finishing second in their Nations Challenge competitions

Photo by Fu Ching Tak

Full Marathon starting ceremony by Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Regional, China

Japan’s Koichiro Fukuoka and North korea’s Kim Kum Ok win Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2008

The 12th annual Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon was successfully held with a new course configuration today. Japanese runner Koichiro Fukuoka won both the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon - Men’s and the 11^th Asian Marathon Championship titles on his debut appearance in the Hong Kong Marathon with a time of 2:16.50.

The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, Half Marathon and 10km Challenge attracted over 50,000 registered runners.

About the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2008

The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2008 will be held on Sunday, 17 February 2008. The Marathon is Hong Kong’s largest participatory sporting competition and has set another participation record this year with nearly 50,000 registered runners.

The 10km Challenge start will be at 5:15am for runners who expect to finish within 1:10:00 of starting. The 10km Run 1, Run 2 and Run 3 will start at 5:40 am, 6:10 am and 6:40 am respectively. Half Marathon start will be at 7:00am while Full Marathon will begin at 7:45am.

Standard Chartered Hong Kong is in its 12^th years of title sponsorship to the Hong Kong Marathon. Additional sponsors and supporting parties include: New Balance Athletic shoes (Hong Kong) Limited, Watsons Water, Citizen Watches (HK) Limited, Crown Motors Ltd., iDS (Hong Kong) Ltd., LLA Consultancy Ltd., Hong Kong Tourism Board, Information Services Department, Western Harbour Tunnel Co. Ltd. and Transport Infrastructure Management Ltd..

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