The prize fund of the 2024 Hong Kong Marathon increased by nearly two-thirds compared to last year’s event, and it is still the highest for any marathon in Asia. The HK$1.28 million purse will pay out an average of HK$60,000 to each of the 74,000 entrants, and there is a record amount of prize money for the women’s race.

HK$380,000 will be awarded to the winner of the men’s race and HK$160,000 for the women’s race. The runners who finish the fastest times will also receive a bonus prize of HK$200,000.

In addition, the first three HK$80,000 winners will receive a trophy and a monetary award from the Sports Development Fund. The remaining HK$200,000 will be awarded to the overall top 10 winners. The runners who finish in second place will get a bronze medal. The third and fourth placed runners will get a monetary award from the Sports Development Foundation of HK$10,000 each.

This prize was established to honour George B. Endacott, Lecturer (1946-57) and Senior Lecturer (1957-62) in History at The University of Hong Kong, who was responsible, virtually single-handedly, for the re-establishment of the Department after World War II. His long-standing teaching and research interests focused on Chinese history, particularly planning history in Hong Kong.

The winner of the first edition of The Spirit of Hong Kong Award was a video produced by Bryan Wood for the South China Morning Post titled “Domestic ‘helpers’ battle two-week rule to stay in town”. The judges said that the video highlighted the struggles and hardships that many helpers face and showed the true spirit of the city.

In the same week, the Hong Kong Book Prize was awarded to an article by Professor David Pui-Lan of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. The article, titled “Empire and its Legacy: Chinese Cultural Memory in Hong Kong,” was published in the Journal of Contemporary Asian Studies. The prize is sponsored by ICAS and the Society for Hong Kong Studies.

Next up on the ATP tour is the WTA Hong Kong Open, which takes place at the Hong Kong Tennis Centre on November 30 to December 3. This tournament has a total prize pool of HK$2.7 million for both singles and doubles competitions.

Prize money for the 2023/24 racing season will rise by 8 per cent, with increases across all classes, including Griffins and Class 1 races. The BMW Hong Kong Derby and FWD Champions Day feature Group racing, which attracts the highest prize money in Asia, while the Group 1 and 2 contests at Longines Hong Kong International Races will have an increased prize fund of HK$1.38 billion. The increase in prize money has been backed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strong financial position.