‘Handover cup’ prize returns for 43rd marathon

First introduced in 2019, the Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) Handover Cup, a special prize from the Macao International Marathon event, will return in this year’s 43rd local marathon, which also marks the 25th anniversary of Macau’s handover.

The return of this special prize is one of the few novelties of this year’s event, which returns to Macau’s streets Dec. 1.

This year’s format is similar to last year’s, including the number of participants, which stands at 12,000.

At yesterday’s press conference to launch the event, held at the Galaxy International Convention Center, the GEG director, Philip Cheng, noted the return of this award, first seen on the twentieth anniversary of Macau’s handover.

“One of the highlights is the return of the GEG Handover Cup this year with generous prizes provided,” Cheng said.

“This award was well received when it was first introduced in Macau’s 20th return anniversary.”

“We are excited to bring it back this year to commemorate Macau’s 25th anniversary and to share the delight of this special occasion with the people of Macau.”

“Additionally, we will continue to host the Galaxy Entertainment Macau International Marathon Carnival this year, further immersing Macau residents and international tourists in the joyous atmosphere of the Macau International Marathon through various enriching elements.”

“Our hotels, themed entertainment facilities, and dining establishments will offer accommodation, entertainment and catering discounts, further showcasing the synergy of ‘tourism + sports’ and strengthening Macau’s positioning as a ‘World Center of Tourism and Leisure’.”

The marathon will feature three different distance races including the mini-marathon (~4.5 km), half-marathon (21.0975 km), and marathon (42.195 km).

The mini-marathon has the most participants with 5,600 runners, followed by the half-marathon (4,800) and the marathon (1,600).

The longer-distance races will start at 6 a.m. at the Taipa Olympic Stadium while the mini-marathon starts 15 minutes later.

Registrations will be on two different days, over the upcoming weekend.

Online registration for the longer races will be available on Saturday (Sept. 28, from 2 p.m.), while registration for the mini-marathon will begin Sunday (Sept. 29 at 2 p.m.).

Registrations are taken on a first-come, first-served system until all the spots are sold out.

On the sidelines of the press conference, the president of Sports Bureau (ID), Luís Gomes, noted the event’s popularity among local residents, advising that the ID will continue to invite some high-ranked runners consistent with previous years.

He also hoped the event will continue to attract many runners from different countries and regions.

When asked about the event’s budget, Gomes said the ID is spending reasonably, and the main focus of the bureau is the broader impact that the event will have on the local economy, rather than the budget alone.