Macao Marathon returns December with new prizes

Sports Bureau Director, Pun Weng Kun

The Galaxy Entertainment Macao International Marathon is returning on December 1 for its 38th edition. A press conference was held yesterday to announce the event, as well as new prizes this year to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the handover.

Similar to previous years, the race is categorized into Full Marathon, Half Marathon and Mini Marathon, the latter of which is 5 kilometers in length. Registration will start on August 31 for the first two categories, while that for the Mini Marathon will start a day later.

The registration fee varies for each category and type of registrant. It ranges from MOP70 to MOP400. There are two ways in which registration can be done, namely on-site registration and online registration.

Registrants aiming to conduct on-site registration should visit the Macau Forum between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. before September 2. On or after which, the registration location will be changed to the Macau Stadium.

This year, quotas allotted to each category are 1,600, 4,600 and 5,800 respectively for Full Marathon, Half Marathon and Mini Marathon.

If they make it into the top five, local residents participating in the Full Marathon will be awarded cash prizes ranging from MOP2,000 to MOP15,000. For the Half Marathon, the top three local residents to finish will be awarded prizes worth between MOP2,000 and MOP4,000.

Galaxy Entertainment Group is renewing their title sponsorship for the event. The casino operator will title sponsor the event from this year to 2021, concluding three consecutive years. It has been a sponsor at the event 18 years ago.

This year, the “GEG Handover Cup” will be introduced to reward first three local residents finishing the Full Marathon and the Half Marathon, besides the aforementioned cash prizes.

The company will also hold a week-long carnival at their Broadway Macau property, featuring themed games, performances and food and beverage elements.

When asked about voluntary enthusiasts offering supplies to runners last year, Sports Bureau Director, Pun Weng Kun, reminded the general public that it may be against the match regulations and the authority of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races to provide supplies to runners along the road, as the organizer has no way to confirm their contents and ingredients.

Pun recommended members of the public show their support by cheering along the road instead. Anthony Lam