- The famous 100km race could become the latest event to be cancelled as the city continues to be gripped by civil unrest
The illustrious 100km Oxfam Trailwalker, scheduled for the coming weekend, could yet fall victim to the ongoing chaos in Hong Kong.
Race organisers revealed they will make a decision on Wednesday afternoon whether they plan to go ahead with this year's edition.
The city's most famous trail race is scheduled to start in Sai Kung on Friday morning and proceeds 100km across the New Territories to Chu Hai College, near Tuen Mun.
Around 5,000 runners are set to take part in teams of four, and many of them are joined by friends and supporters throughout the course for moral support and to bring supplies, so countless people would be travelling back-and-forth to the New Territories over the weekend for the event.
A spokesperson for Oxfam Trailwalker said there are safety concerns for runners and support teams and they are discussing whether to proceed, stating the decision will be made by noon on Wednesday.
Hong Kong has been gripped by months of anti-government protests and civil unrest. What started as opposition to a now shelved extradition bill has spiralled into months of increasingly violent protests.
On Monday, a protester was shot by a policeman and a man was set on fire in Ma On Shan.
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The Oxfam Trailwalker originally began as a training exercise for Gurkha Solders, but since 1986 the race has been open to the public.
Many runners raise money for charity. The winners typically finish in around 12 hours, but the cut-off is 48 hours, so the last teams typically cross the finish line on Sunday.
Last year's Oxfam Trailwalker UK event was cancelled because of extreme heat.
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