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Organised by the Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association and sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, “Active School” programme – “Run with Your Heart” was successfully held at the Hong Kong Sports Institute on New Year's Eve. This year's response was incredible, with a record-breaking 240 teams and more than 1,400 people taking part.

The race was held in the form of a relay with teams of six runners running in turn over four consecutive hours. In the end, the 240 teams had racked up a total of about 7,445kms or the equivalent of a straight line from Hong Kong to St. Petersburg.

Organising Committee Chairman Mr Henry Tang said that “Active School” programme – “Run with Your Heart” had three goals – to showcase the skills of distance runners; to encourage families and young people to experience the joy of running in a happy and enjoyable atmosphere; and to thus promote participation in sports.

Hong Kong elite athletes attending the event included: women’s world snooker champion Ng On Yee; cyclist Lee Wai Sze; badminton’s Ng Ka Long; swimmers Stephanie Au and Yvette Kong; table tennis champ Wong Chun Ting; fencer Cheung Siu Lun; martial arts champion Geng Xiao Ling, and many more. Past champions in attendance at the opening ceremony included: Lee Lai Shan, Rebecca Chiu, Alex Fong, Asia’s best female coach Chan Yuen Ting, and our most popular female jockey Kei Chiong.

In addition to the relay race itself, participants and spectators could visit all kinds of different “love and care” charitable booths to raise funds for the Elite Athlete Charitable Trust to realise the concept of “athletes helping athletes” and “athletes contributing to the community”. They could donate through shopping at the kiosk, name to play a song by the on-site DJ, take souvenir photos and grab a snack. They also could try their hand at two new sports that were being promoted – Unicycle and Wiser Ball. For both runners and spectators, families and friends, the annual “Run with Your Heart” was a very memorable and meaningful way to spend a healthy New Year’s Eve!