Community & Charities
Rehabilitation Services
Record number compete in HKJC Special Marathon
20/01/2017
People with special needs, like everyone else, have potential and their talent needs to be nurtured, cherished and recognised by society as a whole.
Since 2012, the Club’s Charities Trust has supported the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs) in organising the “i-Run – Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon”. Its aim is to promote a healthy lifestyle and active participation in sport among people with intellectual disabilities, and at the same time advocate the message of social inclusion. In 2015, a HK$6.82 million donation was made to fund the event for another three years.
This year, the i-Run was held on 15 January on the Central and Western District Promenade, and saw record-breaking 3,800 athletes with intellectual disabilities and their pair-up runners competing.
While a majority of the participants were from Hong Kong, many joined the event from Mainland China, Macau or Taiwan. Each disabled runner was paired with a volunteer to compete in either a 3 km or 5.7 km challenge race. Pre-race training sessions were organised for the pair-up partners to get to know each other better and build closer rapport. Some 90 members of the Club’s CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team made their own personal contribution to the i-Run’s success by serving as pair-up runners or on-site helpers.
To encourage the public to develop a ‘slow living’ habit, a 1 km Mindful Run was added this year.
As part of the Club’s support, TWGHs has also established the i-Runners’ Club which brings together those with intellectual disabilities and people interested in running, helping to improve their physical fitness and promote an inclusive society through participation in sport. Qualified coaching experts provide regular training for the participants in different parts of Hong Kong. For details, please visit http://i-run.tungwahcsd.org/training_en.html.
