Record turnout for Jockey Club Special Marathon to promote social inclusion

The TWGHs “iRun” – The Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026 (iRun) took place today (11 January) along the Central and Western District Promenade and Lung Wo Road. This year, the event, supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, saw a record turnout of over 5,500 runners of varying abilities and their pair-up partners joined the fun while promoting social inclusion.

Over 5,500 runners, including participants of varying abilities and their pair-up partners, participated in iRun 2026 to promote social inclusion within the community.

Among the officiating guests cheering on the runners were HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun, Club Steward Philip Lo and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 1st Vice-Chairman York Tseng.

HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (3rd left), Club Steward Philip Lo (3rd right) and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 1st Vice-Chairman York Tseng (2nd left) officiate at the TWGHs “iRun” – Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026.

Club Steward Philip Lo (centre) receives a souvenir from HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (left), accompanied by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals the 4th Vice-Chairman cum Chairman of Community Services Committee Jason Lee (right).

HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun (centre), Club Steward Philip Lo (right) and iRun ambassador So Wa-wai (left).

Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Philip Lo emphasised that the significance of iRun extends beyond a single day of competition. The initiative provides diverse support to improve participants’ physical health and foster social inclusion. The Club has always placed great emphasis on the community’s needs, with “Health” being one of the strategic priorities of its Charity’s Trust. It consistently supports various organisations, including the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), to launch initiatives that promote healthy lifestyles and enhance citizens’ overall quality of life.

Club Steward Philip Lo delivers a speech at the starting ceremony of the TWGHs “iRun” – Hong Kong Jockey Club Special Marathon 2026.

Organised by TWGHs and supported by the Trust since 2012, iRun aims to give people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy of sports and become more involved with the community. 

A member of the CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team and runner pose for a photo.

This year’s event welcomed participants not only from Hong Kong but also Beijing, Guangdong Province and Macau. Runners with intellectual disabilities were paired with volunteers in a 3km challenge race, with pre-race training sessions arranged to help pairs get to know each other. The winning teams will receive sponsorship to participate in marathons outside Hong Kong, broadening their horizons and boosting their self-esteem.

Club Steward Philip Lo with CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners.

This year, the event once again hosted the 1km “iRun for Family”, giving children aged six to 11 with intellectual disabilities and their families the chance to enjoy sporting fun together. To further promote social inclusion, a new “1km iRun Group” race was introduced to include participants with disabilities such as visually impairment, hearing impairment or those undergoing mental rehabilitation. About 800 volunteers, including members of the Club’s CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team, participated as pair-up runners or helpers to share the joy of running.

CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners receive the trophy for the Corporate Social Inclusion Tournament.

Additionally, the “i-Runners’ Club” provides regular training for participants under the guidance of professional coaches, while “Green Marathon” elements remain integral to the event to encourage waste reduction and recycling, and advocate for environmental awareness.

The Club’s support for iRun, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

Club Steward Philip Lo with CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team members and runners.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club) and the Yao Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration in the promotion of basketball and the development of youth sports. The partnership aims to support the national strategy of building the country into a sports powerhouse, contributing to the high-quality development of the sports industry.

Guests at the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony between The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Yao Foundation.

The signing ceremony took place on 7 December at the Club’s Sha Tin Clubhouse between Yao Ming, Chairman of the Yao Foundation, and Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Club. Under the MoU, both parties will explore joint initiatives and exchange activities to strengthen basketball promotion and youth sports development.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of the Jockey Club, said the Club believes in the power of sport to change lives and has long supported sports development at every level, “Basketball is one of Hong Kong’s most popular team sports and a key focus of the Club’s sports development strategy. The Club shares the same vision with the Yao Foundation and we look forward to collaborating with it to further develop basketball in the community in support of the physical and mental well-being of young people and to strengthen social cohesion.”

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (right), Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and Yao Ming (left), Chairman of the Yao Foundation sign a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the promotion of basketball and youth sports development.

Yao Ming, Chairman of the Yao Foundation, said the Yao Foundation is guided by the philosophy of “educating through sports” and is committed to supporting education and promoting the healthy development of young people. With the sports development of young people being a focus for The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the visions of both organisations are highly aligned. He hoped that both organisations would join hands to explore cooperative projects to strengthen the promotion of basketball and youth sports development in order to empower young people to enjoy the fun of sports for all-round growth.

As a world-class sports and entertainment organisation with a strong commitment to the nation and to Hong Kong, the Club actively supports national and local sports development at both community and elite levels. These efforts reflect the Club’s purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of society. The Club is expanding its support for sports development further, pledging HK$3 billion over the next three years.

Before the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (left), Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Yao Ming (right), Chairman of the Yao Foundation engaged in a sharing and exchange session. Both expressed their shared commitment to further developing basketball in the community.

In support of basketball development, the Club’s Charities Trust has committed over HK$70 million to the Jockey Club Believe & Bounce Basketball Programme with the aim of making basketball more accessible for students and underprivileged groups. With 3 on 3 basketball now a medal event at the Olympic and Asian Games, the Club has also supported the Hong Kong Police Force to organise the Junior Police Call Anti-Narcotics and Fight Crime 3x3 Basketball Training Programme, supporting this game’s development among young people.

Other past related initiatives include the “Jockey Club Sports Empowering Programme” organised by the Department of Health and Physical Education of the Education University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with local sports associations including Hoops for Hope Basketball Asia, as well as the Club-supported “HKFYG Jockey Club Youth Sports Development Project”, which encourages young people to participate in sports, including basketball. The Club has also funded renovations at Southorn Stadium, including upgrading basketball facilities to enable it to host more high-level, large-scale and international competitions and events.