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 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) opened today (27 February) with continuing support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The partnership dates back to the inception of this major cultural event in 1973, underlining the Club’s commitment to promoting arts and culture while fostering community participation.

The 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival opened with La Bella Otero by Ballet Nacional de España, one of the performances under The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series. (Photo credit: ©FernandoMarco)

Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Sun Shangwu; Secretary for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau Rosanna Law; Director of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department Manda Chan; Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao; HKAF Chairman Lo Kingman; and HKAF Executive Director Flora Yu.

Since 2008, the Club has supported three pillar programmes at the HKAF under The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series. This year, the series features the festival’s opening performance of La Bella Otero by Ballet Nacional de España, choral masterpieces from The Constellation Choir and Orchestra led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin by the National Theatre Brno.

A further highlight is the Jockey Club East-meets-West Series: Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, a Chinese-language adaptation of an ancient Greek comedy. Underscoring Hong Kong’s strength as a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, this production promotes collaboration between artists from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas.

In addition, the Club continues to support the fusion of arts and technology through the Jockey Club InnoArts Series. This year will feature a mixed-reality piano recital entitled KAGAMI by Ryuichi Sakamoto & Tin Drum. With the help of augmented reality (AR) headsets, audience members can stand beside iconic Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and experience his final performance – blending physical and digital realities.

Officiating guests at the opening ceremony of the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival include HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee (centre); Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Sun Shangwu (3rd right); Secretary for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau Rosanna Law (2nd right); Director of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department Manda Chan (1st left); Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (2nd left); HKAF Chairman Lo Kingman (3rd left); HKAF Executive Director Flora Yu (1st right).

The Club has long supported The Hong Kong Jockey Club Student Matinee Programme to give students from diverse backgrounds an appreciation of world-class artistic performances. This year the Club will provide up to 3,200 complimentary tickets to Duel Reality by The 7 Fingers – a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet in a sports arena that brings together high-energy acrobatics, dance and music. There will also be pre-show talks to deepen students’ understanding of this celebrated Shakespeare play. For details and all the latest information about this year’s programmes, please visit www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/.

The Club’s support for the Hong Kong Arts Festival, 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.