The 40th anniversary edition of the Macao International Marathon gets underway on 5 December. In celebration of the anniversary, activities will be staged to engage residents, tourists and runners.
The 2021 Galaxy Entertainment Macao International Marathon is jointly organised by the Macao SAR Government Sports Bureau and the General Association of Athletics of Macau. The Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) is the title sponsor of the Macao International Marathon for the 18th consecutive year.
The marathon and half-marathon races will start at 6 a.m. and the mini-marathon race at 6.15 a.m. at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium. The marathon and half-marathon courses will take the picturesque traditional route by the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, the World Heritage attraction A-Ma Temple and along the Sai Van Bridge.
The event has 12,000 places for runners, including 1,400 for the marathon, 4,800 for the half-marathon and 5,800 for the mini-marathon. The fastest male and female athlete in the marathon and half-marathon will be awarded a “GEG Macau Cup” plus prizes.
This year’s marathon sees the return of an award for “Most Creative Costume Award”. Also included is an online special activity series, called the “Fab 40”, and a marathon carnival. The organisers have collaborated with Macao’s cultural and creative sector to launch a range of creative products, and the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau will issue a set of commemorative philatelic products to mark the anniversary of the event.
The event and activities around it will comply with anti-pandemic measures. All participants are required to have completed two doses of COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the race. Participants are also required to make their own arrangement for COVID-19 test and to present proof of a valid negative COVID-19 test result (inclusive of race day) before taking part.
For details and regulations of the event, please visit the official website www.macaomarathon.com, the ‘Macao Major Sporting Events’ Facebook page, or the ‘Macao Major Sporting Events’ WeChat official account.