The Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon was held on Feb. 12 and closed its curtains at Hong Kong Victoria Park. 67-year-old movie superstar Chow Yun-fat also joined the race for the first time with a jaw-dropping result.
Chow participated in the 10km category starting at 7:03 a.m., he reached the finishing line in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 58 seconds.
The 67-year-old star finished 3,584th putting Chow in the top 20 percent of the 20,341 10km participants.
After the superstar arrived at the finish line, many citizens and celebrities ran to take photos with Chow. Some included Kelvin Ng Po-ki, a member of Hong Kong pop boyband “ERROR,” and Half Marathon champions Wong Kai-lok, and Virginia Lo Yin-chiu.
In an interview with reporters, Chow said that he completed the race at 5 minutes and 50 seconds per kilometer. “It is a little faster than my last race.”
Chow pointed out that he had been practicing for more than a year and had hired a coach to train him and practice every day.
For his first run in a Standard Chartered Marathon, Chow admitted that he was a little conservative initially since there were some slopes along the way, especially on the way back from Tai Koo Shing. However, Chow said it was okay as long as he did not run too fast.
When asked if he would join the half or full marathon, Chow said 10 kilometers was enough. But then he changed his mind and joked he would revisit the idea in a few years, “Wait until I am a bit older. Right now, I am still young.”
Chow Yun-fat, who debuted as an actor in 1970, is considered a Hong Kong megastar. He has won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards, and other international awards multiple times.
He starred in a number of Hollywood movies. The most famous one is his role as Master Li Mubai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Monk with No Name in Bulletproof Monk, and King Mongkut in Anna and the King.
Chow is well known for his down-to-earth personality and is always willing to take selfies with fans.
As a Hong Kong local, Chow is regularly seen hiking on a trail or near his residence in Ho Man Tin. Like Keene Reeves, Chow is frequently spotted taking the subway or eating at local cafes.
Reporters were curious whether any marathon runners demanded a photo with the star. Chow said, “Everyone was very respectful at the marathon event.”
In 2018, Chow’s wife, Jasmine Tan, told TVBS that Chow had a net worth of HK$5.4 billion (approx. $688 million).
Chow confirmed in an exclusive interview with a Korean MBC program in 2018 that he would donate every cent of his assets after his death.
“The money is now in the bank. I can’t take it away when I die. I can’t have that money forever. One day when I am gone, the money should be left for others in need.”
