Over 750 runners from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) participated in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2025 (SCHKM 2025), a major annual local sports event, on 9 February. Among them were 12 Inclusion Run teams, formed by CityUHK runners partnering with students with special educational needs (SEN). Together, they demonstrated the spirit of social inclusion.

The Inclusion Run is one of the activities in the Student Sports Ambassador Scheme, under Student Development Services (SDS). This year marks the sixth edition, in which CityUHK students served as sports ambassadors, pairing with students from Mary Rose School and TWGHs Chi-Li Pao School to form one-on-one teams for the 10-kilometre race. They actively prepared for the race three months in advance, getting to know each other's goals, personalities and abilities during multiple training sessions to perform their best. On the race day, the teams supported each other, demonstrating excellent teamwork and completing the race together. Among them, Lo Lok-yi, a Year Two student in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, partnered with a student from Mary Rose School, forming the best-performing team. They completed the 10-kilometer run in an impressive 50 minutes and 41 seconds.

Participating in the Inclusive Run for the second time, Lok-yi said the experience was very memorable. “Before the race, I maintained good communication with my partner to build mutual trust, making him feel safe and supported. During the race, I adjusted my speed according to his ability and encouraged him when he was tired. With my support, he felt recharged and continued to run, understanding that he was not fighting alone. When I saw his big smile after crossing the finish line, I felt immense satisfaction. I also achieved a personal best, which meant a lot to me,” she added.

Lo Chun-yin, a Year One student in the Department of Chinese and History, who arranged the pre-race training for the Inclusive Run, expressed satisfaction with the teams' performance. "Watching the SEN students’ progress from initially struggling with simple movements during training to significantly improving after three months and completing the 10-kilometer race today, with some achieving remarkable results, is incredibly heartwarming and gratifying. I hope they gained a better understanding of themselves and confidence through the training and competition," he said.

On the race day, Professor Chan Chi-hou, Vice-President (Community Engagement), and Professor Dannii Yeung Yuen-lan, Associate Provost (Student Life), attended to cheer on the CityUHK and SEN runners. Professor Chan praised the Inclusive Run teams for their courage to challenge themselves and their demonstration of the social inclusion spirit. He also encouraged all CityUHK athletes to enjoy the racing experience, emphasising that victory lies not in the finishing time, but in enjoying the journey and surpassing one’s expectations.

The CityUHK delegation consisted of faculty, students and alumni, including 212 participants in the full marathon, 288 in the half marathon, and 270 in the 10-kilometre race. Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise), Professor Henry Chung Shu-hung, Dean of Students, and Professor Toh Kian-lam, Director of SDS, participated in the 10-kilometre race, running alongside the CityUHK runners with high morale.

Additionally, around 100 supporters from CityUHK, including faculty, students and alumni, formed small teams along the race route to cheer for the CityUHK athletes, creating a lively atmosphere. The support teams also provided baggage handling, physiotherapy, photography and refreshment services to CityUHK runners, showcasing the spirit of teamwork at CityUHK.

CityUHK is committed to promoting a healthy campus and encouraging faculty and students to exercise regularly for physical and mental well-being. Different departments of the University joined together to form an Organising Committee to provide a full range of support to the marathon delegation. They provided pre-race training and seminars to equip the participants with basic running concepts and techniques, and organised social events to strengthen connections among members, fostering a sense of belonging in the CityUHK community.