On Track to Save 2024, a major running event organized by Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders Hong Kong (MSF-HK), successfully concluded at noon yesterday. This year's event received an overwhelming response, with more than 1,100 participants supporting sports-for-charity and sweating for MSF’s medical humanitarian work.
The Race was held at the main dam of Plover Cove Reservoir at Tai Mei Tuk and categorized in 3 different distances, including 10 km, 3 km and 1 km Fun Run. Runners from various backgrounds were attracted to the Race, including Hong Kong marathon record holder Ms. Christy Yiu Kit-ching, Prof. Bernard Cheung Man-yung, President of the Federation of Medical Societies of Hong Kong, and 6 MSF field workers, namely Dr. Akin Chan Kin-wah, midwife / nurse Ms. Tobey Lee Tsz-yan, Dr. Shannon Melissa Chan, Dr. Paul Au Yiu-ka, nurse Mr. Chiu Cheuk-pong, and Dr. Jennifer Tong Wing-sze.
At the opening ceremony, Ms. Stella Kwan, Deputy Executive Director of MSF-HK, expressed gratitude to all participants and called for raising public awareness of humanitarian crises. She said: “Thanks to the continuous support from different sectors of the community in Hong Kong, our medical humanitarian projects around the world have been made possible. I hope all participants will enjoy this year’s race. Your participation and donations can indeed help the most vulnerable groups to gain access to essential healthcare services.”
Before concentrating on full-time marathon training, Ms. Christy Yiu was working as a nurse in a public hospital in Hong Kong. Ms. Yiu crossed paths with the healthcare sector again in this Race, running alongside MSF field workers to support international humanitarian work. She said: “People tend to seek treatment and medications when they fall ill, even though it might only alleviate pain. But for those with limited resources, they might have no access to medicines throughout their entire lives. Therefore, I hope everyone can continue to support the work of MSF.”
The race saw fierce competition, with many runners achieving excellent results. More than 600 participants completed the 10 km race, in the Men’s division, LIN Long-ki took the top spot in his age group with a finish time of 0:36:28, while in the Women’s division, Wong Kit-shun won the top spot in her age group with a finish time of 0:43:33.
The hypercompetitive 3KM Race saw over 300 participants. In the Men’s division, Chan Ngo-fung took the first place in his age group at 0:10:26. Chan Pak-chee became the champion of her age group in the Women’s division and beat other opponents with the finish time of 0:13:41.
To help our supporters in Hong Kong understand the challenges faced by field workers, who journey through some of the world's most challenging environments to provide medical aid to patients in dire situations, MSF-HK has been hosting an annual orienteering competition since 2002. The event has been welcomed by outdoor sports enthusiasts. As MSF marks its 30th year of presence in Hong Kong, On Track to Save has been transformed into a running competition this year. Tai Mei Tuk was chosen as the venue due to its beautiful scenery and resemblance to South Sudan, an African country frequently besieged by floods. Participants could experience the difficulties faced by MSF field workers from a unique perspective while racing along the dam.
South Sudan, the world's youngest country, has only been established for 12 years. MSF is working widely in this country due to its ongoing ethnic violence and worsening floods caused by climate change. In fact, two-thirds of its land was affected by floods in 2022. Apart from racing, yesterday’s booth games and the 1 km Fun Run provided a series of simulated scenarios that mirrored actual challenges faced by MSF field workers, runners thus gained a better understand of the life in the field by taking part in the interactive tasks.
Surgeon Dr. Chan Kin-wah underwent 4 assignments to South Sudan with MSF. He found this competition reminiscent of his life in the field and said: "Every life saved on the front line has a touching story behind. This is what motivates me to continue my work. I hope everyone continues to support MSF and its frontline workers with actions."
MSF-HK extends heartfelt appreciation to the organizations supporting On Track to Save 2024. Among these esteemed sponsors, Collyer Logistics is the campaign partner for the race. Mr. Hanspeter Kerner, Director of Collyer Logistics, emphasized the significance of MSF’s humanitarian work on the frontline. He stated, “MSF is an organization that truly deserves our unwavering support. I encourage everyone to contribute generously to their vital aid efforts. To all participants, I wish you an enjoyable experience and commendable results!”
Also, HOKA is the action partner of the Race; other sponsors include: Archon, BALL Watch, Contact Lens Easy, Hong Kong Disneyland, Deckers Brands, enid.scents, hellolulu, Water World Ocean Park, The Overlander, Slowood and Winga Apparel Group.
