Runner Disqualified from Hong Kong Marathon for Carrying Infant

A runner from mainland China was disqualified from the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon after participating with an infant strapped to his chest in a carrier, prompting safety concerns and a police investigation into possible child abuse.

The incident occurred during the full marathon on January 18, when the participant, identified only by the surname Wang, started the race at 6:25 a.m. in the first wave for men. Official tracking data showed he covered approximately 15 kilometers in about two hours and 20 minutes, averaging a pace of roughly nine minutes per kilometer. Videos circulating on social media captured Wang jogging slowly along sections of the course, including the West Kowloon Highway toward Stonecutters Island between the 5-kilometer and 15-kilometer marks. In the footage, the infant's head appeared to bob with each step, while Wang supported the child's neck with one hand, carried a backpack, and held a mobile phone in the other. A race bib was pinned to the baby's windproof cover.

Organizers from the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) intervened shortly after the 15-kilometer point, instructing Wang to leave the course immediately....