Manulife Hong Kong and Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates form partnership to establish the Manulife GBA HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Half-Marathon
August 16, 2022
Hong Kong – Manulife Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) today jointly announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for a partnership that will bring the first-ever Manulife GBA HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Half-Marathon to life. The HZMB is an iconic structure that connects three of the major cities in the Greater Bay Area. As the world’s longest bridge-cum-tunnel sea crossing, running on HZMB will be a unique and exciting experience for both professional and amateur runners.
“Manulife has been growing with Hong Kong for 125 years, making us the longest continuously operating life insurer here. This agreement demonstrates our profound and enduring commitment to the city, and we are determined more than ever to bring new energy that will accelerate Hong Kong’s position as an international finance centre and reinforce its pivotal role in developing the Greater Bay Area as a vibrant region. We are incredibly pleased and honoured to be making this significant investment in our milestone anniversary year to continue supporting the city’s future,” said Damien Green, ManulifeAsia President and CEO.
“Manulife Hong Kong shares a vision with HKAAA to empower sustained health and wellbeing. As a leader in health, we have been providing all-round solutions to help customers enjoy better health and live better every day. We are very excited to enter into this partnership with HKAAA. The Hong Kong leg of the GBA marathon is planned to be the first event held, with the longer-term ambition of expanding to Zhuhai and Macao in the future. This landmark running event will greatly promote healthier living and reinvigorate the local community, as we look towards a post-pandemic future,” Mr. Green added.
“It gives us great pleasure to partner with Manulife Hong Kong to realise this first-ever half-marathon on the HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. We are extremely impressed with Manulife’s passion for health and their unwavering commitment to the city, together with their extensive experience of sponsoring road races internationally. We are thrilled that HKAAA is pursuing this new and exciting destination for distance runners. Forming this partnership and taking forward our shared ambition of hosting a running event at a signature GBA landmark when the HKSAR is celebrating its 25th anniversary is particularly meaningful,” said Kwan Kee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates.
The signing ceremony was attended by guests of honour Yeung Tak-keung, Commissioner for Sports of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Roy Gori, Manulife President and CEO, Damien Green, Manulife Asia President and CEO, and Kwan Kee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates.
The Manulife GBA HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Half-Marathon is planned for 2023. Execution planning and feasibility studies on capacity and logistics are already underway. Details of the planned marathon will be announced in due course, subject to government approvals.
In line with the company’s commitment to health and wellbeing, Manulife sponsors marathons around the world, including as the major sponsor of the Cambodia Angkor Wat Marathon since 2015 and as a key sponsor of the Vietnam Da Nang Marathon since 2016.
Damien Green, Manulife Asia President and CEO (centre), with Yeung Tak-keung, HKSAR Commissioner for Sports (right), and Kwan Kee, Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (left), attended the signing ceremony of an MoU between Manulife Hong Kong and the Association for a partnership to establish the Manulife GBA HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Half-Marathon.
About Manulife Hong Kong
Manulife Hong Kong, through Manulife International Holdings Limited, owns Manulife (International) Limited, Manulife Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Manulife Provident Funds Trust Company Limited. As a member of the Manulife group of companies, Manulife Hong Kong offers a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to individual and corporate customers in Hong Kong and Macau.
About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2021, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 119,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 33 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.
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About HKAAA
The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA) previously known as the Hong Kong Amateur Track and Field Association (HKATFA), was founded in 1951 by a group of enthusiastic volunteers and has since become the governing body for Athletics, including Track & Field, Distance Running, Cross Country and Race Walking in Hong Kong. The Association became a member of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF & OC) in the same year. It has also joined the World Athletics (WA) previously named as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) next year. Aims to promote and develop athletics in Hong Kong, including the development of athletes, coaches, technical officials, and professional staff, so as to enhance the image and performance of Hong Kong athletics, and to make athletics to become the sport of most participation.
