Front row: Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government Matthew Cheung (middle), Event Organizing Committee Co-chairman Edward Cheung (third right), SHKP Executive Director and Deputy Managing Director Mike Wong (third left), SHKP Executive Directors Adam Kwok (second right) and Christopher Kwok (second left), Campaign Committee Chairman of The Community Chest of Hong Kong Dr. Simon Kwok (first left) and Chief Executive of The Hong Kong Council of Social Service Chua Hoi Wai (first right) officiate at the event
Hosted by Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP), the sixth SHKP Vertical Run for Charity – Race to Hong Kong ICC, which has also been the grand finale of the Vertical World Circuit for the fifth consecutive year, ended on a high note in early December. All proceeds will go to The Community Chest of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Council of Social Service for the benefits of underprivileged children and youth.
Over 1,900 runners from 35 nations and regions across the world participated in this year's Race to Hong Kong ICC, representing a record-breaking number of participants. The age of participants ranged from 10 to 74. This year's event also saw runners with vision or hearing impairments, amputees, autistic runners and serving and retired professional athletes enrolling in the race, a testament to the growing popularity of vertical running among the public. The grand finale of 2017 Vertical World Circuit once again took place in SHKP's International Commerce Centre. The highest-ranking male elite Piotr Lobodzinski and women's elite Suzy Walsham were crowned champions of Vertical World Circuit at the Race to Hong Kong ICC.
The Race to Hong Kong ICC is committed to promoting exercising for good to help people in need while encouraging the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle. This year, programmes benefitting from the event include the SHKP Rainbow for KIDS, an initiative of The Hong Kong Council of Social Service designated to support children and youth who have encountered a family crisis; St. James' Settlement's 'Grow Goal Glow' Life Planning Creator and Heep Hong Society's A Holistic Employment Support Scheme for High-functioning Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders subsidized through The Community Chest of Hong Kong.
