It’s not unusual for marathon runners to carry all sorts of gear, gels, water bottles, phones, the occasional emotional burden. But at this year’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, one runner took things to a different level entirely by attempting the full 42.2 kilometres with a baby strapped to his chest.
Not metaphorically. An actual baby.
Photos from the event show the man jogging along with an infant in a front-mounted carrier, both dressed appropriately for the morning chill. The child even had a race bib pinned to her pink puffer jacket, in what was either a bold attempt at humour or the most ambitious case of “kids race” misunderstanding ever seen.
According to tracking data, the man set off in the first wave of the full marathon at 6:25am and made it to the 15km mark in just over two hours. He was reportedly moving at about nine minutes per kilometre, which is fairly leisurely for a solo runner, and heroic for someone carrying a small passenger who didn’t ask to be there.
It was around this point that race officials spotted the setup and asked the man to leave the course. He was later disqualified for breaching event rules, and the organiser, the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates (HKAAA), released a statement confirming that carrying infants was, unsurprisingly, not permitted.
The incident caused a stir online after videos and photos were shared widely. The reaction has ranged from disbelief to concern, with many questioning the runner’s judgment and others marvelling at the child’s calmness during what for many adults is a gruelling ordeal.
There’s no word yet on what possessed him to try it. Some have suggested it was a misguided parenting stunt. Others think he might simply have had no childcare. Either way, it’s clear he misread the nature of the event. It’s a city marathon, not a family day out.
While the baby appeared unharmed and mostly oblivious to the chaos, the decision has sparked discussion about safety and common sense at large-scale races. It’s also raised questions like: who pinned the bib on her? And was she officially registered?
For now, the man is off the results list, the baby is presumably back in a cot, and race officials are probably drafting some very specific additions to next year’s rulebook.
