六月同JET Magazine的記者做訪問，談到外國跑馬拉松。論數目，我參加的馬拉松其實並不多，只是較「國際化」而已。
很多比賽已是前塵往事，圖上的風景已開始覺得陌生，距離現在的工作生活相當遙遠。
只好安慰自己，也算曾經擁有過。
(若大家喜歡我鏡頭下的馬拉松風景，不妨Click樂施會的標誌，資助他們的扶貧工作)
2013年7月13日星期六
《我跑過的884公里》．JET Magazine訪問
六月同JET Magazine的記者做訪問，談到外國跑馬拉松。論數目，我參加的馬拉松其實並不多，只是較「國際化」而已。
很多比賽已是前塵往事，圖上的風景已開始覺得陌生，距離現在的工作生活相當遙遠。
只好安慰自己，也算曾經擁有過。
2012年10月16日星期二
穿跑鞋 走馬看世界．《明報》16/10
都係呢句：禮失求諸野，希望激發多些人出去跑步，見識外面馬拉松的世界。
PS：我於六月跟樂施會開了一個籌款戶，放在Blog的上方，若各位捐$200或以上，我送一本書給大家
《42公里的風光》，答謝大家對樂施會的捐助。
捐款者可以capture screen(按一下print screen， 然後去小畫家選擇paste，互聯網的畫面便出現了)為憑據，然後告訴我郵寄地址，我把書寄給大家。My email is hiuyeung_chong@yahoo.com.hk。希望可以盡一分綿力，協助發展中國家的貧苦大眾。
我的目標是一年之內籌$6,000，等於一隊香港毅行者的最低籌款額，希望在讀者支持下達到目標。
2012年6月20日星期三
馬拉松Tee Collection．《新假期》
我的所有衫可以裝滿半個大阪馬拉松發的行李袋，記者成袋取回公司拍攝，到取回貨時才發現個袋爛了。記者也將Dublin認錯做杜拜，Dublin是都柏林，愛爾蘭首都；杜拜的英文是Dubai。
外國馬拉松Tee之多，有生之年也穿不完，但我又捨不得穿，特別是在香港穿，因為著衫的目的除了蔽體只有show off，香港沒有多少人了解這些衫有甚麼價值。唯一較多穿的，是佛羅倫斯馬拉松送的Asics藍色風褸，設計相當不錯，也是我參加唯一一個送風褸的比賽。
但去採訪外國馬拉松時，Tee大派用場了，每天穿不同的比賽Tee，挑一些較少亞洲人參與的歐洲賽（佛羅倫斯、都柏林等），識貨的行家就知道你的確身經百戰，多了三分尊重。
有些比賽不會發Tee給記者，例如大阪馬拉松和Medoc馬拉松；洛杉磯馬拉松的Tee只有女裝，我已送人了。
當你的Tee累積一定數目的後，主辦單位發不發Tee給採訪記者也沒有所謂。有是Bonus、無也不緊要。
以上唯一一件花真金白銀買的，是Medoc的紅色背心，但我已忘記多少元了，印象中是10歐元有找（所以才購買）。
2012年5月12日星期六
（貼舊訪問）治癒系人生長跑手．4/1/2009．《星期天明報》
（我自己也沒有這三年前的訪問記錄，要從公園仔的Blog借來用用。）莊曉陽回港度聖誕假，新年過後他會返回英國。問他之後有什麼打算，他答﹕「我也不知道呢，現在最好告訴我只剩一年命，那我就不用煩。」如果我是阿陽的女友，一定掌他嘴巴。
我和何榮宗都不是記者，不太懂問問題，遇到被訪對象不想多談時，也不追問。我們不過聽聽別人說故事。
請莊曉陽找3張照片來說故事給我們聽，他沒有拿出在婚宴錄像中幾乎一定有的嬰兒黑白相，也沒有中小學的照片，甚至連大學的照片都沒有（我的facebook加入阿陽前，反而見過他在大學時代的照片）。
反正莊曉陽就是選了3張大學畢業後的「近代」照。他有如此的選擇，我們也沒異議。阿陽以前是採訪本地政治新聞的記者，第一張照片是他和其他行家與董伯伯的合照，那時他入行不久。拿着照片他才發現自己沒有特別東西好說，只道照片中的七八個記者來自兩家報館，如今大部分都轉行了。
他臨場改變主意，叫我自己去報館的資料庫找，應該會找到一張和煲呔曾同枱的合照，這照片家家報館都應該有，因為背後有個笑話﹕曾特首當時出訪新加坡，約了各大傳媒晚上9時在著名
的黃阿細吃肉骨茶。電視台隊伍下午就先去了探路，抵達才發現黃阿細每日下午2時便關門，店內的伙計正在洗地板，也沒有打算為我們這個香港來的長官特別加開
晚市。結果那張傳媒大合照，是在一家叫阿華的肉骨茶店拍的。當時是○六年，阿陽覺得，這是他記者生涯中，比較有趣的在外採訪經歷。
當記者時討厭採訪人大選舉
有沒有比較討厭的採訪經驗呢？當然有，是○二年採訪人大選舉。阿陽說自己身為記者，專業本能希望讓讀者多認識候選人，從而幫助他們選擇，但這種想法根本不可能在人大選舉中實踐。那些分明不是好人的，無論如何還是會當選，市民也覺得這些港區代表與自己毫無關係，無奈報章還是要循例報道一下選情。太沒意思了，所以阿陽當時就跟自己暗暗許下諾言，冀望日後不需要再去採訪人大選舉。
○七年底人大換屆，阿陽趕及在夏天辭去記者的工作，拿到獎學金到英國修讀中東研究。他給我們的另外兩張照片，一張是去倫大報到前，在也門拍的；一張 則是今年年初，在巴塞隆拿跑馬拉松時拍的。當政治記者、研究中東和到世界各地旅遊兼跑馬拉松，大概代表了阿陽大學畢業後人生最主要的三個方面。
談到馬拉松，阿陽基本上可以說個不完。我們的一個多小時訪問中，差不過有一半時間是在談馬拉松，然後當中又有大半時間，是在數落香港辦的比賽如何不 及外國，例如香港不會讓你在最旺的大街上跑，讓跑手與人接觸；又例如香港不會給足夠時間讓有能力但跑得比較慢的跑手完成賽事，只想盡快收工還原賽道。
跑過外國馬拉松益見港不足
「他們想你最好天未光就跑完，整個賽事有如隱形。」阿陽說馬拉松在倫敦、紐約、東京、巴黎都是吸引外國人國際盛事，香港自譽為亞洲國際都會，很多細節連普通歐洲城市都及不上。「在巴塞隆拿的照片正是在當地最旺的大街上拍，他們的酒吧還未開門，卻會拿出火腿和啤酒來贈予參賽者享用。」阿陽後來告訴我， 今年除了會留在英國找工作，有出版社委約他寫一本關於在外國跑馬拉松的書，他會在歐洲做資料蒐集和訪問。
我們在訪問時察覺到一個有趣的事實﹕阿陽並不是那種學生時代就玩長跑的人。他開始長跑，是當了記者之後。「當港聞記者一般都是午夜才收工，我通常回 到家吃點東西，凌晨一兩點才跑，那時街上寂靜無人，跑起來很舒服。工作有時有壓力，跑步可以減壓，又可以強身健體。」
跟很多香港人都一樣，阿陽都會有「做那行厭那行」的情况，會有消沉的時候﹕「所以要以跑步作為興趣，保持做人有目標、有份熱誠。可能我比較實際，發現自己也可以跑到長距離，就開始參加香港的賽事。」
也門學阿拉伯文也借槍拍照
談過長跑，然後說在也門提着機關槍的故事﹕「○五年我去了以色列、巴勒斯坦和約旦一個月，旅行和當義工，對中東產生了興趣，也發覺自己知得太少，所 以後來再讀書就選了研究中東。」他去也門是參加一個阿拉伯文課程，希望自己在倫敦的學習有些基礎。
「照片是假日學校安排我們去郊遊時拍的，地點在也門首都 附近的山區Shiban，剛巧遇上有婚禮舉行，人們都在跳舞。我其實也不懂太多阿拉伯語，都是身體語言搭夠，膽粗粗的問他們借槍來拍照。」
阿陽說也門很封閉，但因此也未受外來污染，在這裏學到的阿拉伯文也特別古典正宗。當地人都很淳樸，坐巴士時和他聊天，下車時會分些手上的葡萄給他。我問阿陽怕不怕經他介 紹後，也門這片人間淨土從此會受到旅遊業所破壞。「應該不用擔心，因為西方國家稱也門與蓋達有聯繫，是邪惡組織的基地。」
莊曉陽過去在倫敦時，不時會為香港的報刊撰寫有關中東的特稿。讀過這些文章，我很自然把他與沈旭暉、張翠容看齊，視他為「中東專家」，但阿陽是個謙虛的人，他說自己可能比一般香港人知多一點，問題是他始終不諳阿拉伯文，也沒有在中東長期生活，自然也難以體會當地人的思維。他知道的中東都是英文為主的 二手資訊，所以根本沒有什麼專家可言。
莊曉陽今年踏入而立之年，推算一下，「六四」時他才是個小學生，中學時是移民潮後香港市道最暢旺的幾年，反而到了他要自己養活自己時，經濟就開始走 下坡。我不太清楚四代香港人是怎樣分組，但何榮宗和我在阿陽身上總是找到一些與慣常現象相反的東西。
例如我們以為一般人都是在大學很活躍很有理想，踏進社 會就變得實際，但阿陽的馬拉松和旅行卻是為了平衡磨人的工作才展開的。「我覺得讀書比工作忙碌得多，工作反而會下班，下了班時間就是自己的了。」這樣的解釋似乎也有道理。
記者的人工是不是偏低呢？「我總認為賺萬五花一萬，比賺十萬花了九萬九的富足。我除了工作，興趣就是跑步，花費有限，看電影我買百老匯電影中心的通行證，全年任睇也不過一千元。」
莊曉陽覺得現在留在英國，比較有機會學以致用。他由天到晚在外面跑，何榮宗問他有沒有得到家人的支持，阿陽卻坦言他幾兄弟姐妹與父親的關係都不好， 所以各人都想早點「離家出走」。看來在不美滿的家庭中成長，也不一定就會引領一個人走進灰暗的人生，最終還是要看每個人自己的修為。
「縱諸般不是 都會回來報答」
回香港過聖誕，莊曉陽最感動的是香港的交通費比歐洲便宜得多。「麥記也是數一數二的便宜，不過你可以想像到香港的工資……」談到香港的政治和馬拉松比賽，阿陽都有不少埋怨，但他說長遠而言他還是會回歸香港的﹕「這種想法是一個記者行家給我的，他說香港就算有諸般不是，但我們現在有的都是這個地方給予 的。
比方說我現在能周遊列國，中東非洲哪裏都能去，具體來說就是因為有個特區護照。假如我不是生在香港，就不一定有這個條件。又例如我現在拿英國文化協會 的獎學金讀書，如果在大陸，要爭到一個獎學金的機會就難得多了。」所以應該回來報答一下這個地方。
莊曉陽說﹕「時間過得很快，但人生卻很漫長，還有很多年要捱。」要他解釋當中含意，他卻說自己有幾個好朋友都早死，生命其實很脆弱，所以做人應該學 習大前研一，「想做的事就去做」。結果解釋都是在說人生短暫，跟他原來說的人生漫長有點矛盾。不過有一點可以肯定﹕阿陽是個活在當下的人，何榮宗說他是個身體力行的存在主義者。
村上春樹曾對心理學家河合隼雄說﹕「聆聽其他人的各種故事對我很具療效。」認識阿陽的朋友都應該會同意，阿陽是個充滿正能量的人，聽他的故事具有治療作用。我們聽完莊曉陽的故事，和攝影師大哥一同離開。他說以前工作時會碰到阿陽，每次他都總是面帶笑顏。
笑着面對人生其實是一種自療，當我們自療時，也能治癒身邊的人。
什麼人問？
公園仔
別人稱他人為博客，他自稱是兩貓女的爸。
何榮宗
倫敦大學亞非學院博士畢業，研究人類學，教書為生。
什麼人答？
莊曉陽
在個人網誌《I travel therefore I am》上報稱現在的職業為自由作家，寫過本地政治新聞、中東、馬拉松，最近開始寫旅遊專欄。
原文刊於2009/01/04明報星期日生活
我和何榮宗都不是記者，不太懂問問題，遇到被訪對象不想多談時，也不追問。我們不過聽聽別人說故事。
請莊曉陽找3張照片來說故事給我們聽，他沒有拿出在婚宴錄像中幾乎一定有的嬰兒黑白相，也沒有中小學的照片，甚至連大學的照片都沒有（我的facebook加入阿陽前，反而見過他在大學時代的照片）。
反正莊曉陽就是選了3張大學畢業後的「近代」照。他有如此的選擇，我們也沒異議。阿陽以前是採訪本地政治新聞的記者，第一張照片是他和其他行家與董伯伯的合照，那時他入行不久。拿着照片他才發現自己沒有特別東西好說，只道照片中的七八個記者來自兩家報館，如今大部分都轉行了。
當記者時討厭採訪人大選舉
有沒有比較討厭的採訪經驗呢？當然有，是○二年採訪人大選舉。阿陽說自己身為記者，專業本能希望讓讀者多認識候選人，從而幫助他們選擇，但這種想法根本不可能在人大選舉中實踐。那些分明不是好人的，無論如何還是會當選，市民也覺得這些港區代表與自己毫無關係，無奈報章還是要循例報道一下選情。太沒意思了，所以阿陽當時就跟自己暗暗許下諾言，冀望日後不需要再去採訪人大選舉。
○七年底人大換屆，阿陽趕及在夏天辭去記者的工作，拿到獎學金到英國修讀中東研究。他給我們的另外兩張照片，一張是去倫大報到前，在也門拍的；一張 則是今年年初，在巴塞隆拿跑馬拉松時拍的。當政治記者、研究中東和到世界各地旅遊兼跑馬拉松，大概代表了阿陽大學畢業後人生最主要的三個方面。
談到馬拉松，阿陽基本上可以說個不完。我們的一個多小時訪問中，差不過有一半時間是在談馬拉松，然後當中又有大半時間，是在數落香港辦的比賽如何不 及外國，例如香港不會讓你在最旺的大街上跑，讓跑手與人接觸；又例如香港不會給足夠時間讓有能力但跑得比較慢的跑手完成賽事，只想盡快收工還原賽道。
跑過外國馬拉松益見港不足
「他們想你最好天未光就跑完，整個賽事有如隱形。」阿陽說馬拉松在倫敦、紐約、東京、巴黎都是吸引外國人國際盛事，香港自譽為亞洲國際都會，很多細節連普通歐洲城市都及不上。「在巴塞隆拿的照片正是在當地最旺的大街上拍，他們的酒吧還未開門，卻會拿出火腿和啤酒來贈予參賽者享用。」阿陽後來告訴我， 今年除了會留在英國找工作，有出版社委約他寫一本關於在外國跑馬拉松的書，他會在歐洲做資料蒐集和訪問。
我們在訪問時察覺到一個有趣的事實﹕阿陽並不是那種學生時代就玩長跑的人。他開始長跑，是當了記者之後。「當港聞記者一般都是午夜才收工，我通常回 到家吃點東西，凌晨一兩點才跑，那時街上寂靜無人，跑起來很舒服。工作有時有壓力，跑步可以減壓，又可以強身健體。」
跟很多香港人都一樣，阿陽都會有「做那行厭那行」的情况，會有消沉的時候﹕「所以要以跑步作為興趣，保持做人有目標、有份熱誠。可能我比較實際，發現自己也可以跑到長距離，就開始參加香港的賽事。」
談過長跑，然後說在也門提着機關槍的故事﹕「○五年我去了以色列、巴勒斯坦和約旦一個月，旅行和當義工，對中東產生了興趣，也發覺自己知得太少，所 以後來再讀書就選了研究中東。」他去也門是參加一個阿拉伯文課程，希望自己在倫敦的學習有些基礎。
「照片是假日學校安排我們去郊遊時拍的，地點在也門首都 附近的山區Shiban，剛巧遇上有婚禮舉行，人們都在跳舞。我其實也不懂太多阿拉伯語，都是身體語言搭夠，膽粗粗的問他們借槍來拍照。」
阿陽說也門很封閉，但因此也未受外來污染，在這裏學到的阿拉伯文也特別古典正宗。當地人都很淳樸，坐巴士時和他聊天，下車時會分些手上的葡萄給他。我問阿陽怕不怕經他介 紹後，也門這片人間淨土從此會受到旅遊業所破壞。「應該不用擔心，因為西方國家稱也門與蓋達有聯繫，是邪惡組織的基地。」
莊曉陽過去在倫敦時，不時會為香港的報刊撰寫有關中東的特稿。讀過這些文章，我很自然把他與沈旭暉、張翠容看齊，視他為「中東專家」，但阿陽是個謙虛的人，他說自己可能比一般香港人知多一點，問題是他始終不諳阿拉伯文，也沒有在中東長期生活，自然也難以體會當地人的思維。他知道的中東都是英文為主的 二手資訊，所以根本沒有什麼專家可言。
莊曉陽今年踏入而立之年，推算一下，「六四」時他才是個小學生，中學時是移民潮後香港市道最暢旺的幾年，反而到了他要自己養活自己時，經濟就開始走 下坡。我不太清楚四代香港人是怎樣分組，但何榮宗和我在阿陽身上總是找到一些與慣常現象相反的東西。
例如我們以為一般人都是在大學很活躍很有理想，踏進社 會就變得實際，但阿陽的馬拉松和旅行卻是為了平衡磨人的工作才展開的。「我覺得讀書比工作忙碌得多，工作反而會下班，下了班時間就是自己的了。」這樣的解釋似乎也有道理。
記者的人工是不是偏低呢？「我總認為賺萬五花一萬，比賺十萬花了九萬九的富足。我除了工作，興趣就是跑步，花費有限，看電影我買百老匯電影中心的通行證，全年任睇也不過一千元。」
莊曉陽覺得現在留在英國，比較有機會學以致用。他由天到晚在外面跑，何榮宗問他有沒有得到家人的支持，阿陽卻坦言他幾兄弟姐妹與父親的關係都不好， 所以各人都想早點「離家出走」。看來在不美滿的家庭中成長，也不一定就會引領一個人走進灰暗的人生，最終還是要看每個人自己的修為。
「縱諸般不是 都會回來報答」
回香港過聖誕，莊曉陽最感動的是香港的交通費比歐洲便宜得多。「麥記也是數一數二的便宜，不過你可以想像到香港的工資……」談到香港的政治和馬拉松比賽，阿陽都有不少埋怨，但他說長遠而言他還是會回歸香港的﹕「這種想法是一個記者行家給我的，他說香港就算有諸般不是，但我們現在有的都是這個地方給予 的。
比方說我現在能周遊列國，中東非洲哪裏都能去，具體來說就是因為有個特區護照。假如我不是生在香港，就不一定有這個條件。又例如我現在拿英國文化協會 的獎學金讀書，如果在大陸，要爭到一個獎學金的機會就難得多了。」所以應該回來報答一下這個地方。
莊曉陽說﹕「時間過得很快，但人生卻很漫長，還有很多年要捱。」要他解釋當中含意，他卻說自己有幾個好朋友都早死，生命其實很脆弱，所以做人應該學 習大前研一，「想做的事就去做」。結果解釋都是在說人生短暫，跟他原來說的人生漫長有點矛盾。不過有一點可以肯定﹕阿陽是個活在當下的人，何榮宗說他是個身體力行的存在主義者。
村上春樹曾對心理學家河合隼雄說﹕「聆聽其他人的各種故事對我很具療效。」認識阿陽的朋友都應該會同意，阿陽是個充滿正能量的人，聽他的故事具有治療作用。我們聽完莊曉陽的故事，和攝影師大哥一同離開。他說以前工作時會碰到阿陽，每次他都總是面帶笑顏。
笑着面對人生其實是一種自療，當我們自療時，也能治癒身邊的人。
什麼人問？
公園仔
別人稱他人為博客，他自稱是兩貓女的爸。
何榮宗
倫敦大學亞非學院博士畢業，研究人類學，教書為生。
什麼人答？
莊曉陽
在個人網誌《I travel therefore I am》上報稱現在的職業為自由作家，寫過本地政治新聞、中東、馬拉松，最近開始寫旅遊專欄。
原文刊於2009/01/04明報星期日生活
2010年2月21日星期日
For globe trotters, the place makes the race, 《SCMP》21/2/2010
（鬼報訪問我今天刊登，我是很幸運的。希望有朝一日，香港馬拉松可以是全世界最靚、最有風味、沿途食物站供應蝦餃燒賣的城市馬拉松，吸引世界各地的跑手來港參賽旅遊。）
Chong Hiu-yeung ran in the Athens Classic Marathon in November, along the route Greek soldier Pheidippides took from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the Persians' defeat in the Battle of Marathon 2,500 years ago.
Finishing the Athens race meant that Chong, a former journalist, had left his footprints on 10 marathons around the globe. Only 13 days before, he ran in the Dublin Marathon in Ireland.
Chong and other runners say it is the place that makes the marathon, whether it is competing for charity in Cambodia or jogging through the Western Tunnel in the city's event.
Like most local runners, Chong's original motivation was to keep fit and take a break from the pressures of work. But Chong was not satisfied by running just in Hong Kong. Driven by curiosity, he wanted to race in other marathons abroad.
In the past two years he has run along the coast of southern France, from Nice to Cannes; seen the midnight sun in Norway; passed Loch Ness (but didn't see any monster); and ran through Bordeaux past the major wine producers - where he tasted free wine, oysters and cheese prepared by local residents.
Unfortunately, Sunday's Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon won't provide such experiences. Running abroad may have enriched his passion for other countries, but it has done little to deepen his love of running in Hong Kong.
"It is a good way of understanding a country and its culture by joining their marathons," he said. "I wouldn't have known how terrible our marathon was if I had never run overseas."
Chong said a marathon should be a city-wide event for every resident, an opportunity for local runners to see their city in the best possible light and an occasion to attract international runners. Unfortunately, Hong Kong's falls short on all counts, for him. "We have a world-class harbour; why can't we run along the harbourfront in Tsim Sha Shui and in the heart of Central? Why don't we run through the streets? Running a marathon here shouldn't mean we have to drag our already tired body through the Western Tunnel, climbing up roads and highways," he said.
That's not to say that everyone thinks like that about the Hong Kong Marathon. Some people over the past few weeks have even placed newspaper classified adverts offering to buy other competitors' race numbers. They missed the registration deadline so the only way they could compete this year was under someone else's name. It is against the rules, but just shows to what extent people will go when it comes to competing in Hong Kong.
Then there are the "ghost runners" - hardy souls who failed to meet the registration deadline but turn out to race anyway. They'll join in somewhere near the start and run the whole course before ducking out before the finish line, so officials do not notice that they have no racing number and are running illegally.
Once again it's against the rules and is normally frowned upon, but you can't say it is not in the spirit of the event. After all, when Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens he wasn't wearing a number, either.
But whatever the pros and cons of Hong Kong's race, the opportunity to run in different countries does bring with it an exotic dimension.
While Chong was travelling in various European countries and running in marathons, Natalie Chan also started her first attempt at running overseas. Chan likes sports, travel and charity work. She found a way to combine her interests by joining the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon in Cambodia last December.
"I hadn't been to Angkor Wat before and I wanted to visit the place. So when I found out there was a chance to raise money for underprivileged children in Cambodia by joining a half marathon at Angkor Wat, I decided to take part," Chan said. She invited friends to sponsor her run and then made a donation to the charity - the Indochina Starfish Foundation.
It also proved to be a special travel experience. "If I did not join the race, the visit would only have been a regular travel experience, like seeing the tourist attractions, shopping, eating and having fun," she said. "This time I was running through the ruins, while hundreds of local children were standing along the route encouraging the runners.
"It gave me a sense that I was connected to the local people and the community, an experience a regular visitor would not have had."
Chan plans to return to do the half marathon this year. She also wants to spend more time in Cambodia to visit the children the charity supported.
The person who inspired her to take up running is Martin Cubbon.
Cubbon's biggest challenge was in 2006, when he ran in the world's driest desert while competing in the Atacama Crossing, a six-day, 250 kilometre footrace across the Atacama Desert in Chile.
More than three years after he joined the race, Cubbon still keeps a small Chilean flag in his office, which was given to him by a child who was cheering the runners on.
Competitors have to carry their own clothes, food and sleeping bag as they are running. Each day is a different race, ranging from running 10 kilometres one day to doing a double marathon on another.
After running for days in the stunning, barren landscape, on his last day Cubbon ran through a valley and entered the small town of San Pedro.
"I saw a beautiful little church, a typical town square and there were kids cheering the runners," he said. "I was able to get closer to the local people and had a strong bond with them, though I was a foreigner in their country.
"Because you're part of the race, the community makes you feel more welcomed."
But running for Cubbon is not only a romantic way of visiting a foreign country by participating in a special local event - he likes the competition as well.
"I like competing, setting a target, trying to achieve it and doing well in it," he said.
For many competitors in Sunday's Hong Kong Marathon, no matter how bad the scenery may be, whether you're a legitimate or a "ghost runner", the same will apply.
Marathon sponsor StanChart says decision on disabled competitors is down to race organiser
Hong Kong Marathon sponsors Standard Chartered Bank preferred to remain on the sidelines yesterday rather than get into the discussion over whether disabled athletes should be allowed to compete.
The Hong Kong Marathon has no category for wheelchair athletes and the organiser, Hong Kong Amateur Athletics Association (HKAAA), has no intention of creating one for this year's event on Sunday, despite the fact that local endurance wheelchair athletes like Ajmal Samuel are well capable of taking part.
At the marathon's 2010 expo opening ceremony in Victoria Park yesterday, Standard Chartered made it clear the decision had nothing to do with them and was solely down to the race organiser.
"It is up to the HKAAA as to what categories there will be in the marathon," Standard Chartered's head of media and corporate affairs, Gabriel Kwan, said. "This type of decision is really not for us to make. It's up to the HKAAA who know exactly what the route is like and the possible safety concerns involved."
Hong Kong is one of nine marathons that Standard Chartered sponsors - the others are Singapore, Mumbai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Jersey, Nairobi and the Falklands - some of which give disabled competitors a chance to take part over certain distances.
"Different countries will of course have their own categories depending on the course. The categories are up to their own race organisers," Kwan said.
Samuel has competed in marathons, triathlons and half marathons all over the world. He said the race would never be classed as one of the world's best if it continued to prohibit wheelchair competitors.
He represented Hong Kong in 2006 at the All-China Disabled Biking Race, finishing second. The 43-year-old competed in the handcycling segment of the gruelling Tour de France in 2007, and in Singapore at the inaugural international Aviva-Ironman Triathlon in 2007, finishing second.
Despite Samuel's track record, Kwan Kee, chairman of the HKAAA, ruled out any hopes of him competing next week. "We have a very limited time to use the road and have a full field of runners. Because of this we do not have a category for wheelchair athletes," Kwan said.
He said London, Boston and New York had marathon courses that were better suited for wheelchair athletes.
Samuel disagreed, arguing that he competed in the Unicef Half-Marathon held at Hong Kong Disneyland last November, which had many huge gradients. Samuel coped easily, finishing 20th overall in a field of 3,000.
John Carney
Chong Hiu-yeung ran in the Athens Classic Marathon in November, along the route Greek soldier Pheidippides took from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce the Persians' defeat in the Battle of Marathon 2,500 years ago.
Finishing the Athens race meant that Chong, a former journalist, had left his footprints on 10 marathons around the globe. Only 13 days before, he ran in the Dublin Marathon in Ireland.
Chong and other runners say it is the place that makes the marathon, whether it is competing for charity in Cambodia or jogging through the Western Tunnel in the city's event.
Like most local runners, Chong's original motivation was to keep fit and take a break from the pressures of work. But Chong was not satisfied by running just in Hong Kong. Driven by curiosity, he wanted to race in other marathons abroad.
In the past two years he has run along the coast of southern France, from Nice to Cannes; seen the midnight sun in Norway; passed Loch Ness (but didn't see any monster); and ran through Bordeaux past the major wine producers - where he tasted free wine, oysters and cheese prepared by local residents.
Unfortunately, Sunday's Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon won't provide such experiences. Running abroad may have enriched his passion for other countries, but it has done little to deepen his love of running in Hong Kong.
"It is a good way of understanding a country and its culture by joining their marathons," he said. "I wouldn't have known how terrible our marathon was if I had never run overseas."
Chong said a marathon should be a city-wide event for every resident, an opportunity for local runners to see their city in the best possible light and an occasion to attract international runners. Unfortunately, Hong Kong's falls short on all counts, for him. "We have a world-class harbour; why can't we run along the harbourfront in Tsim Sha Shui and in the heart of Central? Why don't we run through the streets? Running a marathon here shouldn't mean we have to drag our already tired body through the Western Tunnel, climbing up roads and highways," he said.
That's not to say that everyone thinks like that about the Hong Kong Marathon. Some people over the past few weeks have even placed newspaper classified adverts offering to buy other competitors' race numbers. They missed the registration deadline so the only way they could compete this year was under someone else's name. It is against the rules, but just shows to what extent people will go when it comes to competing in Hong Kong.
Then there are the "ghost runners" - hardy souls who failed to meet the registration deadline but turn out to race anyway. They'll join in somewhere near the start and run the whole course before ducking out before the finish line, so officials do not notice that they have no racing number and are running illegally.
Once again it's against the rules and is normally frowned upon, but you can't say it is not in the spirit of the event. After all, when Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens he wasn't wearing a number, either.
But whatever the pros and cons of Hong Kong's race, the opportunity to run in different countries does bring with it an exotic dimension.
While Chong was travelling in various European countries and running in marathons, Natalie Chan also started her first attempt at running overseas. Chan likes sports, travel and charity work. She found a way to combine her interests by joining the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon in Cambodia last December.
"I hadn't been to Angkor Wat before and I wanted to visit the place. So when I found out there was a chance to raise money for underprivileged children in Cambodia by joining a half marathon at Angkor Wat, I decided to take part," Chan said. She invited friends to sponsor her run and then made a donation to the charity - the Indochina Starfish Foundation.
It also proved to be a special travel experience. "If I did not join the race, the visit would only have been a regular travel experience, like seeing the tourist attractions, shopping, eating and having fun," she said. "This time I was running through the ruins, while hundreds of local children were standing along the route encouraging the runners.
"It gave me a sense that I was connected to the local people and the community, an experience a regular visitor would not have had."
Chan plans to return to do the half marathon this year. She also wants to spend more time in Cambodia to visit the children the charity supported.
The person who inspired her to take up running is Martin Cubbon.
Cubbon's biggest challenge was in 2006, when he ran in the world's driest desert while competing in the Atacama Crossing, a six-day, 250 kilometre footrace across the Atacama Desert in Chile.
More than three years after he joined the race, Cubbon still keeps a small Chilean flag in his office, which was given to him by a child who was cheering the runners on.
Competitors have to carry their own clothes, food and sleeping bag as they are running. Each day is a different race, ranging from running 10 kilometres one day to doing a double marathon on another.
After running for days in the stunning, barren landscape, on his last day Cubbon ran through a valley and entered the small town of San Pedro.
"I saw a beautiful little church, a typical town square and there were kids cheering the runners," he said. "I was able to get closer to the local people and had a strong bond with them, though I was a foreigner in their country.
"Because you're part of the race, the community makes you feel more welcomed."
But running for Cubbon is not only a romantic way of visiting a foreign country by participating in a special local event - he likes the competition as well.
"I like competing, setting a target, trying to achieve it and doing well in it," he said.
For many competitors in Sunday's Hong Kong Marathon, no matter how bad the scenery may be, whether you're a legitimate or a "ghost runner", the same will apply.
Marathon sponsor StanChart says decision on disabled competitors is down to race organiser
Hong Kong Marathon sponsors Standard Chartered Bank preferred to remain on the sidelines yesterday rather than get into the discussion over whether disabled athletes should be allowed to compete.
The Hong Kong Marathon has no category for wheelchair athletes and the organiser, Hong Kong Amateur Athletics Association (HKAAA), has no intention of creating one for this year's event on Sunday, despite the fact that local endurance wheelchair athletes like Ajmal Samuel are well capable of taking part.
At the marathon's 2010 expo opening ceremony in Victoria Park yesterday, Standard Chartered made it clear the decision had nothing to do with them and was solely down to the race organiser.
"It is up to the HKAAA as to what categories there will be in the marathon," Standard Chartered's head of media and corporate affairs, Gabriel Kwan, said. "This type of decision is really not for us to make. It's up to the HKAAA who know exactly what the route is like and the possible safety concerns involved."
Hong Kong is one of nine marathons that Standard Chartered sponsors - the others are Singapore, Mumbai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Jersey, Nairobi and the Falklands - some of which give disabled competitors a chance to take part over certain distances.
"Different countries will of course have their own categories depending on the course. The categories are up to their own race organisers," Kwan said.
Samuel has competed in marathons, triathlons and half marathons all over the world. He said the race would never be classed as one of the world's best if it continued to prohibit wheelchair competitors.
He represented Hong Kong in 2006 at the All-China Disabled Biking Race, finishing second. The 43-year-old competed in the handcycling segment of the gruelling Tour de France in 2007, and in Singapore at the inaugural international Aviva-Ironman Triathlon in 2007, finishing second.
Despite Samuel's track record, Kwan Kee, chairman of the HKAAA, ruled out any hopes of him competing next week. "We have a very limited time to use the road and have a full field of runners. Because of this we do not have a category for wheelchair athletes," Kwan said.
He said London, Boston and New York had marathon courses that were better suited for wheelchair athletes.
Samuel disagreed, arguing that he competed in the Unicef Half-Marathon held at Hong Kong Disneyland last November, which had many huge gradients. Samuel coped easily, finishing 20th overall in a field of 3,000.
John Carney
2009年2月12日星期四
《I Money》雜誌訪問我
「問阿陽，他的人生若然沒有跑步，會是怎樣。思索了好一會，他才淡然地說：「人生就如一幅畫，欠缺了跑步，就沒有了其中一種顏色。」當然，財富也是另一隻主要的顏色，只是金錢失去了，可以再賺回來；但不用上班、可以奢侈地穿州過省，並且有體魄及鬥志一年內完成6個馬拉松，卻是人生中可一不可再的機會。
莊曉陽抓住了這一刻，當跑的路亦已跑盡，這就叫無憾。」
現在若再問我同一條問題，我仍是會答，跑步令我的人生，變得更多姿多采。我是透過跑步，欣賞世界各地的美，令我知道世界很大，人生有意思的事很多，活著多好。若沒有參加第一個比賽，也沒有現在的莊曉陽了。
P.1-2
P.3-4 
P.5-6
莊曉陽抓住了這一刻，當跑的路亦已跑盡，這就叫無憾。」
現在若再問我同一條問題，我仍是會答，跑步令我的人生，變得更多姿多采。我是透過跑步，欣賞世界各地的美，令我知道世界很大，人生有意思的事很多，活著多好。若沒有參加第一個比賽，也沒有現在的莊曉陽了。
P.1-2P.3-4 P.5-6
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