A screen shot (inset) shows the price of a place on the marathon on Taobao. Quotas for the three races were filled within hours of being offered in September. Photos: Xinhua, skypost
EJ InsightToday, 10:42
Slots in next year’s Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon are being sold on a mainland website for as much 1,800 yuan (US$283), five times the registration fee.
Resellers on Taobao.com are taking advantage of surging demand for quotas for the Jan. 17 race which marks the 20th anniversary of the event, according to Sky Post.
Online applications for the marathon, half-marathon and 10-kilometer race opened in September.
All quotas were filled within hours.
Organizers said they reserve the right to cancel applications with false or incomplete information.
Some previous participants cheated their way into the race by photocopying entry numbers.
Also, some people took the place of registered runners who could not make it.
Lawyer Vitus Leung said this type of cheating could allow a participant to produce a better result.
It could constitute fraud even if no money is involved, he said.
The maximum penalty for the offense is 14 years’ imprisonment.
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