Police Constable Wong Siu-ping emerged the victor as the fastest local female runner in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon held in February. She came second in the Veteran Category. Her time was 3:08:47, just 34 seconds behind the Japanese winner.
This outstanding achievement was a pleasant surprise for Siu-ping because she did not achieve a high ranking in the same race last year.
Stationed at the District Intelligence Section of Tsuen Wan Police District, Siu-ping has participated in marathons since 2003. Within just two years, she made a name for herself in athletic circles and won several races.
Though her potential was recognised during training at Police Training School in 1988, Siu-ping was never keen on running, mainly for fear of getting tanned skin.
However, Siu-ping had second thoughts after her transfer to Sha Tin District in 2003. Many of her colleagues there enjoyed running and invited her to participate. She joined to be sociable, but as time went by she became more interested in the sport and put her dislike of tanned skin behind her.
She also found running to be beneficial to her health. "I used to catch the cold almost every month, but I feel more energetic now and less stressed after running. It's good for my perseverance, will-power and confidence as I push myself to the limit when racing!"
Looking ahead, Siu-ping hopes to win more trophies. Being the leading Hong Kong runner in the Women's Category in this year's Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, she will represent Hong Kong in an international marathon to be held in Tokyo, Japan at the end of this year. She looks forward to breaking her record by finishing the race in less than three hours.
Siu-ping takes part in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon