Jointly organized by the Macao Sports Development Board and the Macao Track and Field Association, and co-organized by the Macao 4th East Asian Games Organizing Committee, the 2003 Macao International Marathon, Half-Marathon and Mini-Marathon took place on December 7th. Mr. Vong Iao Lek, Acting President of the Macao Sport Development Board, presided over the opening ceremony. Dr. Mr. Chui Sai On, Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture, attended the award ceremony.
The competition this year was fierce. In the full-length marathon, lead runners remained in a tight pack right up to the final sprint. Sita Kasira from Zimbabwe won first place with a time of 2:15:58, finishing a full minute ahead of others and receiving a cash prize of USD 13,000. Kasirai beat the especially-invited Kenyan, Benjamin Matolo, who received second place and USD 6000. The third place winner was Mbogo from Kenya, who received a cash prize of USD 3,500. One other runner in the top five had a total time within 2:17 and received a special cash award of USD 3,000.
The total number of runners in the full-length marathon was 686, with 354 males and 332 females. 297 runners completed the race within the designated time; only one runner failed to reach the finish line. Native Macao athletes Lok Wai Kin, Kun Sio Pan and Lam Weng Hei positioned themselves 19th, 20th, and 22nd respectively, and Lok Wai Kin was first among our local athletes with a time of 2:45:58. Of the top 12 female athletes, Leong Lai Heong and Sou In Ngo were Macao natives while the rest were from Hong Kong. The top three females completed the full length of the race within 3:16:25, 3:26:52, and 3:29:13, respectively.
The half-marathon had the most participants. 1029 were male and 250 were female. Of these, 838 males and 160 females completed the race within the designated time. The top three males were Ng Yan Chi, Que Yin Tik and Lai Kat from Hong Kong who finished the race at times of 1:15:18, 1:17:22, and 1:17:25, respectively. Of the top 15 female runners, all but Macao’s Ieong Mei Na were from Hong Kong. The top three were Double Christine Angel, Lai Ka Wai and Cheung Sze Lam, who finished the half-marathon within 1:22:52, 1:24:53 and 1:32:27, respectively. Macao’s Ieong Mei Na finished 14th among the females running the half-marathon.
There were all together 1933 athletes who completed the full-length marathon within the designated time. After fierce competition, Sita Kasirai from Zimbabwe won first place in the male full-length marathon with a time of 2:15:58 and a total prize of USD 13,000 (including the special prize). The next two to cross the finish line were Benjamin Matolo and Mbogo Jeremiah Miano from Kenya. The top three females were all from Hong Kong: Leonard Catherine, Yeung Mei Lun and Hoogervorst Carola. The male/female half-marathon championship went to Ng Yan Chi and Double Christine Angel, respectively. Both were from Hong Kong.
