Chow Yun-fat aims for half marathon finish under 2 hours before reaching 80

Chow Yun-fat and his wife attend the Busan Film Festival in South Korea in 2024. Photo by AFP

While his time of 2 hours and 24.33 minutes at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Feb. 9 was modest, Chow’s star power stole the show. Fans rushed in for photos and reporters swarmed him for interviews. The 69-year-old actor’s presence nearly overshadowed the elite runners.

"I’m not rushing to run a full marathon. If I can run a sub-2-hour half marathon by 80, I’ll be satisfied," Chow told the press after the race.

Chow, an iconic figure in Hong Kong cinema since the 1970s, is best known for his roles in "Crouching Tiger", "Hidden Dragon", "God of Gamblers" and "The Legend of Fuyao". He took up running at 60 to alleviate back pain caused by decades of stunt-heavy acting. Convinced that running and walking improve posture, he's maintained a daily half-hour workout ever since.

To elevate his training, Chow hired Su Kai-nam, a renowned Hong Kong running coach. Su, a former long-distance record-holder and head coach of the Nike Run Club, has trained numerous celebrities, including the wife of singer Eason Chan.

Chow’s half-marathon journey began in November 2023, when he debuted at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge event, finishing in 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 56 seconds. At the time, he avoided drinking water during the race, fearing it would affect his result. Despite his efforts, he faced criticism upon returning home.

This year’s race brought more encouragement as Chow’s wife of 38 years, Jasmine Tan, waited for him at the finish line with a gift.

After the race, Chow told the South China Morning Post that he would go for a bowl of faux shark fin soup, a Hong Kong street snack staple, or "good dim sum", adding that he might consider taking part in races overseas.