On Track to Save: Médecins Sans Frontières Hong Kong draws thousands to run for humanity

2026-03-13 - 01:07

Close to 4,000 athletes, celebrities and families gathered at the Hong Kong Science Park early Sunday morning, March 1, to join MSF’s large-scale running and orienteering competition and to support its international medical humanitarian work. In addition to the standard 10km and 3km running races, MSF revived its long-awaited orienteering event, offering a route suitable for both young children and sports enthusiasts. Close to 4,000 participants joined “On Track to Save” in 2026 to support the medical humanitarian work of MSF. Photo: MSF. Participants of all ages – including families and athletes – embarked on a simulated lifesaving journey by completing tasks and checkpoints within a time limit around Science Park, near the coast in Pak Shek Kok in northeastern Hong Kong. They had to transport medical supplies or answer quizzes about infectious diseases, and got to learn more about MSF’s global lifesaving humanitarian work while taking on a fun and sportive challenge. “Humanitarian work shares much in common with long-distance running, as both require steadfast persistence and dedication.” marathon record holder Wong Wan-Chun “Orienteering is like our work in the frontlines as both require perseverance and flexibility,” Chiu Cheuk-Pong, President of MSF Hong Kong, told HKFP in Cantonese. “The idea is that we need to plan our routes to the project sites, but there can be lots of uncertainties on the ground, so our aid workers would need to find a different route quickly if the first one didn’t work out.” MSF workers often face difficulty accessing regions under conflict or disasters in more than 70 countries around the world. They’d ride off-road vehicles or travel by water to get to where they need to be, said Dr. Wilson Li, vice-president of MSF Hong Kong and an orthopaedics and trauma specialist. Participants in the orienteering competition need to complete various tasks within a set time limit, challenging both their stamina and speed. Photo: MSF. MSF Hong Kong launched its first annual orienteering competitions in 2002. Stepping into its 24th year, the event now expanded to include running races to encourage a wider range of participants. This year’s race adopted the theme “Every Second Counts – Run to Save Lives,” and highlighted three life-threatening diseases that often require rapid response : cholera, malaria, and noma. The annual event was a resounding success, drawing a wide range of supporters, from local celebrities and athletes to young families and migrant caregivers— all sharing the same spirit of solidarity. Of those runners leading the race was Hong Kong’s 10km, half-marathon and marathon record holder Wong Wan-Chun, who joined the event for the first time. “Humanitarian work shares much in common with long-distance running, as both require steadfast persistence and dedication. I hope fellow runners can enjoy this sports-for-charity occasion and continue to stay engaged with the meaningful humanitarian work of MSF,” he said. The well‐loved orienteering competition returned this year, with the family category drawing an overwhelming response, inspiring the next generation with the spirit of humanitarian action. Photo: MSF. Among the orienteering participants were mother-and-daughter duo Michelle and ten-year-old Jamie. “I joined On Track to Save in previous years, it was quite challenging. There aren’t a lot of these orienteering events suitable for kids, so I thought we should come have some fun. Kids like treasure hunting,” said Michelle, the mother, in Cantonese. “I’m not very good with a compass, but we’ll try.” Another family of orienteering veterans said they’ve been supporters of MSF’s orienteering event for about a decade. “We first attended in 2016, my husband and our whole family love it,” said Mrs. Hung. She joined with both her son and daughter, who are 16 and 12 years old. “My son wants to win a prize this year, so he’s set off earlier.” Also among the runners were a group of 16 Filipina migrant caregivers and volunteer swim coaches, who dedicated their only day off to take part in the 3km race. “We just want to enjoy and have a day out here, support MSF and also ourselves, physically and mentally,” said Nessie of the group. This year’s competition adopts the theme “Every Second Counts – Run to Save Lives,” using booth games and exhibition installations to highlight three life-threatening diseases that require rapid response. Photo: MSF. Aside from the outdoor races, the event featured an exhibition showcasing MSF’s initiatives worldwide and educational booth games educating participants about disease outbreaks and treatments. MSF provides emergency medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare, but its water, hygiene and sanitation specialists also set up vector-disease control measures, built shower and latrines, established the infrastructure required to dispose of sewage and clinical waste, helping to prevent the spread of diseases like cholera. Participants could step inside a simulated inflatable medical tent equipped with tools that MSF aid workers typically use in the field. These include a hanging scale for weighing babies, colour-coded plastic strips for measuring the upper arm circumference of children to quickly identify those suffering from severe malnutrition, peanut-based therapeutic food given to the malnourished children, as well as basic mosquito nets that prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. MSF aid workers often have to work under extremely constrained resources in challenging environments and under limited time, so these basic yet effective tools can help them go a long way. In 2025, MSF has continued to respond to some of the world’s most urgent crises, including the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond, as people in those regions grappled for survival facing violence and diseases. Hong Kong’s 10km, half‐marathon, and marathon record holder Wong Wan‐Chun, joining the “On Track to Save” 10km run for the first time, said he hopes runners will stay engaged with the medical humanitarian work of MSF. Photo: MSF. Among its global initiatives last year, the organisation rolled out a programme in Ethiopia and Chad to inoculate children with a newly developed and low-cost malaria vaccine. Malaria prevention used to rely primarily on taking a weeks-long course of oral medication, which was hard to administer in places like refugee camps. The World Health Organization estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths in 2024 alone. MSF is financially independent, with over 98 per cent of its funding coming from private donors giving small amounts. These enable the organisation to provide swift and impartial humanitarian aid in complex environments and conflict zones based solely on medical needs. “MSF teams around the world are racing against deadly infectious diseases, working to contain their spread while treating those who are infected. Saving lives requires not only speed, but also the resources needed to provide essential medical care. The support from everyone here today empowers our frontline teams,” said Chiu, the MSF Hong Kong President. Paid for by MSF HK.