What Chow Yun-fat Said After Completing a 10km Marathon at Age 70

Chow Yun-fat Completes 10km Race
with a Time of 2 Hours and 23 Seconds

"The purpose of participating in this marathon was not to achieve a record, but to enjoy running together with my friends."

This is what Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat, renowned as a "marathon enthusiast," said after completing a marathon at the age of 70. The Malaysian media outlet The Star reported on January 20 (local time), "Hong Kong movie star Chow Yun-fat is 70 years old, but shows no signs of slowing down," delivering this news.

According to the report, Chow Yun-fat participated in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on January 18 and completed the 10-kilometer marathon with a time of 2 hours and 23 seconds. It was also reported that at the finish line at Victoria Peak, the event DJ played the theme song from Chow Yun-fat's film "God of Gamblers" to celebrate his completion of the race.

In an interview with local media, Chow Yun-fat shared, "Veteran actors such as Zheng Zhicai and Bao Qijing joined me in this run," adding, "If you add up the ages of those who ran, it reaches several hundred years. This year, the largest number of people participated in the run."

Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat is posing at the press conference for the 28th Busan International Film Festival's Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award held at KNN Theater in Haeundae-gu, Busan in 2023. Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "The result is not important. I just wanted to finish the run and greet people," and stated, "I hope that my participation in this marathon will inspire more elderly people to maintain an active lifestyle and participate in sports."

Chow Yun-fat, who began running at the age of 60, has participated in several marathon events held in Hong Kong every year. In a past interview, he said that he runs every day, adding, "When I run, no one recognizes me or asks for photos. Everyone respects me." He also shared, "Whether I jog alone or with someone else, it is now a fulfilling and enjoyable activity for me."

Actor Chow Yun-fat held a photo exhibition titled "Hong Kong Morning," capturing the mornings of Hong Kong, at Harbour City in Hong Kong in 2024. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Since his debut in 1973, Chow Yun-fat has been a legendary actor who led the renaissance of Hong Kong cinema in the 20th century. In 1980, the drama "The Bund" became a mega-hit, making him a national star in Hong Kong. He also gained immense popularity in Korea with the 1986 film "A Better Tomorrow," and established himself as a global movie star by entering Hollywood with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000.

Previously, Chow Yun-fat was spotted jogging last year, and concerns were raised about his health due to his muscular arms and legs. However, he dispelled such worries by actively participating in various marathon events. Recently, a Chinese actor who filmed a movie with Chow Yun-fat revealed that he lost 18 kilograms after jogging with Chow Yun-fat for several months, drawing attention.