HONG KONG – The Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, one of the city’s most-anticipated sporting events, is set to be held on Jan 18.

Targeting youth aged between 10 and 15, a special Youth Run will be held at Kai Tak Sports Park on Jan 17 before the main race day.

Organizers have rolled out a "Support Small Businesses, Cheer on the City" campaign.

More than 700 participating small businesses are displaying cheering posters and stickers, while over 150 restaurants will offer marathon-themed food, beverages, or special perks to help runners prepare. Ten featured shops have given their storefronts a marathon-themed makeover.

The total prize pool for this year’s event is $314,800. Runners who break the current course record will receive a $12,000 bonus.

Toys and dreams

The 52nd Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair will open on Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, creating a platform for cutting-edge toy brands to connect with global business buyers.

The four-day event will introduce a new Pop & Play pavilion, which will showcase about 150 trendy intellectual properties, including B.Duck, CardFun, and Hot Toys.

Some IPs will launch fair premieres and global limited-edition collectibles, including Momoland’s debut dolls and CM Concepts Limited’s Mazinger Z Playing Cards, capped at 1,500 sets globally.

The fair will also roll out a new Happy Ageing label to highlight toys and games designed for seniors or for intergenerational families.

The event will run alongside the 17th Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and the 24th Hong Kong International Stationery & School Supplies Fair, bringing together more than 2,600 exhibitors from 37 countries and regions, including first-time participants from Bangladesh, New Zealand and Norway.

WAIC UP!

The World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) will hold its “2026 WAIC UP! Global Summit” on Friday at the Hong Kong Science Park, with the aim of discussing advances in AI technologies, commercial applications, and governance frameworks.

Speakers include Piero Scaruffi, founder of Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence Research Institute; Silicon Valley-based venture investor Steve Hoffman; Guo Yike, a fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences; and Harry Shum, a foreign member of the National Academy of Engineering of the United States.

Semiconductor ecosystem

Zhuhai is set to host the Greater Bay Area Compound Semiconductor Ecosystem and Application Conference and Semiconductor Industry CEO Leadership Conference from Jan 18 to 19.

The event aims to pool resources and advance the city’s semiconductor industry toward higher levels of development.

The conference will invite over 60 guests, including experts, academicians, and senior executives from leading industry enterprises to share cutting-edge technologies and strategic insights, and explore industry innovations from diverse perspectives.