A first-ever cross-border marathon staged under China’s 15th National Games shut the Shenzhen Bay Port and adjoining Shenzhen Bay Bridge from 02:00 to about 11:00 on 15 November, forcing all passenger cars, coaches and trucks to reroute via Lok Ma Chau, Heung Yuen Wai or Man Kam To control points.
The 42.195-km race started and finished in Shenzhen but used a 21.85-km stretch of Hong Kong highway, making it the first athletics event to traverse the boundary under a single permit. During the closure, cross-boundary coach services and local buses to the port were suspended, while police implemented rolling roadblocks on Kong Sham Western Highway and Yuen Long approaches. Travellers unaware of the diversion faced delays of up to two hours.
![Cross-boundary marathon closes Shenzhen Bay Port, diverts traffic and coaches for nine hours]()
For logistics operators, the contingency illustrated the fragility of just-in-time trucking between Hong Kong and the western Pearl River Delta. Several freight forwarders activated fallback routes through Man Kam To, incurring extra mileage and customs-clearance queues. Corporate mobility managers with Saturday departures reported last-minute ticket changes as passengers scrambled to alternative land checkpoints.
Authorities defended the arrangement, citing international broadcast requirements and athlete safety. They pledged to review crowd-control and notification protocols before future cross-boundary sporting events, including the 2026 Greater Bay Area Half-Marathon Series.
Companies with regular cross-border commuters are advised to (1) subscribe to Transport Department SMS alerts, (2) build 90-minute buffers into Saturday itineraries during major events and (3) remind drivers that some insurance policies exclude sporting-event road closures.
The 42.195-km race started and finished in Shenzhen but used a 21.85-km stretch of Hong Kong highway, making it the first athletics event to traverse the boundary under a single permit. During the closure, cross-boundary coach services and local buses to the port were suspended, while police implemented rolling roadblocks on Kong Sham Western Highway and Yuen Long approaches. Travellers unaware of the diversion faced delays of up to two hours.
For logistics operators, the contingency illustrated the fragility of just-in-time trucking between Hong Kong and the western Pearl River Delta. Several freight forwarders activated fallback routes through Man Kam To, incurring extra mileage and customs-clearance queues. Corporate mobility managers with Saturday departures reported last-minute ticket changes as passengers scrambled to alternative land checkpoints.
Authorities defended the arrangement, citing international broadcast requirements and athlete safety. They pledged to review crowd-control and notification protocols before future cross-boundary sporting events, including the 2026 Greater Bay Area Half-Marathon Series.
Companies with regular cross-border commuters are advised to (1) subscribe to Transport Department SMS alerts, (2) build 90-minute buffers into Saturday itineraries during major events and (3) remind drivers that some insurance policies exclude sporting-event road closures.
