Macau, 31 December 2024

To celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 25^th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macau SAR, and the 40^th Anniversary of the Guangdong-Macau Interconnection, the “2024 Fourth Round of the Macau Long-Distance Running League: CEM New Year’s Eve Run” was successfully held today (31 December) at the Coloane Power Station. The event was co-organized by Companhia de Electricidade de Macau - CEM, S.A. (CEM) and General Association of Athletics of Macau, with support from the Sports Bureau of the Macau SAR Government and the General Volunteers Association of Macao. Over a thousand runners participated in the event, celebrating these three significant milestones while enjoying the fun of long-distance running, adding special meaning to New Year’s Eve.

Chan Bu Qian, President of the General Association of Athletics of Macau, expressed his gratitude for the strong support from CEM for the fourth round of the association’s Long-Distance Running League. He is also honored to cooperate with CEM in organizing this event, which is of significant meaning to the association, introducing new ideas and models, and providing a better platform for future events. He welcomes support from all sectors of society. Finally, he thanked CEM again for meticulously preparing the New Year’s Eve event, welcoming the arrival of 2025 for the residents of Macau and long-distance running enthusiasts.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Bernie Leong, Chairman of CEM Executive Committee, emphasized that this year is not only a “dual anniversary year” but also marks the 40^th Anniversary of the Guangdong-Macau Interconnection, making it especially significant. He warmly welcomed runners from the Greater Bay Area who gathered at the Coloane Power Station during this special moment to welcome 2025 together. As a member of the Macau community, CEM will continue to actively promote local sports activities to enhance social vitality.

The first-ever “CEM New Year’s Eve Run” organized by CEM featured multiple categories. The courses were approximately 8.7 kilometers for the Male and Female Youth, Open, Senior, Master, and Invited categories, and approximately 5 kilometers for the Male and Female Junior categories. The race started at 7:30pm with an opening ceremony officiated by a group of distinguished guests, including Zhao Heqing, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Social Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau SAR; Luís Gomes, President of the Sports Bureau of the Macau SAR Government; Leong Sun Iok and Wu Chou Kit, Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Macau SAR; Yang Peng, Deputy General Manager of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Department of China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd.; Eric Cheung, Senior Director of Power Systems at CLP Power Hong Kong Limited; Chan Bu Qian, President of the General Association of Athletics of Macau, and Bernie Leong, Chairman of CEM Executive Committee. To align with the theme of the Guangdong-Macau interconnection, runners from the power industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area were invited to participate. Additionally, all runners who completed the race within the designated time can visit the official website of the General Association of Athletics of Macau (www.aamc.org.mo) to check their results.

A runner with the surname Chan from the Junior category expressed great joy in participating in this meaningful New Year’s Eve run, saying that not only did he feel challenged by long-distance running, but he also had the opportunity to enter such a large power station and learn about the history of the Guangdong-Macau interconnection, creating unforgettable memories for New Year’s Eve.

To make the event more enjoyable, CEM introduced the “Most Creative Costume Award,” which included a Grand Prize of MOP3,000 in cash and ten Excellence Awards of MOP500 supermarket gift vouchers. Some participants dressed up elaborately with creative and energetic costumes, bringing a unique experience to the New Year’s Eve Run. CEM also prepared exhibition boards and a photo zone at the Coloane Power Station to commemorate the 40^th Anniversary of the Guangdong-Macau interconnection, allowing the public to enjoy sports while deepening their understanding of CEM and the Guangdong-Macau interconnection.

Other distinguished guests attending the event included Sio Hon Pan, Curator of the Macao Science Centre; Rachel Wong, General Manager of Customer Service Department of China Telecom; Yuan Han Jun, Vice Director of Macau Institution of People's Alliance; Ng Kin Wai, Standing Director of Macau Association of Building Contractors and Developers; Hong Wai Tong, President of Sports Committee of General Residents Association of Macau; Cheung Wing-ho and Chan Yiu Cheong,  Chairman and Publicity and Education Director of the Federation of Hong Kong Electrical & Mechanical Industries Trade Unions, along with directors from various departments of CEM.