The proper term is also-ran陪跑, I say also-swam陪游because it describes exactly what I did yesterday 6 Oct 2013.
I had been an also-ran in 2 half-marathons -- a Standard Chartered & once in Macao. Thrice an also-walked in the really gruelling 100km Trailwalker, and twice in the 50km Greenpower Island Trail; as well as twice an also-swam in the New Year Winter Swim from Middle Bay to Repulse Bay.

I very much wanted to join the Cross-Harbour Swim for exactly the same reason as that said by the guy who was waiting next to me for the start and who was interviewed by TVB: to follow in the footsteps of my late father who did it sixty-odd years ago while a King's Sea-Scout. Ever since the suspension of the event in the late seventies, I have much regretted not taking part in it 40 years ago as a teenager, my time then would have been more respectable. I applied to join in 2012, although I qualified for the time trial more than 2 minutes within the threshold of swimming 1,500m in 45 minutes, I was some 50% slower than 40 years ago. Under last year's system of admitting the fastest 1,800 qualified applicants, I was left out of the race. In 2013, the # of entrants is increased to 2,000 and a leisure category is created, within which participants are picked from the pool of qualified applicants by means of drawing lots. I got second-time-lucky & was the beneficiary of these new measures.
I'd like to acknowledge my sincere gratitude to my classmates A00 & Grey Ghost for receiving me at the finish point and taking pics of me.
My name is shown on page 7 of HKASA's records of the 2013 event
http://www.hkharbourrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Results_Leisurev2.pdf

2014年余第二次參加，這次非常幸運得到舊行家兼行山夥伴Michael答允在終點替余拍照。他目光銳利加上所用的超級神鏡+頂級全幅單反機, 能從頗遠的觀眾席捕捉到余在海中爬上終點浮橋,這是極少數參加者能享有的珍貴照片。衷心感謝Michael。