And it was a wonderful way to mark the end of Volvo's sponsorship of this event, which they have admirably supported over the years.

BBC: SPORT | Golf | An extraordinary day of golf

This wasn't the first time two banks dueled over sponsorship of a major Hong Kong event.

WSJ: UBS Secures Global Art Basel Sponsorship

Along with friend John Disley, Brasher secured sponsorship for the event then got the blessing of the Greater London Council, the police and athletics authorities to bring the marathon to the capital.

BBC: The history of the London Marathon

The event also brings in major sponsorship deals, with three of the top six partners already named as BMW, Rolex and drinks giant Diageo.

BBC: Scotland Ryder Cup campaign stepped up

That would mean relatively small expenditures for the big companies that dominate the event's sponsorship activity, a worthwhile price for boosting your image in front of thousands of wealthy sports fans.

FORBES: Open Sponsors, Open Wallets

The Visa deal is the latest example of the tight control that sponsors and global event organisers exert over arrangements after paying for sponsorship rights.

BBC: Olympics 2012: Fans must use Visa for tickets