16 - 22 Jan '24

Welcome to another edition of my holiday travel blog article. This time, I visited the Pearl of the Orient, Hong Kong. Hong Kong has always held a rustic charm with images of neon-lit shops and red-sail junk boats sailing at Victoria Harbour. It’s an interesting place filled with rich heritage where the East meets West. While my first trip to Hong Kong was more as a tourist visiting prominent landmarks and doing the occasional hike, my trip this time was to take part in the Hong Kong 100 race. I took part in the race together with my wife’s aunt and uncle, who are avid runners. Wifey was unable to join us due to work commitment. The HK100 race is based on the MacLehose trail, named after Hong Kong’s longest serving Governor when it was under British rule. The trail starts from the east and ends at the west of the Northern Territories, with one of the highlights being hiking up Hong Kong’s highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan. You can find out more about MacLehose trail at http://bigfourhk.com/maclehose-trail/.

I didn’t take part in the full 100 km ultramarathon but in the shorter 33km race, called The Third, which was held on 18 January. It was my first time taking part in an overseas race, lured by the opportunity to enjoy beautiful sights of Hong Kong’s nature in the New Territories. The images below show the race route and elevation details.

We arrived around two days before the race. Nothing much transpired as our focus was on the upcoming race. We spent the time walking around the Mong Kok and Sham Sui Po neighbourhoods in the morning of the second day. Old residential buildings lined the streets and there were many people exercising at the neighbourhood park. We collected our race packs in the afternoon at Hong Kong island before heading back to our hotel to rest.

Starting Point

The starting point of the race was at Pak Tam Chung, located at the east of the mainland side of Hong Kong. We arrived at the race village at around 7.15am. There were many runners from both Hong Kong and around the world, getting ready for the big race. After the safety briefing at 8am, the race directors flagged off the race. 8 hours of excitement ensued.

Start point to Support Point 1 (12km)

The first part of the trail was relatively easy. We were inside a forested trail for about an hour before exiting onto flat road. The flat roads formed the series of dams of East Dam in leg 1. I guessed it was intentionally made easier for everyone to enjoy the scenic views at the beginning.

Support Point 1 to Check Point 1 (10km)

After crossing Support Point 1, it was time for leg 2. The trail was relatively easy for the first 15 to 20 minutes with its well paved steps. Soon, we turned into a mountain pass. That was when it started became challenging. The trails were not gravelled, but filled with big rocks which required us to watch our footing. As the ascent was steep, we had to raise our legs high up just in order to reach the next rock. Fortunately, I had trekking poles to help push me up. I will write more about the trekking poles later.

Well, the climb up was never ending at that time :). Just as I thought that I had come to flat ground, it was time for another ascent. What comes up, must come down. Just as the hike up required huge steps, the hike down required huge steps downwards, placing a strain on our legs. Thank goodness for the trekking poles which helped to distribute and lessen the impact on the legs.

After coming down the mountain, we ran past a beautiful bay. To be honest, I didn’t know where and when exactly the photos were taken. I just know they were scenic at the point they were taken. :)

Check Point 1 to Finishing Point

The last leg was the most challenging leg of the race. The reason is the same as above, but more. As we had more to climb on even steeper and higher ground, pain from muscle cramps started to kick in. Each step hurt the muscles at the shin and thighs. The hike down required control of cramped muscles which slowed me down tremendously. I was in awe at the runners who could seemingly run down the hill effortlessly.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. After descending the steep mountain, it was 1km more to the finishing line on flat road. So, I successfully completed the race, albeit with strained legs. My aunt came in earlier by about 40 minutes. It was a great experience taking part in this trail run. I enjoyed navigating the terrains and absorbing the sights of nature. On hindsight, the equipment which provided the most utility to me was not the nutrition or running attire, but the trekking poles, without which it would have been impossible for me to complete the race.

Completing the race was not an easy feat. Kudos to those who took the challenge to complete the on another-level 100k ultra-trail marathon. I truly think they show great courage, mental strength and gumption to complete their race.

Thank you to the volunteers who cheered us on with ‘Ga Yau’ (literally translated to ‘add oil’ throughout the run. A special thank you to my wife’s uncle and some running group mates for their tremendous support. This is it for Part 1 of my Hong Kong trip. Click here for Part 2.