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What is the Hong Kong 100 Ultra-Trail Race?

The Hong Kong 100, inaugurated in 2011, is the city's original individual 100-kilometer race. This year's event was the fifth edition and the first race of the 11-stop series of the Ultra-Trail World Tour, and attracted trail runners from all over the world.

The race starts in Pak Tam Chung on the Sai Kung Peninsula and covers some of the most beautiful scenery in Hong Kong, including remote and unspoiled beaches, ancient forests, nature trails, reservoirs and steep hills. The cutoff time is 30 hours.

This year, 1,659 runners stood at the starting line, and 1,318 finished the race on time. There were 188 gold awards (under 16 hours), 385 silvers (under 20 hours) and 471 bronzes (under 24 hours).

Yan Longfei from the Chinese mainland won the men's title this year in nine hours and 52 minutes, setting the race's record. Hong Kong's Wyan Chow Pui Yan snatched the women's title in 12 hours and 24 minutes, the third fastest time by a woman in the event.

How to join the race?

There is no requirement to have completed any other particular event. You do, however, need to be an experienced trail runner and must be sufficiently skilled and trained. Applicants must submit a ballot in a lottery that opens in September on the official website www.hk100-ultra.com, with a nonrefundable charitable donation of HK$100 (80 yuan). Successful applicants are drawn from the ballot and pay an entry fee of HK$1,200.

Where to stay?

The Pak Tam Chung Holiday Village and the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village are basic, very cheap and a bit like a scout camp. They are both located near the starting line. Regal Riverside Hotel (www.regalriverside.com) in Shatin district costs me about HK$700 per night. It takes from 20 to 30 minutes in a taxi (about HK$120) from there to the starting line.

How to see the race first-hand?

You can register to take a VIP coach arranged by organizers to the start, finish and various checkpoints along the way. It leaves for the start at 6:30 am from Causeway Bay on the day of the event and visits various checkpoints to follow the rare. The tour will finish at Tai Mo Shan Rotary Club Park, where you can wait for the champions to cross the finish line.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 02/20/2015 page25)