HONG KONG 100 KICKS OFF WORLD TRAIL MAJORS WITH LOCAL WINNERS

Posted by Corriendo la Vida on January 22, 2024 in hong kong 100 2024, trail running, trail running 2024, trail running calendar 2024, trail running spain, world trail majors, world trail majors 2024 | Leave a comment

HONG KONG 100 KICKS OFF WORLD TRAIL MAJORS WITH LOCAL WINNERS. Our ULTRA TRAIL section bring us the first event for the brand new World Trail Majors.

The 14th edition of the Anta Hong Kong 100 Ultramarathon was one for the history books. Unusually warm, it brought together some of the world’s best athletes to battle for glory and the first ever race on the newly launched World Trail Majors series.

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HONG KONG 100 KICKS OFF WORLD TRAIL MAJORS WITH LOCAL WINNERS.

At the press conference, there was much bravado from the male athletes who were predicting record times and several said that the target was under 10 hours – the record was set at 10:00:17 by You Peiquan who was in the race and chasing a third victory in Hong Kong – the women were more restrained and stayed guarded with their comments and predictions.

With the first half of the race running through the Sai Kung Peninsula on a mix of rugged and technical terrain or fast flowing trail, with hardly any middle ground, the second half runs through the mountains that are the backdrop to Hong Kong City, giving challenging terrain with even more elevation gain and would push the runners to the limit of their strength and stamina, even more so this year with unseasonal temperatures and humidity.

HONG KONG WOMEN RACES

The spotlight was initially on Hungarian resident in Hong Kong, Eszter Csillag, and Polish athlete Dominika Stelmach, but the unpredictable nature of ultra trail racing left room for surprises, particularly from the formidable Chinese contenders.

As the race unfolded, Eszter Csillag,Eszter decided not to start the race due to physical problems and Dominika dropped in a very challenging day for her.

As the kilometers swiftly passed, the chip times at aid stations hinted at a record-breaking pace. The leading runners engaged in a relentless battle, pushing each other shoulder to shoulder and maintaining an impressive pace. Around the 30-kilometer mark, it became evident that Lin Chen of China, (Adidas Terrex), was a formidable contender for victory.

While Lin Chen surged ahead, the competition behind her intensified among the Chinese runners vying for podium positions. The challenging terrain and unyielding pace created a fierce contest. Lin Chen crossed the finish line in a time of 12:44:51, far from the previous record of 11 hours and 28 minutes held by Xiang Fuzhao but the conditions were far from what it’s usual in Hong Kong 100.

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The battle for the remaining podium spots was equally intense, with four runners—Ying Li, Ting Ma, Yuanyuan Wu, and Ronghua Deng—closely contested after more than 13 hours of racing. Following a grueling final push, Ying Li secured the second position, and Yuanyuan Wu claimed the third spot, solidifying a Chinese podium.

HONG KONG WOMEN RACES

The men’s race was very entertaining and could be followed in its entirety by live streaming. A prominent group of athletes had gone out in front, watching each other from the start line, it was obvious that it would be a very fast race and the sub ten-hour barrier was there for the taking. As with the women’s race, pace and terrain have been eliminating challengers and the initial group has been cracking leaving an excellent duel mostly between the Chinese runners at the head of the field.

The speedy transitions through aid stations, the difference in the power on the climbs and fluidity on descents and the form of You Peiquan (China, Anta Guanjun) eventually decided the race in favour of You until the very last kilometres when Guangfu Meng (China, Hoka) emerged thanks to an extraordinary energy management. You struggled to finish and was visible exhausted and disappointed with the performance. Heat and a too fast pace were the reasons, commented on finish line, and 20 minutes were lost in around 5 kilometres.

The podium was completed by Tyler Green (USA, Nike) who recognized the talented Chinese runners but was around 3 minutes of catching You. Tyler commented also how difficult was to deal with heat and humidity, some problems with local monkeys and the beauty of the race.

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HONGKONG 100. The Third, The Half and the Grand Sam

The shortest race of the event, The Third (33 km, +1460 m) was won by Rachel Drake (USA, Nike) and Jisub Kim (Korea, The North Face/Coros).

Local dominance in The Half: Ruifang Zhou (China, Vibram) set a stratospheric record with 5:48:30 and Erqing Wu (China, Kailas) won the men’s race.

It was good to see Núria Picas (Spain, Salomon/Buff) finish third in the women’s race and Ruy Ueda (Japan, Red Bull), fourth in the men’s, both coming back from health problems, and it is nice to see them at the finish line of a prestigious international race.

The Grand Sam (completing The Third, The Half and the Hong Kong 100 held on consecutive days) a true test of endurance that a good number of participants try every year is underway and the winner has been for Chun Kit Tsang.

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WORLD TRAIL MAJORS 2024

Next Race: Grand Canyon Ultras

The World Trail Majors series has only just begun and in three weeks (February 10-11) the baton is passed from Hong Kong to the Black Canyon Ultras, a race that usually attracts a high level of American runners in Arizona.

A race of 100 km and an elevation gain of 1250 m we will see how the series continues and what the arid American terrain has in store for us. The race will be live streamed and is also the top three qualify for the prestigious Western States Endurance Run.

WORLD TRAIL MAJORS 2024

1. Hong Kong 100 Ultramarathon: January 18-21, 2024. 102 km, +5314 m. Hong Kong, China. one of the events that internationalized trail running in China
2. Black Canyon Ultras: February 10-11, 2024. 100 km, +1250 m. Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Pure American trail running on old ethnic trails and stagecoaches
3. The North Face Transgrancanaria: February 21-25, 2024. 126 km, +6804 m. Canary Islands, Spain. One of the classics on the world trail running calendar
4. Mt.FUJI 100: April 26-27, 2024. 165 km, +7574 m. Fujiyoshida, Japan. Japanese-style trail running with the great symbolic meaning of the highest mountain in the country
5. MIUT – Madeira Island Ultra-Trail: April 27-28, 2024. 115 km, +7100 m. Madeira, Portugal. Iconic event on the spectacular island of Madeira
6. Swiss Canyon Trail: June 7-9, 2024. 111 km, +5350 m. Val de Travers, Switzerland. Originating in 1994, one of the most relevant tests in Central Europe
7. South Downs Way 100: June 8-9, 2024. 161 km, +3800 m. Winchester, United Kingdom. 100 miles following the historic South Downs Way route is a classic on the British calendar
8. Quebec Mega Trail: July 5-7, 2024. 160 km, +6500 m. Quebec, Canada. Authentic trail running in the mountains near Quebec
9. RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: November 22-24, 2024. 166 km, +7516 m. Cape Town, South Africa. Pure mountains next to one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Africa