Even when you're on, say, the Hong Kong hundred route, you'll be blown away to see the cityscape
at some point, and then look the other way and just see endless forest and beautiful trails.
First impressions of Hong Kong are just mind-blowing really. It's such a dramatic city,
all this sort of the classic iconic skyscrapers against the backdrop of steep hills and mountains,
all just clad in greenery, beautiful seas and coves as well, so really, really pretty place.
I'm just completely amazed as far as the city goes, it's just these towers everywhere,
people everywhere, amazing city, just incredible, and then you've got all these amazing green
and mountainous open spaces all around it, and I'm just so impressed with it.
I think most people probably have an image of Hong Kong as I did when I first came of being
in a total concrete jungle, which of course it is, and I'm sure people are surprised to the
degree that we have trails absolutely everywhere. It doesn't matter where you are in Hong Kong,
on Lantau and the new territories, even on Hong Kong Island, which is one of the most
populated places in the world, you're still five minutes outside your door and it's
bang, you're on a beautiful trail.
For me, I think one of the really unique things about Hong Kong is just the juxtaposition of
the vibrant city with so many people moving about, so many sights, sounds and colors with
the solitude of the trails, so whether that's running along quite the lapping sea, running
over sandy beaches or up in the hills, and they're so close to each other, but it's, you know,
completely different worlds.
You know, in a city with so much talent, you can't just be good to stand out, you have to be
exceptional. And so we've gathered a lot of people who by nature are highly competitive,
you know, they're always looking for a personal challenge, they're meticulous, they're disciplined,
they're masters of time management, they're tenacious, they've taken knocks and they know
how to spring back up. Not only are there more races, the signing up for the races is just going
crazy too. It's being oversubscribed. You've got to be quick, not only on the trails now, but on
your computer just to get the entry. And I missed the Hong Kong 100 entry because I was too slow.
Well, Hong Kong has got fantastic trails, beautiful beaches, great scenery, great hills,
but it never had an individual 100k race. So Janet and I decided that with such beautiful scenery,
it deserves one. So we put it together four years ago and advertised, if you like, the race,
you know, on the local running websites and so on. And that first year, the applications
from participants were relatively slow. In the end, we had 250 runners and we were delighted
with that. We thought anything over 100 would be a real success. And then in the subsequent years,
the numbers increased very, very quickly. So 750 in the second edition, 1250 for the third edition,
and then for this fourth edition, 1600 people are running with 500 on the waiting list. And of course,
we would love everybody to be able to take part. You know, the last thing we want to do is say,
no, sorry, we're full. But at the same time, we have to make sure that everybody has a great experience.
Hong Kong 100 supports two local charities this year, Blind Sports Hong Kong and Food Angel.
This year, 50 participants in Hong Kong 100 supported 25 visually impaired athletes
and their guide runners to participate in the Taiwan football marathon. The visually impaired
athletes, they actually come out to support our participants by manning one of the checkpoints
at Hong Kong'suser Sports Festival.
Or when you go to Daimou Mountain, you will see the whole of Hong Kong.
You can also see Hong Kong Island.
That area is a very open place.
This is a very beautiful competition route.
This is a very beautiful competition route.
You can see the whole of Hong Kong Island.
This is a very open place.
You can see the whole of Hong Kong Island.
You can see the whole of Hong Kong Island.
This is a very beautiful competition route.
You can see the whole of Hong Kong Island.
You can see the whole of Hong Kong Island.
So, welcome to all of you. I hope you have a fantastic, fantastic day.
Look after each other, take care of each other, take care of the volunteers and have a brilliant, brilliant weekend.
Enjoy every step, guys.
I think the Hong Kong 100 course is a really honest course.
It doesn't really suit any type of runner in particular.
It's got sections where you need to be able to run fast.
It's got a really tough last half, so you need to be strong.
It's got really steep climbing, so you need to be a good climber.
It's also got really steep stair descent, so you need to be pretty fearless there.
So I think whoever wins on Saturday is really going to have to have a complete set of skills out there on the course.
I think there's a danger that you can perhaps overcook it early on
and not have enough strength in your legs for the big climbing at the end.
I've been doing a fair amount of stairs in training.
I've been saying to friends and family, me and stairs, I've got a pretty tight relationship at the moment.
It's something I've come to enjoy as an aspect of running that I've never done before.
It's going to hurt tomorrow, that sort of back half.
I've been trying to prepare myself for that and just how I'm going to deal with that on race day.
Looking forward to it.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
Thank you, hey man.
Hey!
Hey!
Hey, dude!
Hey!
Yeah!
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period in which there is snow from me.
So it will be a complicated race because I don't run that much.
But I feel good, I trained with the Schalpinism, so let's say I'm still in place.
My expectations are simply to be able to do my best,
and to have a very strong athlete's record helps me,
because in those cases I'm happy, I can do my best, I'm satisfied.
Then I can win the race.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period in which there is snow from me.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period of me.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period in which there is snow from me.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period of me.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period in which there is snow from me.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period in which there is snow from me.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period in which there is snow from me.
So, my problem is that the long-con country arrives in a period in which there is snow from me.
not going to blow up the first half, and it seemed like my best race have happened when
I kind of treat it like an adventure rather than trying to go out and treat it like a
competition right after that.
It seems like things just kind of flow well into the second half of races, so I'll go
about and do it that way.
I'm not going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way.
I'm going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way.
It's good.
If I'm honest, I don't know a huge amount about the course, except for what I've picked
up from chatting to people that have done the race before and looking at the maps and studying
the course profile, that sort of thing, so I'm running the course blind, which is not
my preference.
I'm not going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way.
I'm not going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way.
I'm not going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way.
I'm not going to do it that way, I'm going to do it that way.
I'm not going to do it that way.
I'm not going to do it that way.
First half of the race went pretty well for me.
I felt excellent overall, felt like my pacing was good.
The technical parts of the race were just phenomenal with the rocks and ups and downs
and the steps.
I just absolutely loved it.
I felt like I was eating it up.
And then about halfway, on my over-shotty pass, about a kilometer 68, I realized I wasn't
taking enough electrolytes and the heat was starting to get to me.
And I also ran out of fuel, so I had a little bit of a catch-up as far as the intake goes,
but it was a little bit too late.
I had a little rambling issues with my quads.
That cost me quite a bit of time, probably about 30-45 minutes overall in the race.
I had a little bit of a catch-up as far as the intake goes, so I had a little bit of a
catch-up as far as the intake goes, so I had a little bit of a catch-up as far as the intake goes,
so I had a little bit of a catch-up as far as the intake goes, so I had a little bit of a
History has shown again and again that the eventual winner will actually make his move in this last section.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
The winner will be the winner of the first round of the game.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
As I was running down in those last few days, I really had a chance to think about all the low moments and high moments of the race.
All the tough inclines, the amazing views, the tough competition that we had to face throughout the day.
I was just happy to let my legs relax and roll and enjoy the last bit of this amazing race and experience.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
I am very happy to participate in this race.
Coming into the end of the race, it was such a mixture of emotions.
There is the relief that it is all going to be over and there is the realisation of what you have done and what you have achieved out there.
For me, the biggest thing is the real sense of satisfaction that I have been able to transcend and get through the day out there, through the good times and the bad times,
through all of your problems that you face out there in a long race like that.
The fact that it is all coming to an end is just a real sense of satisfaction and celebration that I managed to transcend myself.
All the way from Christchurch, New Zealand.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
I am very happy to participate in this race.
To win the Hong Kong 100, I think the first thing that you are going to have to do is pace the race really cleverly,
be very intelligent about the speed you go out at because the course is back loaded so a lot of the climbing is later on.
The course has got every type of trail, there is some asphalt, there is steep climbs, there is beaches.
So somebody who is really comfortable in all of those environments and who has the mental strength to tough it out in what is becoming an incredibly competitive field.
I am very happy to be able to participate in this race.
I am very happy to participate in this race.
