Hong Kong 100k Race Info

Date

1/27/18

Location

Hong Kong

Avg Temps f.

64/56

Gain/Loss in ft

~14760/13,124

Highest Elev.

3140 ft

Start

8:00am

Surface

Mix – Trail, Road

Time Limit

30 hours

Sunrise/set

7:04am/6:08pm

Furthest Aid

13km (8 miles)

Summary: The 100km course is point to point, starting in Pak Tam Chung on the Sai Kung Peninsula and includes running on remote beaches, ancient forests, nature trails, reservoirs and steep hills. The course also climbs Hong Kong’s highest peak (Tai Mo Shan), with a cumulative elevation gain of over 4500 meters (~14760ft) and gaining the majority of elevation in the second half.

Detailed Course Description

Lessons Learned from Race Reports

  • Know the Mandatory Gear list and the other suggested items, including a cup, as it’s a cupless race
  • Start and finish are in a different location – be sure to know how to get to and from lodging and start/finish
  • Aside from a ~1000 foot climb around mile 8.5, the majority of the climbs start around mile 28 through the finish
  • Many people start out too fast in the first half and have nothing left for the second half, which features the vast majority of the elevation change
  • Despite it being a staggered start, it’s still crowded and bottleneck at the start, as after a 1km road start, it switches to singletrack trail
  • 21km to 28km has sections of concrete with some nice sections of trail interspersed throughout
  • Weather is normally humid, so be sure to stay on top of fluids and nutrition, as you’ll likely be sweating quite a bit without noticing
  • 28km to 36km has more technical, rocky sections
  • 36km to 45km has lots of concrete as you weave through old villages, with some runnable trails mixed in
  • Practice eating what is likely to be at the aid station, as it may be different from those in the States (ie, rice balls)
  • Descents are often steep, and with stairs
  • People often fall apart once the climbing begins about 45km in, with the first really challenging climb being up to Ma On Shan,~1600ft, which starts first on a winding concrete access road, and then features technical trail that finishes off with hard stairs
  • Helpful to have poles from 52km to 65km
  • Some very runnable sections from 65km to 73km, hence wanting to drop poles at 65km so you don’t have to pack them away or run with them
  • Be sure to pick up your headlamp along the way, likely at 65km
  • More runnable trail from 73km to 83km, but be aware of monkeys. Helpful to be with a group through them if you can, and have your headlamp on
  • Once it gets dark it will get cooler – helpful to have a change of clothes, likely at aid station 83km.
  • Helpful to have poles from 83km onwards for the final climbs, which involve stairs, and therefore steep ascents and descents
  • Some road sections from 83km to 90km, and easy to feel like you’re off course because there aren’t a lot of markings, and it’s on a road. And if it’s foggy it’s all the more confusing.
  • Again, a bit hard to stay on course in the dark from 90km to 100km, as the trail is well-trodden, but there are still crossing trails that will make it confusing

Elevation

Total gain/loss: 14760/13,124

Total climbs: 5x~1000ft, 2x~1600ft, countless 200-500ft

Longest climb: ~1600ft from miles 53-57

Steepest climb: Several 1000ft climbs in ~1 mile

Elevation profile (in Kilometers and Meters); See Strava for Miles and Feet

Course Map

Aid stations

Total aid stations: 10

Furthest distance apart: 13km (8 miles)

Locations: (Kilometers) 11, 21, 28, 36, 45, 52, 65, 73, 83, 90 See chart for detailed information.

What’s available: Typical aid station fare, including water, sports drink, Coke, fruit – see detailed chart for more information.

Crew access

Access Locations: See Transportation page for accessible checkpoints.

Crew instructions/directions: See Transportation page above, as well as page on how to reach aid stations via public transportation.

Pacers

None

Race qualifiers

UTMB – 5 points

Western States – finish within 23 hours

Race reports

http://hktrailrunner.blogspot.com/2017/01/race-report-vibram-hk100-ultra-2017.html

https://ultrarunnergirl.com/2015/01/24/vibram-hk100-race-report-from-treadmills-to-trails/

hktrailrunner.tumblr.com/post/42252112512/vibram-hk100-ultra

Strava activities and GPX files

https://www.strava.com/activities/831792722

Additional Maps and GPX files here

Race Website

http://www.hk100-ultra.com/