‘Enjoy the views at the top of peaks ... but not for long’
Elite competitors will tackle a punishing 50km course at the Asian Skyrunning Championships
Elite runners from around the region are in action today for the Asian Skyrunning Championships on Lantau.
Leading the way in the Action Asia Lantau 50 kilometre race are Hong Kong’s David Ng Wai-hei, Karen Cheung Man-yee, as well as John “Stingray” Ray Onifa from the Philippines, Tomohiro Machida, of Japan, and last year’s winner Yuichi Miura, also from Japan.
The punishing 50km course will give competitors stunning sights of Lantau and over a total of 3,500 metres of elevation gain.
Much of the serious climbing up Lantau Peak and Sunset Peak will come towards the end of the race. That means runners will have to make steep ascents up to a height of over 900 metres above sea level with 30km already behind them.
Max King, an elite ultra runner from the United States and the 2014 winner at the IAU 100km world championships, is registered to compete in the 50km race.
But a fall on the Lantau boardwalk while out for a run on Thursday has left him with a painfully swollen leg. Yesterday afternoon he had yet to decide whether he would be able to front up for the race today.
“I really want to do the race,” King said. “It’s such an exciting course, challenging and pretty.”
King has been in Hong Kong this past week as part of a weeklong camp organised by the Salomon Youth and Ultra Running Academies. He is coaching young athletes from around the world alongside two other elite runners, Courtney Dauwalter of the United States and Laura Orgue of Spain.
Dauwalter, who will not be competing, drew from her wealth of racing experience and offered some words of advice to the competitors.
“Take it out nice and comfortable, but in race mode,” she said. “Remember that every time you top out there’s going to be a downhill. Work on the way up, and enjoy the ride down. Enjoy the views when you get to the top of those peaks,” she added. “But not for too long.”
With many competitors who are unfamiliar with Hong Kong’s climate and terrain lining up for the race, the race director, Michael Maddess, offered some words of warning and advice.
He described how neglecting to properly fuel the body during the race ultimately led to the American runner Joseph Gray’s undoing a few years ago. By contrast, said Maddess, Gray’s competitor Yan Longfei, one of China’s top trail runners, stopped at every checkpoint, took his time to eat and put food in his bag.
“This course will eat you if you don’t eat,” Maddess said.
The championships kick off with the 50km race at 6.30am, followed by the 27km event an hour later and the 16km race at 7.45am.