Race Media

Runners relish wet and muddy conditions at the Hysan Healthy Hike & Run even as bad weather delays the race's start

HONG KONG, Sunday, March 19, 2017 - Rainy weather made for more challenging trail conditions at the Hysan Healthy Hike & Run but over 1,000 runners took the elements in their stride with Australian Vlad Ixel grabbing overall honours in the 19km race. The surprise of the day was the Hong Kong new comer Angelika Hahn, German runner who dominated the race and claimed the 19km women's title in 2 hours 4 minutes and 17 secconds.

Initially scheduled to flag off at 8:30a.m. from the Tai Tong Road BBQ area in Tai Lam Country Park, the race was delayed by race organizer Action Asia Events by 1 hour for safety reasons as the HK Observatory had issued a thunderstorm warning which was cancelled at 9:30a.m.

The race otherwise went to plan for Ixel. The elite trail runner from The North Face team cruised to victory in 1 hour 32 minutes and 37 seconds, almost a minute ahead of second placed Ryan Scott Blair.

Ixel said: “I actually like this weather. It’s rainy but it’s not too cold so it’s quite fun. I love this beautiful course and this is one of my favourite courses because it’s like a mountain bike course with many uphills and downhills. It’s also a pretty fast course."

American Blair, who clocked 1 hr 33 mins and 30 secs, agreed that it was enjoyable weather. He said: "It was perfect weather. The rain made it so nice and cool. And runners didn’t need to worry about overheating. It also made the course a little bit more technical. I always enjoy this kind of course.”

Third among the men was Brendan O’Boyle (1 hr 34 mins 17 secs) from the United Kingdom, who picked up trail running when he moved to Hong Kong seven months ago. He said: “I actually quite enjoy running in the rain, it is very refreshing, not too humid.”

Another relatively newcomer to the city and the sport claimed the 19km women's title in dominant fashion. Angelika Hahn, a German who moved to HK with her family about six months ago, finished in 2 hrs 4 mins and 17 secs. She said: "I’m totally surprised that I won. I’ve been doing trail running for only half a year. In Germany, I did only road running because it is flat in our area. Now that I live in Hong Kong, I have more chances to run on the trail, and it has become my new hobby. This race is awesome; I love all the ups and downs. The course is very diversified so you need to use different muscles to handle it."

Briton Jessica Williams was the second woman in 2 hrs 12 mins and 16 secs. “It was a fun run but it was hard. The hill at the start was tough for the legs but it was really lovely," Williams said. "I started running half marathons about a year ago and I’ve been training since then but It was my first time joining the Hysan Healthy Hike & Run so I was not expecting to come second at all. I really want to run the Mongolia Ultra-marathon that Action Asia Events organises next year, so there’s a lot more training to do."

Adelinda Albarin, a Filipina who has been working in Hong Kong for 12 years, was third in 2 hrs 17 mins and 18 secs. She said: “I loved the weather today, especially the mud and the rain. The course was perfect.”

The Hysan Healthy Hike & Run also included 13km and 5km races, which were flagged off after the 19km event. Pauline Revet of France, a jewellery designer based in HK for the past three years, won the 13km women's title in 1 hr 28 mins and 18 secs.

Hong Kong's Michael Cheung won the 13km men's category in 1 hr 7 mins and 43 secs - his third win in four appearances in the race. He said the key to winning is perseverance. “I started trail running in 2014 and I train every day, so I have won many times, even though today the weather was not perfect and the course was quite challenging.”

Tsz Chun Au Yeung won the 5km race in 25 mins 35 secs, while French 11-year-old Pauline Courret was the youngest champion of the day, coming in first among the women (28 min 11 secs). Training an average of 12 hours a week, Courret shows that hard work definitely pays off.

This event is possible thanks to the generous support of Hysan. Special thanks to supporting sponsors Action X Store, Hoka One One, OtterBox, Watsons Water, Plantronics, OLN, C3fit, GATORADE, SALONSIP and ACTION ASIA FOUNDATION.

 

Hysan Healthy Hike & Run 2017 Race Result

 

19K

Top 5 Men

Name - Nationality - Team/Sponsor - Time

1. Vlad Ixel – Australia – The North Face – 1:32:37

2. Blair Ryan Scott – United States – 01:33:30

3. Brendan O’boyle – United Kingdom – Team Uglow – 01:34:17

4. Wong Ho Chung – Hong Kong – The North Face Adventure Team –  01:42:42

5. Gump Wong – Hong Kong – 01:43:55

 

Top 5 Women

Name - Nationality - Team/Sponsor - Time

1. Angelika Hahn – Germany – 02:04:17

2. Jessica Williams – United Kingdom – 02:12:16

3. Albarin Adelinda – Philippines – 02:17:18

4. Linda Hj Lee – Korea – 02:27:34

5. Yan Qin – China – 02:29:41

 

13K

Top 5 Men

Name - Nationality - Team/Sponsor - Time

1. Michael Cheung – Hong Kong– Nil – 01:07:43

2. Alastair Ward – United Kingdom – 01:08:47

3. Lee Chun Yin – Hong Kong – 01:09:12

4. Ming Shing Tiu – Hong Kong – 01:09:43

5. Ping Ngai Hung – China – 01:11:32

 

Top 5 Women

Name - Nationality - Team/Sponsor - Time

1. Pauline Revet – France – 01:28:18

2. Leisa Aotea Sowerby – New Zealand – 01:32:57

3. Kendal Mccarthy – Australia – 01:33:18

4. Avis Yuen – Hong Kong – 01:34:38

5. Erlinda Byatt – Philippines – 01:35:24

 

5k

Top 5 Men

Name - Nationality - Team/Sponsor - Time

1. Tsz Chun Au Yeung – Hong Kong – 25:35

2. Long Ki Mo – Hong Kong – 26:41

3. Leon Adamus – Switzerland – 26:43

4. Dominik Hahn – Germany – 26:45

5. Olivier Courret– France – 28:11

 

Top 5 Women

Name - Nationality - Team/Sponsor - Time

1. Pauline Courret – France – 00:28:11

2. Olivia Dudman – Australia – 00:36:12

3. Yee Kwan Hui – Hong Kong – 00:37:00

4. Yim Chan – Hong Kong – 00:39:38

5. Elisabeth Moore – - – Tinlissie – 00:41:11

 

ALL RESULTS AT http://www.actionasiaevents.com/results.html

 

Race Info

Event Name: Hysan Healthy Hike and Run
Date: Sunday, March 19, 2017
Distance: 5km, 13km, 19km
Start Time: 9.30am
Start Location: Tai Tong Shan Road BBQ area (500m above Po Leung Kuk), Tai Lam, NT, Hong Kong
Category: Hiking and trail running options
Course Information: http://www.actionasiaevents.com/our-events/upcoming-events/2017-hysan/course.html#content

For more race details, please visit below:
www.actionasiaevents.com
www.facebook.com/ActionAsiaEvent/
www.instagram.com/actionasiaevents/
www.twitter.com/ActionAsiaEvent
www.youtube.com/user/ActionAsiaEvents
www.weibo.com/actionasiaevent