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20 Oct, 2018

Kenyan prays to God for strength on final HK50 climbs for record win over Ixel

2018/19 HK50 Series

Oct 20, 2018 - HK50 – Hong Kong Island

Dec 1, 2018 - Lantau VK – Lantau

Dec 2, 2018 - Asian Skyrunning Championships - Lantau 50

Feb 23, 2019 - Sai Kung 50 – Sai Kung

Kenyan prays to God for strength on final HK50 climbs for record win over Ixel and Li

Hong Kong Hui upsets women’s HK50 field

Local and international trail running elites and enthusiasts gathered at the Peak today for the first leg of the classic trail running series HK50 series – Hong Kong Island presented by Action X Store. The race started from the Peak at 7 am sharp with Kenyan runner Benard Kiplangat Kibilo claiming the 50km overall champion title in 4 hours 19 minutes and 37 seconds and Hong Kong based Australian trail runner Vlad Ixel (04:33:51) took the 2nd place.

Benard Kiplangat Kibilo arrived in Hong Kong a week ago and before Hong Kong, he also stayed in Thailand for 3 months then Malaysia the week before Hong Kong. “This trail running race was my first 50km race as my friend who has done MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 recommended this race to me. From the second half, Mt. Parker and the uphills were very challenging. The terrains vary so much, and I fell twice during the race. I said to myself ‘Keep Going’ and I thanked God and prayed to God to give me more energy so that I could finish. I enjoyed the whole race and hopefully, I’ll come back again to race at Lantau 50 this Dec,” Kibilo shared after crossing the finish line.

Australian elite runner and the overall champion of 2018 Hoka One One Lantau 2 Peaks Vlad Ixel took the HK50 series - Hong Kong Island’s overall second place in 4 hours 33 minutes and 51 seconds. Ixel fought hard during the whole race. “It was hard, very hard. Because the first part was runnable and the second part when you already lose the strength of your legs, suddenly everywhere hurts and every step hurts so yes, it’s a very challenging course. You got that first fast 24km but if you pushed too much, then, later on, you had to pay for it. Kibilo from Kanya was very fast at the beginning and there was no way for me to keep up then I thought I would catch him at the end, but he was 20 minutes ahead at around 30km so it’s very tough,” said Ixel.

After taking the overall 2nd place at Hoka One One Lantau 2 Peaks, Mainland Chinese runner Li Qiang challenged HK50 50km race for the first time and claimed the third podium spot in 4 hours 36 minutes and 51 seconds. “I was born in Hunan province and I’ve been living in Shenzhen for over 10 years. I think the most special part of the race is at around 30km by the cliff. The open view by the sea was stunning and the trail was very comfortable to run on. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to enjoy the scenery as I didn’t want to be careless running by the cliff. In Shenzhen, I might need to go to Nan Au for similar view but the trail would be relatively shorter,” Li continues to talk about his overall experience, “I think Action Asia Events' races are well organized with clear course marking, mature supply and volunteers so I enjoyed both Lantau 2 Peaks and HK50 very much and I look forward to coming back to race at Lantau 50 in Dec as it’s quite convenient to travel to Hong Kong to race.”

In the 50km women’s battle, Hong Kong local runners Mary Hui (5:40:38) and Wing Ngaut Chan (06:05:22) claimed the women’s champion and runner-up respectively. “I was counting down the peaks, it was one down, two to go, two down, one to go. And the third one was just so hard and I had to dig deep and because I could feel that my sugar is going down and I should have brought an extra something but I knew there was food at 30km so I pushed through,” said Hui.

Women’s runner-up Chan is also very satisfied with her result. “This is my second time racing in HK50 and the first time I did not even finish the race. I came again this year to finish the race and I'm very surprised that I could claim the women’s runner-up title. The course was very beautiful, and the stunning ocean view distracted me from the pain of running an extra race and I’m very happy with my result.”

In addition to the 50km race, there was also a 24km event. James Park and Charlotte Cutler won the men’s and women’s champion titles in 2:1:38 and 2:17:22 respectively.

7-year Hong Kong resident from New Zealand, James Park grabbed the 24km overall champion title in 2 hours 1 minute and 38 seconds. “The race is very well marked and I’m very happy with the result. Andrew Mcgirr and I had a great race, back and forth the whole race. Andrew was leading through the 1st checkpoint and I knew I had to climb hard to win. At the last Blacks Link climb, he was right behind me and I had to keep going. Then it’s just getting home from there,” shared Park.

Charlotte Cutler, who’s very new to the sports has been participating in trail running for less than 12 months was satisfied with her win. “I’ve been a road runner for the past 30 years and this was my first Action Asia Events’ race. I’m not so good at the technical parts but I managed to keep going on the flat and hills and the last downhill, so I enjoyed it. This was a very well-organized race and each race like this makes me want to do another one. I didn’t know the trail very well and it was very well marked with great support out there. It was great,” said Cutler.

The classic and challenging course started from the Peak Galleria and covered some of the most technical hilly trails along Hong Kong Island. The first 24km followed the Hong Kong Trail from the Peak to Wong Nai Chung Gap, with an additional loop of Mount Bennet in Aberdeen Country Park. The course then became more technical and challenging, with a big loop around and up Mount Parker, followed by a loop of Violet Hill, finishing at Wong Nai Chung Gap. A part of the 50km route is different between CP3 and CP4 this year due to recent typhoon caused fallen trees not yet cleared on the catchwater and Boa Vista

The event is organized by Action Asia Events and it is possible thanks to the generous support of presenting sponsor Action X Store and supporting partners: Skyrunner National Series China, HOKA one one, Bonaqua, C3fit, Camelbak, Cathay Pacific, Royale International, AroundDB, ALKA12, Salonsip, Herbalgy, Santa Fe, Hong Kong Chiropractors Association, ITRA, UTMB Qualifying Race 2018 and Action Asia Foundation.

Race Results

HK50 Series - Hong Kong Island

50km Ranking

Top 5 MEN

Name - Nationality – Team/Sponsor –Time

Benard Kiplangat Kibilo – Kenya – 04:19:37

Vlad Ixel – Australia – The North Face – 04:33:51

Li Qiang – Mainland China – 04:36:51

Ren Hao – Mainland China – 04:43:35

Hui Hotat – Hong Kong – 04:53:36

Top 5 WOMEN

Name - Nationality – Team/Sponsor – Time

1. Mary Hui – Hong Kong – Gone Running – 05:40:38

2. Wing Ngaut Chan – Hong Kong – 06:05:22

3. Wendy Porterfield – United States – 06:10:03

4. Emilie Saint-pé – France – 06:22:12

5. Sarah Easton – United Kingdom – 06:34:41

24km Ranking

Top 5 MEN

Name - Nationality – Team/Sponsor –Time

1. James Park – New Zealand – Your Pace or Mine? - 02:01:38

2. Andrew Mcgirr – United Kingdom – 02:01:58

3. Daniel Perez Fernandez – Spain - Instinct trail inspired - 02:08:26

4. Antoine Epinette – France – Uglow / Joint Dynamics – 02:12:29

5. Hector Chan – France – 02:12:45

Top 5 WOMEN

Name - Nationality – Team/Sponsor – Time

1. Charlotte Cutler – United Kingdom – Joint Dynamics-Gone Running - 02:17:22

2. Lauren Gibson – United Kingdom – Uglow / Joint Dynamics - 02:29:25

3. Fredelyn Alberto – Philippines – Bandilang pinas - 02:34:24

4. Montse Perez – Spain – 02:36:45

5. Rebecca César De Sá – United Kingdom – 02:42:01

Race Info

Event Name	HK50 Series - Hong Kong Island
Date	Oct 20, 2018 (Saturday)
Start Time	7:00 a.m.
Start Location	Peak Galleria, The Peak, Hong Kong Island
Finish Location	Wong Nai Chung Gap, Hong Kong Island
Distance	24km, 50km
Category	Trail Running and Hiking
Website	www.actionasiaevents.com