Tamang and Williams Win Sai Kung Bonaqua Action Sprint
Press Release / 09.03.2015
Nepalese Santosh Tamang and British Zein Williams each took the overall win at the first race of the Bonaqua Action Sprint series in Sai Kung with Williams lowering Claire Chapman's old course record.
"Because I had a large improvement compared to my last year's record and that I won the overall champion this is great.The most memorable section of the course would be the downhill section after the river as a very technical course and so slippery" said Nepalese HKNTRA runner Santosh Tamang who grabbed overall second last year and this year overall champion of the Bonaqua Action Sprint Sai Kung in 1 hour 17 minutes and 50 seconds.
Just 3 minutes and 1 second behind, Australian runner Scottie Callaghan passed the finish line and grabbed the second place in men's. "I'm feeling amazing. At the beginning there were four people ahead of me. Earlier in the race I wasn't sure if I can overpass them. Luckily I was good at running downhill and I was able to run faster than others on that downhill section. This is my second time joining the race, and I think we have a perfect weather today compared to last year's hot May weather. This has allowed me to make a better record for myself. I am also going to take part in the next two races. Hope I can see more familiar faces there!" said Callaghan.
3rd overall and the top Hong Kong local CU OLD GHOST male finisher Cheung Hing Hung had a great race today finishing in 1 hour 21 minutes and 17 seconds. "I was here too last year and I think it's a lot more slippery this time even though cooler. I tripped over two times on the course. After all, I am so glad that I broke my personal record today, " said Cheung.
British Raidlight runner Zein Williams, 1st in women's last year had a great race today breaking the race record and winning the first place in women's. "The weather was perfect so I pushed myself harder and went really fast. The hardest part for me would be at the very beginning we have to run uphill on the road, before the Tai Cham Koi climb. It is always hard for me to warm up myself especially running a long uphill section at the beginning of the race. I haven't been doing training for the sprint race because I was busy working on the Skyrunning Asian Championship last month. I would definitely do more preparation for the next sprint race as now I realise I did quite well and hopefully can keep it up in these sprint races. Excellent race, very well marked course. The plunge pools were perfect and a great course with a bit of everything as one of my favourites. Just like being a kid again, climbing up and down the rocks, pulling up ropes." said Williams, who rocked to win in a new course record time of 1 hour 33 minutes and 22 seconds.
Australian runner Stephanie Che finished the course in 1 hour 41 minutes and 32 seconds placing second in women's. 'Very tough course but I had so much fun. This is my first Bonaqua sprint race in Sai Kung. The gorge is very slippery as it is. The uphill at the very beginning was tough also, but it helps to separate runners so that we can have more space when running up the stairs later.' said Che.
Third place in women's goes to the Pilipino runner Marichu Opsima. "My third time joining the race and this is still my favourite course. I heard that the Sai Kung course is extremely hard before. Therefore I wanted to challenge myself by entering the Bonaqua Action Sprint Sai Kung. I found that the race gave me so much fun and excitement! It was interesting to see that there were more people preferred to swim last year due to the hot weather but now runners preferred to climb instead since it was quite chilly this morning. It was indeed so cold when I did the swimming part. I'm joining the whole series of Bonaqua Action Sprint this year and I am so looking forward to it!" said Opsima, who finished in time 1 hour 47 minutes and 17 seconds.
The race had over 250 registered in the first leg of the adventure run series with adventure athletes hiking and running up the 408m Tai Cham Koi using steep single track trails for over 3km, they then descended 3 km straight down clay and rocky trails to the Lok Wu gorge where the real fun started, with river rock scrambling up 7 waterfalls rigged with fixed rope hand lines for 2 km. With water levels normal, many pools had an option to swim to cool down temporary or run thru the sides. Then out on the Lok Wu hiking trail for 1 km before repeating the same Tai Cham Koi hike up to 408m a second time, then descending technical single track 3 km back to Pak Tam Chung for 13km.
The series could not happen without the kind support of Bonaqua, ActionX Store, OtterBox, Aquarius, Inov8, Skins, Salonpas, Pearl's, Herbalgy, Ocean Potion, AroundDB, HKRI, OL&N, Socam and the Action Asia Foundation.
