Grooming Hong Kong’s Top Trail Runners For The World Stage
Press Release / 17.10.2017
Hong Kong’s top trail runners will be battling for more than just podium honours in the latest MSIG HK50 Series. The highest-ranked local male and female runners at the end of the four-race series will also win a five-month comprehensive professional coaching programme to prepare them for the 2018 Skyrunning World Championships in Europe.
Sponsored by global general insurer MSIG, the MSIG Action Asia Development Programme is the first-ever custom training programme for local Hong Kong trail runners.
“We will be cheering these winners on to greater success on the world stage, by helping them to prepare for the World Championships in Europe in July 2018,” said Mr. Kenneth J. Reid, the CEO of MSIG Hong Kong.
Plus, in the lead up to the World Championships, MSIG Action Asia Development Programme winners will also be awarded free entry of the Lijiang Yunnan Action Asia 3 Day Ultra which is held in mainland China in April 2018 whereas the two local champions of MSIG HK50 Island race will be awarded free entry and free accommodation for MSIG Thailand Action Asia 50 in Chiang Mai on November 16.
The custom training programme will begin in March 2018, with Mr. Michael Maddess sharing his personal experience and advice. Mr. Maddess is the director of Action Asia Events, organiser of the MSIG HK50 Series, and a top trail runner.
“Many runners have dreams of competing on a world stage and we’re confident that the MSIG Action Asia Development Programme will nurture, and improve, the quality & standards of our already top-class Hong Kong runners. The Development Programme leaves no stone unturned in their preparation and makes participating on the world-stage a reality,” said Mr. Michael Maddess.
In addition to running training, programme participants will also receive a structured strength and conditioning training programme provided by MSIG HK50 Series supporting sponsor, Joint Dynamics. Sports science testing will be used to track their development progress.
To qualify for the MSIG Action Asia Development Programme, runners need to be Hong Kong-born, and must participate in at least two 50-kilometre races in the MSIG HK50 Series. The highest-ranked local male and female runners at the end of the series will win this once in a lifetime opportunity. Qualifying points shall be awarded on the same basis as standard International Skyrunning Federation races.
For more details and conditions of the MSIG Action Asia Development Programme, visit the official website of Action Asia Events: http://www.actionasiaevents.com
About MSIG
With a network of operations dating as far back as 1855, MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited (“MSIG”) has been providing general insurance solutions and products to customers in Hong Kong for more than 150 years. MSIG is backed by the solid foundation and rich heritage of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited, an established insurer that has received strong financial ratings from leading rating agencies, including Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.
Today MSIG is one of the few foreign-based general insurers to have representation in every ASEAN country, a testament to its strength and reach. MSIG also benefits from being a member of MS&AD Insurance Group – one of the largest general insurance groups in the world. Leveraging on the multi-channel distribution, strong partnerships with intermediaries and extensive geographical network, MSIG offers a wide range of insurance solutions across personal and commercial lines. MSIG builds and nurtures enduring relationships, forging close partnerships, through good times and bad.
About Skyrunning
Since the first extreme races in 1992, the first World Championship in 1998 and the introduction of the Skyrunner World Series in 2003, Skyrunning has grown to become a globally renowned sport governed by the International Skyrunning Federation. In 2015, the Continental Championships were introduced and includes Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania. The sport is practised in more than 40 nations and counts followers from 126 countries.
