MSIG Sai Kung 50 - HK50 Series
Trail Runners Set For Final Showdown at MSIG Sai Kung 50
Press Release / 06.02.2018
The MSIG Sai Kung 50 represents the final race of the annual MSIG HK50 Series, starting at Pak Tam Chung Picnic Garden on Saturday 10th February.
Affectionately known as the ‘back garden of Hong Kong’, Sai Kung has stunning scenery that motivates runners to sign up for this race time and time again.
Runners will be left breathless not only by the beauty of the Sai Kung peninsula, but by the tough and technical nature of the terrain. To maintain a good relationship with AFCD and to protect the nature, Race director and Course designer, Michael Maddess, has changed the race courses four years in a row. The MSIG Sai Kung 50 offers three distances - 12km, 22km and 50km - to cater to runners and hikers of all abilities. All runners will head from the Pak Tam Chung Picnic Garden to Lok Wu Hiking Trail. The 22km and 50km race runners will run along the beautiful beaches includes Ham Tin Wan and Tung Wan.
The longest race takes participants on a circumnavigation of Sai Kung East Country Park, plus a smaller loop of Sai Kung West Country Park for a total elevation gain of 2,835 metres. The 50km race is an official Ultra SkyMarathon sanctioned by the International Skyrunning Federation.
For Hong Kong-born trail runners, the race holds extra significance as it will be the final chance to earn ranking points in the MSIG Action Asia Development Programme. Presented by MSIG, this programme offers the top male and female Hong Kong-born runners a five-month professional coaching programme to prepare them for the 2018 Skyrunning World Championships in Scotland. Runners have to participate in at least two 50km races in the 2017/18 MSIG HK50 Series to be ranked.
Local trail runner Ng Wai-hei is aiming for a strong performance to cement his position at the top of the leader board. “I’m looking forward to racing the MSIG Sai Kung 50. And now I have an added incentive, as the MSIG Action Asia Development Programme could take me all the way to the Skyrunning World Championships in Scotland”, said Ng. “But whatever happens, trail running already means so much to me. It helps me to pursue my childhood dream of being a successful athlete, it pushes me to spend more time doing sports, and it helps me to develop a healthy lifestyle.”
The top-ranked woman in the programme right now is Cheung Man-yee, who also finished second in last December’s MSIG Thailand Action Asia 50 in Chiang Mai. Cheung is excited to join the MSIG HK50 series again in Sai Kung. “I took part in the MSIG Hong Kong 50 and MSIG Lantau 50 races this season, with satisfying results in both. I’ve only been trail running for about a year now, but I’ve already found that each race is fun and challenging in its own unique way. So I’m looking forward to exploring the MSIG Sai Kung 50 trail now, and my friends are really cheering me on.” she said.
Ada Tsang Yin-hung, the first Hong Kong female to summit Mount Everest, will join the MSIG Sai Kung 50 for the first time, said: “I participated in the tough MSIG Lantau 50 last December and found it very enjoyable, so I decided to challenge myself once again in the MSIG Sai Kung 50. Having participated in trail running for at least seven years, I first treat it as a way to improve my strength for hiking, but it has also slowly become part of my life. I usually run in the mountains once a week. I hope to experience and enjoy different angles of Sai Kung through this race.”
The event is possible due to the generous support of presenting sponsor MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited and supporting partners: Action X Store, Skyrunner National Series, Hoka One One, C3fit, Bonaqua, Coca Cola, Camelbak, Budweiser Budvar, Royale International, Plantronics, UTMB Qualifier, International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and Action Asia Foundation.
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