It's impossible to do any better than Wan Cheuk-hei did when he ran in his first half-marathon at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon in February: he won the junior title. Beginner's luck? Maybe, but Wan is too busy looking ahead as the new season starts next month.
Trained by local runner Gi Ka-man, Wan, known as "Little K" by his friends and other athletes, started running in Form Four. "I saw top runners at the school's athletic meets being cheered by my schoolmates," says Wan, 19. "Runners are very popular. I wanted to have that recognition, too, so I joined coach Gi's training."
He soon learned that running is more than getting applause from the crowd. "I have made many new friends," he says.
At first, Wan ran slowly in his major event, the 10km, and was surprised when Gi set higher goals for him. "I always asked him: 'Why would you set such a target? How can I reach that?' I doubted myself and thought his demand was impossible," Wan says.
"Nevertheless, I've improved my speed. I run times now that I could only have dreamed of before. I started to take him at his word, and now I don't ask why when he sets a target."
Wan first excelled in the 3,000-metre steeplechase and was ranked No1 among Hong Kong juniors last year - which earned him a spot on the Hong Kong athletics team.