We all have dreams: some extravagant, some insignificant, others seemingly impossible. Stone Tsang dreams of standing among the top 10 at the finish line of the world's most prestigious mountain race. Last month, he came within minutes of realising it.
At a little past 4pm, the compact Chinese runner blazed through the packed streets of Chamonix, in France, exchanging high fives with the cheering crowd as he jogged effortlessly to the finish line of the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, a race that attracted 2,300 elite runners from across the globe.
Within seconds of crossing the line, Tsang learned of his ranking - so near, yet so far
You couldn't tell that he'd been running for 168 kilometres over 24 hours, crossing Switzerland and Italy before returning to France, leaving formidable mountain peaks in his wake. While you went about your Saturday, he climbed a cumulative 9,600 metres - higher than Mount Everest.
Crossing the line in 24 hours, 15 minutes and 58 seconds, he extended his arms victoriously and a broad grin spread across his face. At that moment, he "felt like an Olympic athlete", he says. He cared little that 16 other men - and the top woman - had finished ahead of him. He had completed the journey ahead of his 24 hours, 40 minutes target, making him the fastest Chinese in the race.
Tsang had competed in the UTMB before. In his first endeavour, in 2008, he finished 44th in 28 hours - a respectable result, but he knew he could improve. An attempt in 2009 ended in injury, while the 2010 race was on a shortened course due to inclement weather. Despite almost missing the start that year, he finished 21st.
This year's race was unlike the others. In previous years, his finish time would have been fast enough to put him among the top 10. But this time it was highly competitive, attracting more top European and American names, with the 10th man finishing 25 minutes earlier than Tsang.