Trailwalker is a mighty test of endurance

Charity, of course, will be the big winner when nearly 5,000 people line up at the MacLehose Trail for the start of the Oxfam Trailwalker on Friday. It is 100 kilometres of sheer agony for many, yet for some it is also the planet's premier endurance race, attracting high-calibre runners from around the region and, indeed, the world. The competition this time around is so tough that even the People's Liberation Army team - course record holders who have been unbeaten for the past three years - are skipping the chance to defend their title.

So it will be up to The North Face team and Salomon Bonaqua Racing - last year's second- and third-place finishers - to use their local knowledge to keep the overseas raiders at bay. "I'm not aware of any event globally where nearly 5,000 people line up to run and hike a full 100km distance," says Ryan Blair of The North Face team. "The race has the potential to be a world championship of team trail running, if it's not already this year."

Top international runners from France and Nepal are among those who will take part, drawing attention to Hong Kong as a must-go destination for premier team endurance racing.

Salomon team manager Greg Vollet believes the unique team format in the Trailwalker adds to the attraction. "It is another approach to trail running [usually an individual endeavour] and provides an opportunity to share all the excitement of this sport through team spirit," he says.

Citing the explosive growth of trail running in the Asian region, Salomon have put together an elite team of French runners to compete in this week's event. Julien Chorier, Francois d'Haene, Michel Lanne and Andy Symonds have recorded impressive results this year, including wins at the gruelling 156km Ultra Trail Mount Fuji in Japan by Chorier and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (104km) by D'Haene.

Salomon Bonaqua Racing also have a local team comprising Jeremy Ritcey and Action Asia Events director Michael Maddess, who are paired with top Nepalese runners Ram Kumar Khatri and Samir Tamang. Khatri's team won the 2008 Trailwalker in 11 hours and 52 minutes, setting a record on the old course.