Martin Pratt (second left), 39, is managing director of the French engineering company Bachy Soletanche. Pratt, from England, ran in the Trailwalker event with three French colleagues - including one who flew from Paris especially - in one of the company's three teams. They planned to finish the MacLehose Trail in 20 hours and raise $100,000 for Oxfam. Where are you most likely to be at 10am on a Sunday? Usually at Kai Tak, near King's Park, watching my two older sons, Chris, 10, and Nicholas, eight, playing mini rugby. It's a family outing for the two players and four spectators: my wife, my two younger sons, Oliver, three, and William, one, and me. It is sometimes difficult for me to attend because of business trips or training for the Trailwalker. Where are you most likely to be at 10pm on a Friday? Trying to relax at home, especially when I have to wake up at 4am next day. On Saturdays before the race my colleagues and I practised on the trail early in the mornings and went to work later. At the beginning of summer we ran for three to four hours, building up to 10 to 11 hours. Where do you live? Ta Ku Ling, Clearwater Bay. We lived in Kowloon Tong before but moved four years ago because we needed extra bedrooms for extra kids and more space for them to play. It has good views - which I can't see when I go home at night on weekdays - and is a relaxing environment at weekends. Where do you go to escape in Hong Kong? Home, and the Kowloon Cricket Club in Tsim Sha Tsui, where I play squash and lawn bowls. I also enjoy playing golf. Before I came here in 1994 I lived in a house on a golf course in England and could play whenever I wanted; now I get to play only a few times a year - whenever I'm invited. Walking on the Maclehose Trail is also one of my favourite escapes. Whom in Hong Kong do you most admire? Nobody in particular, although I admire the way everyone is business-minded. In Hong Kong everyone seems to be a businessman. The people are also very optimistic: just look at the high-risk things they invest in. If it isn't stupidity it must be optimism. Whom do you least admire? The traffic police when I get a ticket doing 65km/h on a three-lane expressway. What inspires you? At work, challenging projects, such as building the foundations for the tower to be built above the Hong Kong MTR station. Outside work I don't have much time to get inspired. My family, sport and fast cars, maybe. What is your favourite section of the MacLehose Trail? Section Three. It has good views, making you feel far away from roads and concrete. And section 10, where the trail ends. It's very difficult and it always feels good to finish. For a lot of participants, their best sporting achievements take place in the last 200 metres. What makes you sweat? Keeping up with my teammates. Where did you spend your last birthday? In Hong Kong; my wife and I usually have dinner at the Cricket Club on our birthdays. What do you love about Hong Kong after you've been away? You can get bored in England, but not in Hong Kong. There is so much to do at work and away from work. Everything happens quickly. What do you hate about Hong Kong after you've been away? If I had to come up with something it would be the built-up areas and the pollution in town. But if there weren't buildings that needed foundations I wouldn't have a job. What is your favourite building in Hong Kong? It would have to be one we built foundations for - but if I named one, other clients would be unhappy. Let's say it's the next one we're working on. What is your favourite saying? 'Where there's a will, there's a way.' What is your best virtue? My lack of a temper, maybe. What has been your biggest mistake? Not buying the house we moved into when we arrived in 1986. If we had I would be retired and relaxing on a beach right now. What would you like to be reincarnated as? A Formula 1 racing driver. I dreamed of becoming one when I was a kid. What are you plans for the future? To carry on working in Hong Kong for a while. When my kids grow up and go to school in England I'd like to be based there so I can stay with them and my parents. Give us some wisdom ... In business, no news is bad news. If we are trying to convince a client to give us work and we don't hear anything, it means we're not going to get the job.
