Trailwalker record broken by two teams
Two teams smashed the record in the annual 100km Trailwalker charity event last night.
Winners the Montrail Protrek team from the United States, competing for the first time, crossed the finishing line in Tuen Mun in 12 hours and 52 minutes, breaking the previous record of 13 hours 18 minutes set by the Gurkhas in 1993.
The team arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday and had spent only two hours walking the course before taking part.
The team comprised David Terry, 39, and Nathan McDowell, 29, both from Oregon, Ian Torrence, 29, from Utah, and Jurek Scott, 28, from Seattle.
First runners-up were three-time Hong Kong champions the Sun Hing Cosmo Boys 2, whose members Chan Kwok-keung, Samuel Ribet, Lau Yu-chun and Shih Wa-hing finished in 13 hours and 15 minutes.
More than 3,700 contestants in 946 teams began the event in Pak Tam Chung in Sai Kung at 10am. An Oxfam spokeswoman said they had expected the record to fall because of superb weather. 'Morale is high and the weather is wonderful but we have advised all walkers to be prepared for possible rain,' she said.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of the event, which was opened by Oxfam guest of honour, former mainland gymnast Sang Lan, who was paralysed from the waist down after crushing her spine during a practice vault in 1998.
Oxfam hopes to raise $15 million to contribute to long-term development and emergency relief projects in Hong Kong, China, Asia and Africa.
