bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Oxfam Trailwalker runners 2XU UFO became the first all-Hong Kong Chinese team last night to win the annual charity event since organisers made the route longer and more arduous in 2009.
The achievement was a record in more ways than one, according to team leader Tsang Chun-kit - he said their time of 11 hours 58 minutes in completing the scheduled 48-hour race also beat the last record set by an all-Hong Kong Chinese team, of 12 hours 25 minutes in 2012.
"We are very excited because we have broken the records," Tsang, 31, said after they crossed the finish line at 8.28pm.
"The weather has been quite wet these days, so maybe people from overseas are not as used to the weather as we are."
The youngest in his team, Tsang said one of its members had taken part 20 times before.
READ MORE: Follow Trailwalker from the comfort of your couch
The Trailwalker saw a record 5,200 participants this year, up from 5,000 last year - when it raised a little over HK$32 million for emergency relief and the poor, exceeding the target of HK$31 million.
This time, its fundraising target was HK$32 million.
Participants in teams of four traversed more than 20 hills on the MacLehose and other trails between Sai Kung and Yuen Long, along a 100km route that was 2km longer than before 2009.
Previous winners included Nepalese teams, some of whom were former Gurkhas, and the People's Liberation Army's Hong Kong garrison.
Waiting to start #trailwalkerhk pic.twitter.com/TRzXbqD7cB
— James Porteous (@JamesPorteous) November 20, 2015
Yesterday, runners started in Pak Tam Chung upon the blare of a horn at 8.30am, and the last would end at Tai Tong Holiday Camp tomorrow.
They were required to finish within 48 hours, though athletes and professional runners from around the world had been able to complete the gruelling event in far less time, including a record 10 hours and 58 minutes set in 2013 by a team of Nepalis.
For the first time, non-participants could track all the teams, including the top 10 finishers, via a live web tracking system.
"The No 1 goal is for my team [The Gurkhas] to enjoy it ... and for us to finish as a team," said Shaun Chandler, 39, a British officer with the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Chandler was on the winning team at Oxfam's British edition in July. During a pre-run stretch yesterday, he was complimentary about the route.
"The scenery is absolutely stunning. I've never seen a trail in 100km with so many different terrains," he said. "There are beaches, hills, rocks and meadows. You have it all."
READ MORE: 6½ hours’ sleep in 6 days: Hong Kong race director Janet Ng always up for a challenge
The organisers pledged to set aside part of the money raised to help Nepal, where earthquakes in April and May killed more than 8,800 people.
This year's event roped in more than 3,000 volunteers, 50,000 donors and 5,000 support team members.
The Trailwalker race began as a training exercise for Gurkha soldiers – Nepalese fighters who served in the British army. Since 1986, the event that started in Hong Kong, where Gurkha soldiers served for 30 years, spread to 16 cities in 10 countries around the world.


Hong Kong developers Sino Group, NWD delay home sales amid grief over Tai Po fire

Cyclothon cancelled, Oxfam Trailwalker, rugby matches in Hong Kong called off

Hong Kong’s Oxfam Trailwalker set to welcome back elite overseas entrants

Hong Kong Oxfam Trailwalker: 3-time winner keeps perfect record as team win in rain

Oxfam Trailwalker

Record-breaking: all-Hong Kong Chinese team the first to win Oxfam Trailwalker since 2009

This year's Oxfam Trailwalker is "shark-infested", or so it would seem as participants gather at Pak Tam Chung in Sai Kung. Photo: Felix Wong

This year’s participants at the start of the 100-kilometre race in Sai Kung. Photo: Felix Wong

No Caption Available.

News

Hong Kong

Education

Annual charity event aims to raise HK$32 million, with portion for devastated Nepal


Record-breaking: all-Hong Kong Chinese team the first to win Oxfam Trailwalker since 2009

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Annual charity event aims to raise HK$32 million, with portion for devastated Nepal

Annual charity event aims to raise HK$32 million, with portion for devastated Nepal