Samantha Chan on her own in the Gobi and saving her energy for the final and decisive 100km.
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2113230/hong-kong-runner-samantha-chan-fourth-place-and-going-strong-88km Hong Kong
Hong Kong runner Samantha Chan in fourth place and going strong 88km into the Ultra Gobi
Chan is in the midst of a 400km ultra marathon across the desert
Samantha Chan consults her GPS at 88km into the Ultra Gobi. She is in fourth place and going at a steady pace. Photos: Lloyd Belcher Visuals
Hong Kong’s Samantha Chan Man-ha is going strong after 88km into the 400km Ultra Gobi race, and lies in fourth place.
Chan entered checkpoint seven after 13 hours 37 minutes, almost an hour behind third place, and 20 minutes ahead of fifth.
The self navigated, self supported non-stop marathon pits runners against the harsh desert environment of the Gobi in Gansu province.
“Samantha is in great spirits, going at a steady pace,” said photographer Lloyd Belcher, who is following the runners.
“She alternates walking and running to conserve energy and strength for the crucial final 100km, which decides who wins the race.”
Chan was invited to run the Ultra Gobi after she won a 100km in Xinjiang last June.
In July, she said she was worried about navigation because she still gets lost on Hong Kong’s MacLehose Trail, despite running the Trailwalker four times.
“I cannot navigate. I will get so lost in the Gobi, you will never find me,” Chan said.
But she seems to be doing just fine.