Vibram 100 runners clock up the miles ahead of gruelling race
Local contenders follow their overseas rivals by competing in extreme distances as they prepare for this weekend's challenge
In the world of ultrarunning, it is a long road to the top. The 100 kilometres runners face at this weekend's Vibram Hong Kong 100 is nothing compared to the hundreds of training miles logged before the starter's gun.
Elite British runner Jez Bragg, who hopes to dominate the men's race on Saturday, represents a true extreme. Last April, he ran from the north to the south of New Zealand, complete with a kayak across Cook Strait, for a total of 3,054km. Being struck mid-way with giardia (parasitic infection) did little to slow him down; he ran the trail in a record-breaking 53 days.
Pick of the women's field, Francesca Canepa, ran non-stop for 88 hours last September to win the 330km Tor des Geants (TdG), named for the 25 2,000m mountains runners must pass.
I've run the HK100 every year since it started in 2011. I thought this year I should do something a bit different
Races of punishing distances are the Italian ultrarunner's preferred method of training. Before running - and winning - the same race in 2012 she ran the 168km Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc two weeks before as a "training run". Finishing as the second woman was an added bonus.
Inspired by the feats of the professionals, local amateurs are crafting their own challenges. After deeming the weekend's arduous journey "not difficult enough", Joel LaBelle, aka "Jogger Joel", intends to swim and cycle an additional 431km before Saturday's race in Sai Kung.
"I've run the HK100 every year since it started in 2011. I thought this year I should do something a bit different," he says. It's also a way for the 43-year-old IT consultant to raise money for the More Than Sport charity.
The Hyperman Challenge, as he has named it, began this morning with a 10km ocean swim. LaBelle will spend the rest of today cycling a hilly 145km. Tomorrow, he will ride for another 276km, ending with the HK100 on Saturday.
"I will only get between three to four hours sleep a night, but hopefully more." He's hoping to complete Saturday's race in under 21 hours.