Peggy Chan first ran a marathon because of someone else's mistake and she hasn't stopped since
The 46-year-old runner has competed in an astonishing 58 marathons since 2005
Sometimes, even the smallest thing in life can result in a major change. For Peggy Chan Pui-shan, it was a tick in the wrong box - and all of a sudden she became a marathon runner.
A regular on the local running scene, Chan competed in everything from track and field to cross-country to road races.
"I enjoyed running and so I started to run regularly with friends," said Chan, 46. "I like to keep fit and healthy and running seemed like a great way to keep in shape. I joined Watsons Athletic Club when one of my friends told me they would pay the entry fee for local races."
One of my teammates completed the entry forms and he ticked the wrong box
In 2005, she decided to join her club mates and compete in the half marathon in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Her training had gone well and she was looking forward to posting a good time, but when she picked up her number bib a few days before the race she found she had been entered in the full marathon.
"One of my teammates completed the entry forms and he ticked the wrong box," Chan said. "I contacted the HKAAA [Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association] and told them of the mistake and asked if it could be changed, but they said no.
"I really didn't know what to expect as I hadn't trained for the full marathon. Still, I thought I might as well give it a try to see what sort of time I could run."
Chan surprised herself when she finished in three hours and 37 minutes. "I was really surprised at my time and I really enjoyed the race," she said. "I proved to myself I could run the marathon distance, and that got me hooked. I didn't have a coach so I read lots of books about marathon running. One in particular was by Jack Daniels."