Elite trail runners seemed like UFOs or another species to Janice Cheung, but now the Oxfam Trailwalker winner is one of them

When the Hong Kong runner first completed the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker it took 41 hours, this season she won it in 15 hours

She believes even if something seems impossible, it is attainable through steady progressions and even the best went through the same process once

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Janice Cheung, nominated for most improve female trail runner, went from 41 hours on Trailwalker to winning in 15 hours. Photo: Alan Li/@we_run_we_photo

Published: 4:39pm, 27 Jun 2019Updated: 10:24pm, 27 Jun 2019

When Janice Cheung Chiu-man crossed the finish line of the Oxfam Trailwalker in 2018 to win, she had improved her time by 26 hours compared to her first attempt. The Hongkonger proved that elites are not a different species, but products of hard work and sacrifice, she said.

Cheung has now been nominated for a Gone Running trail award in the Trailblazer Most Improved Female Runner category.

She hiked the famous 100km course in 2004 aged 18 in 41 hours and vowed never to do it again. Eventually, convinced by a friend in 2015 to try again, Cheung finished in 33 hours.

“Thirty-three hours is not bad in my mind, but when I looked at the list of finishers, I was in the lower half,” she said.

She decided to see how much she could improve and started running. “But I hated running ever since I was a teenager. I can’t say I even like it now. But I want to see where the limit is and how far I can go. And I love the mountains, and want to spend a lot of time there.”

(From left) Karen Tse, Hui Wing-yan, Cheung Chiu-man and Rouisa Tse Wing-yan the female winners of the 2018 Oxfam Trailwalker. Photo: Salomon Hong Kong