Nine Dragons Ultra: UTMB champion Francesca Canepa ‘impatient to enjoy’ Hong Kong’s 50/50 challenge
- Italian star tempers expectations by saying performance is not everything, sometimes it is just about enjoying nature
Francesca Canepa might have won the prestigious 171-kilometre Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc (UTMB) in the summer, but her motivation to keep racing has not abated.
“It is not difficult. I’m an athlete since the day I was born, so training is something natural for me – sort of a habit I will always have,” she said.
Canepa is in Hong Kong this week to run the notorious Nine Dragons Ultra. The race takes place over two days, with a 50-mile and 50km race on consecutive days. Participants can run either of the distances, or both, known as the 50/50, to be crowned the ninth dragon. Canepa is running the 50/50.
“I’ve always been an athlete,” she said. “I was a professional snowboarder before and I used to work a lot trying to always to reach the top. When I switched to running eight years ago, I kept the same attitude and fortunately it worked.”
Canepa is no stranger to Hong Kong, having won the Vibram 100 in 2014.
