UTMB 2019: how Hongkonger Wong Ho-chung and Joaquin Lopez crossed the finish line in joint sixth with act of sportsmanship
- The firefighter finishes higher than any Hongkonger before him with even pacing until 80km, when he runs to feel
Wong Ho-chung made history on Saturday when he crossed the finish line of the Ultra Marathon du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in the top 10, higher than any Hongkonger before him. But the result transcended the race as an act of sportsmanship between two competitors.
Wong finished with Ecuador runner Joaquin Lopez, running hand in hand in the final stretch in recognition of each other’s efforts and kindness over the brutal 171km course. The UTMB is one of the most prestigious and hotly contested races in ultra trail running, and yet they put good will first.
At Vallorcine, 155km, there were just seconds between a group of runners, including Wong and Lopez. Over the next two checkpoints, the gap did not change.
“We were very close, uphills and downhills, we were always together,” Wong said. “We reached the last checkpoint and there were four of us, everyone started to get excited. Three of them went too fast and I fell behind because I could feel my body wasn’t ready. Only one of them kept the pace, the others blew up.”
It was Lopez, and that is when Wong decided to make his move. He passed the Ecuadorean runner and seemed set for home.