Hong Kong Trail: ‘Stingray’ Onifa breaks 11-year-old fastest known time for 44km run from The Peak to Big Wave Bay
- Filipino John ‘Stingray’ Ray Onifa runs the Hong Kong Trail in three hours and 26 minutes, just two weeks after first attempt at the record
- He was 13 minutes faster than the previous mark, set in 2009 by William Davies during the Greenpower race
John ‘Stingray’ Ray Onifa has broken the 11-year-old Hong Kong Trail record on his second attempt in two weeks. The Hong Kong-based Filipino ran the 44km route in three hours, 26 minutes and 56 seconds. His effort was 13 minutes faster than the previous record of 3:39 set by William Davies in 2009 during the Greenpower race.
“My hydration and nutrition plan was better [this time],” Onifa, 30, said. “I carried a bit more water and had one more Hammer gel, plus some extra electrolytes at halfway. I also feel last time was [my] first hard race-type effort since March and my body was shocked a bit. Now I felt more ready and less pressure than two weeks ago.”
The Hong Kong Trail starts at The Peak, wraps around the contours of the Island, above Aberdeen, on to Mount Butler, past the Tai Tam Reservoir, over Dragon’s Back and finishes at Big Wave Bay.
Onifa reached Dragon’s Back and only then did he really know that he could break the record. He then started pushing as hard as he could in an attempt to go under the 3:30 mark. It was a contrast to his previous attempt, when he started feeling dizzy and sick on the flat catchwater that leads to Dragon’s Back.
“I felt OK with the fast pace, even thought I was so fast for the first 20km,” he said. “To break this record, you must be fast the whole way.