Hong Kong 298km Four Trails: Jacky Leung ‘breaks 50’ on history-making ultra run

Jacky Leung surpasses even his own expectations by being the first runner to go sub-50 hours on the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge

Salomon Wettstein learns about the balance of head and heart when ‘time becomes irrelevant’ on epic challenge

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Jacky Leung Chun-keung is the first person to ‘break 50’ on the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge. Photo: Alan Li

Published: 12:48pm, 14 Feb 2021Updated: 12:36pm, 15 Feb 2021

Jacky Leung Chun-keung became the first person to run the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC) in under 50 hours when he reached the postbox in 49 hours and 21 minutes. The Hong Kong runner burst into tears, sobbing as he hugged the event organiser while adoring fans looked on.

“During the final run down, I thought why should I cry? I have no reason to cry. But when I touched the green post I knew I was the lucky one,” Leung, 37, said.

The HK4TUC is a challenge like no other. The 298km run links the MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong and Lantau Trails. There is no support, nor checkpoints, though runners can have help when travelling between the trails.

Runners have to reach the end, marked by a postbox in Mui Wo, in under 60 hours to be deemed a “finisher”, or under 72 hours to be deemed a “survivor”. To mark the 10th edition this year, only former finishers and survivors were invited back. Leung finished in 2020, in 58 hours and 20 minutes. He was just one of 16 finishers before this year’s event.

“No, never, never thought of breaking 50. Maybe my target was under 55 hours and I’d be happy. But last night, before the start of the Lantau Trail, the time was 39 hours,” he said, giving him about 11 hours to break 50, a tough but not impossible task.

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