Hong Kong ultra runner ‘balancing growth and comfort’ as motivations change from fun to performance
- Ting Gao switched from fun running to competitive running when she realised her potential after the HK100
- She returns to the Lantau 50, where she barely made the cut-off in 2018, hoping to break the top 10
Ting Gao slowly made her way around the Lantau 50 in 2018. She just wanted to have fun, take some pictures and see the island as she went. Gao made some friends as she ran, and together they sauntered round making the final 12 hour cut-off by just a few minutes.
It never crossed her mind to push herself hard. It was all just relaxed fun. But then, when she was running the Hong Kong 100 a few months later and her friends finished fast enough to earn a gold medal she had second thoughts.
“I was kind of like ‘oh my God’, they are not much faster than me but they got gold,” Gao said.
“I just wanted to enjoy running, enjoy the moment and not push myself. But after that, they said I should set myself goals and go for it. So after that, I began to take it more seriously.”
Gao started training regularly, posting blogs and videos on her WeChat and gained enough attention to pick up a sponsor, Kailas, a mainland running brand. This Saturday, she is returning to the Lantau 50 and aiming for nine hours, which might be enough to break the top 10 or even see her podium.