Hong Kong 298km Four Trails: Chamelia Suhra goes from ‘party queen’ to running machine in two years, swapping heels for sports shoes
- The Hong Kong-based Indonesian only heard of the Four Trails Ultra Challenge a year ago and shed tears after being accepted for the race
- The 298km run links all four of Hong Kong’s major trails, in one go, with no support or checkpoints
Chamelia Suhra is tackling one of the hardest ultra marathons on earth only two years after taking up running. The Hong Kong-based business owner has ticked off massive distances in the past 24 months, in time to be accepted for the 298km Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC).
“My family, I haven’t told them. They wouldn’t believe me. They don’t believe I’m turning myself to sport because I was the party queen,” Suhra said. “When I lived in Singapore, I was partying seven days a week. I didn’t own any sports shoes. And, now all my heels are hiding, replaced by sports shoes.”
The HK4TUC, starting on February 2, links all four of Hong Kong’s major trails – the MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong and Lantau Trails. They run them in reverse, and there are no checkpoints or support allowed on the trails. The runners do get help moving between the trails. They are not allowed headphones or music, hiking poles or painkillers.
If they reach the end, marked by the green postbox in Mui Wo, in under 60 hours, they are deemed a “finisher”. If they reach the end in under 72 hours, they are a “survivor”.
Suhra only heard about the HK4TUC a year ago. She was supporting a friend on the final 30km of the HK100 when some of the HK4TUC runners sped past her, just a few kilometres into the 298km epic.