Photos provided by the Interviewee, Carol
The Joy of Trail Running
Over the past ten years, an increasing number of Hong Kong people are more into running. For instance, more than 70,000 people have signed up for the Standard Chartered Marathon every year since 2012, and it is 1% of the total population which is quite a high participation rate. Many of these runners have since moved to mountain trails, and the number of long-distance trail running competitions has tripled in the past decade. Due to the Covid pandemic in recent years, many competitions have been forced to cancel but the number of trail runners has grown. We believe that many of you or your friends have become runners, of course some are keen on breaking their own records, but also there are many who just simply enjoy running itself. So, what is the fun in it?
Carol, who works in banking, had more leisure time in between jobs in 2011. She began running with the encouragement of her friends, from 3km, 5km, 10km to half marathon and full marathon. “People said exercising releases endorphins and I finally feel the excitement after running. Long-distance running is really a sport to strengthen one’s willpower. There was no doubt that there were moments that I wanted to give up halfway but I set a goal for myself. If I make it through the hard times, the strength will come back and this kind of ups and downs is very attractive to me”, she describes herself as “addicted” to running.
In 2018, Carol met her boyfriend who likes trail running which made her change track and never looked back. “Trail running is so much more fun, you can enjoy the scenery along the run, and it is better for the knees”, she said. Nature also seems to give Carol a lot of inspiration, “I think about work problems and family chores when running, and sometimes the problems suddenly unclogged with solutions. Sometimes, I will just space out, leaving my mind blank and just focus on the road ahead”. She feels that she is more mature in her dealings after trail running, and the willpower she built could be used to face various problems in life.
Trail Runners are One Big Family
Carol now runs 4 to 5 days a week. The 3 weekdays that she runs alone is about 10km, from her home to the nearby Mount Parker or Jardine's Lookout. She commented that it feels very refreshing to run in the morning before returning to work. On weekends, she runs 20-30km with her boyfriend or other friends, and the group run is full of joy.
Carol did not know that there are so many beautiful places in Hong Kong before trail running, and she felt that she had missed so much and had to make up for it. Another reason for falling in love with trail running is that she feels that trail runners are more like a family, “Trail runners are friendly, enthusiastic and willing to help strangers. Road runners feel colder, competitive, more individualistic and seem to only focus on their own results. The bonding of the trail running community is really much stronger, and everyone seems to be a family”.
Carol made new friends thanks to trail running, and they would take a day off together for a trail running date or other gatherings. She feels that the trail runners are a special community, which is not limited to Hong Kong, as she has also felt a similar atmosphere when she watched trail races abroad.
A Combination of Road Running and Trail Running: Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail
Carol has been running in country parks a lot in recent years and this time she participated in the 25km Hill Run of the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail Challenge. She found the route interesting as there are some places she has never been to. “Although the route is obvious, I have not been there. I walked the wrong way in the Chai Wan city area but did not get lost. All the way up to Mount Collinson, you can enjoy the coastline view of Hong Kong with the rewarding landscape view. After that, I went to Tai Tam Village which I wouldn’t have visited if I did not follow the route. Therefore, it was unique”, she beamed.
Participating in this year’s Coastal Trail Challenge has enabled her to learn more about Hong Kong and its cultural history. “I am not familiar with Kennedy Town and want to know more. Also, I haven’t been to the waterfall in Pok Fu Lam and the Southern District”, Carol said. She thinks the Coastal Trail is a very convenient route, as it is a route that you can just open the door and start running.
Cherish the Beauty of Hong Kong’s Mountain Sceneries
Carol mentioned more than once that she only started trail running a few years ago, and she missed the beauty of Hong Kong for so many years which she still feels the same way when she is enjoying the views now. Thus, she hopes other participants of the Coastal Trail Challenge do not just walk with their heads down, but enjoy the scenery of Hong Kong during the challenge.
When talking about the favorite part of Hong Kong, Sai Kung is Carol’s first choice, “MacLehose Trail Section 1 to 3, which have mountains, sea, beaches, reservoirs and trails. There is no other place prettier than that,” she commented.
On the one hand, she wants more people to explore the beauty of the landscape, but on the other hand she is also worried that the government will build more paved roads to cope with a larger number of visitors. “I wish that the trails can be preserved as it is, or built with rocks like the Lantau Trail”, said Carol.
Like most Hong Kong people, leaving or staying is also a topic she has thought about. Although she has no plan to leave yet, one of the things that she would miss the most will definitely include trail running in Hong Kong. “There is no place in the world as convenient as Hong Kong. You just need to hop on a taxi and you can go anywhere in Hong Kong within an hour”, Like herself, Carol wishes everyone can start with appreciation of our nature, then to learn to cherish the mountains and wilderness of Hong Kong.
