2017 MSIG Sai Kung 50 - HK50 Series
A Beauty and a Beast
Press Release / 15.02.2017
More than 1,000 participants from Hong Kong and overseas will take on the challenging and picturesque MSIG Sai Kung 50, the third and final leg of the MSIG HK 50 series, on Saturday Feb 18, 2017. Held in Sai Kung, the “back garden of Hong Kong”, the course is both a beauty and a beast, traversing undulating hiking trails and pristine beaches such as Tai Long Wan and Lo Tei Tun.
The MSIG Sai Kung 50 comprises three races of varying distances to cater to runners and hikers of all abilities. The longest race, at about 50 kilometres long, takes participants on a huge circumnavigation of Sai Kung East Country Park followed by a smaller loop of Sai Kung West Country Park for a total elevation gain of 2,835 metres.The race is endorsed by the International Skyrunning Federation as an Ultra SkyMarathon and awards points that go towards rankings in the China Skyrunner National Series.
Pierre-Andre Ferriere, the Hong Kong-based French elite runner who was second in the 2016 MSIG Sai Kung 50 and overall champion at the 2015 MSIG Taiwan 50, returns to the race with a higher aim. In last year’s race, he ran the entire course shoulder to shoulder with Upendra Sunuwar, only to be outsprinted by the Nepalese in the final 300m. Sunuwar eventually won in 5 hours 41 minutes 10 seconds with Ferriere just 13 seconds behind.
Ferriere, of the Gone Running / Joint Dynamics team, has prepared for this year’s race with a mix of long runs and vertical training, as well as shorter runs focusing on speed and intensity. He said: “Last year’s race went quite well for me, so I hope I can run a similar or faster time if the weather is favourable. I will enjoy the scenery as we will be running through some of the most beautiful and remote areas of Hong Kong.”
The Singaporean elite runner, Alex Koh, who won the overall forth in 2016 MSIG Singapore 50 is looking forward to 2017 MSIG Sai Kung 50 this Saturday. “I do my training by running to work from home. It was tough to wake up early and do my runs and feeling tired the rest of the day thereafter. However, with determination and slowly easing into the changed schedule I manage to be able to run to work and run back home for days straight. I will also do long climbs on Saturdays and Sundays just to further increase my mileage and build up my aerobic base. With this schedule, I managed to clock as much as 160km a week never losing focus on the races that I always wanted to do,” he said.
The MSIG Sai Kung 50 also has 12km and 22km races. Encouraged by her husband, May Ng from Hong Kong Team 24 Maker is attempting the 22km race for the first time. “I have been cross training, even though it’s hard to balance the daily work and trainings,” Ng said.
Hong Kong runner Chan Kwan Lam will be the the youngest participant in the event at 19 years of age. He said: “This is my first time participating in an Action Asia event. The desire to explore got me started in trail running. I think it is natural for us to want to explore the world and see new things. I always discover something new while trail running, especially when surrounded by a nice environment, which helps to boost my mood.”
“2016 Asian Skyrunning Championships - MSIG Lantau 50 was brought to a successful conclusion which shows Hong Kong is an excellent stage for international trail running events. 2017 MSIG Sai Kung is one of the most anticipated technical trail races this year which features rugged race course and spectacular scenery. Being the title sponsor of the MSIG HK50 race series, it is an honour for MSIG to partner with Action Asia Events to bring a unique running experience for HK runners to compete with world-class trail runners, and to inspire them to go above and beyond – which is also the core value of the MSIG brand,” said by Mr. Kenneth J. Reid, MSIG’s Chief Executive Officer.
To maintain a good relationship with AFCD and to protect the nature, Race director and Course designer, Michael Maddess, has changed the race courses four years in a row.
The event is possible due to the generous support of presenting sponsor MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited and supporting partners: ActionX Store, Hoka One One, Herbalgy, OtterBox, C3fit, Bonaqua, Salonsip, AroundDB, Skyrunner National Series China, China Skyrunning Association, International Trail Running Association Member, 2017 UTMB Qualifying Race, Long March Hiking Club and Action Asia Foundation.
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