HK4TUC | The Year of the Rabbit

Last September I had just finished my second running of the Barkley Fall Classic. It was late into the evening, it was dark, I was tired, I was hungry, and all sorts of muscles were aching from the huge effort I had just put in to run a "mere 50 km". I started my travels home by driving out of the park and back into town where my phone caught back up to civilization with the familiar binging noises signaling that I was back into cell service. When I stopped for food and fuel, I checked my emails and noticed I had one unexpected one message sitting there at the top of my inbox that had just come in. I recognized the name but did not really comprehend why I was getting an email.

As I read through and realized I had just gotten my acceptance invitation into a very small and lustrous event that is put on every year in Hong Kong around the Chinese New Year. I had been chosen to come and take on the challenge of the Four Trails. As I sat there in my car starring at my phone, and not pumping my fuel, at the service station, I pondered when exactly I had submitted my intentions to run and submit my application as it had been so long ago. In fact, I had forgot I was even in a lottery/application pool for the Hong Kong Four Trails at all. I forgot all about HK4TUC until that moment. The stoke now overtook all the pain and aches in my legs that were still quite beat up from Frozen Head State Park terrain.

Acceptance email from Andre Blumberg (HK4TUC Event creator/director)

Needless to say, as I put my mind around this email from Andre Blumberg I started to get very excited and realized that this was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ever since September I have done something I rarely have done in my ultrarunning career. I setup myself an actual training block per say and have been building up towards this event with full intentions. I am travelling halfway around the world to explore a new place and take on this immense challenge. I want to give it my all.

The Challenge

Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC) is a low-key, personal challenge in which participants must run or hike all four Hong Kong long distance trails non-stop, on their own and self-supported. HK4TUC is not a race, there is no course marking and no aid stations. No entry fees. No prizes.

The total distance is 298 km (186 Mi) and approximately 14,500 metres (46,000 ft+) of positive elevation gain. The sequence is Maclehose trail (100 km), Wilson trail (78 km), Hong Kong trail (50 km) and Lantau trail (70 km). Participants cover the trails in reverse direction, from trail end to trail head. The event starts in Tuen Muen and finishes at the green postbox at the Mui Wo ferry terminal on Lantau island.

Participants can have crew support between each of the four trails but not whilst they are on the trails. Here no pacers or outside companions of any kind are permitted. Participants can take rest breaks at their own discretion during the challenge, but the clock does not pause, and the total time also includes the transition time required between the trails. The use of trekking poles and music or sound playing devices is not permitted. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory and performance enhancing drugs are banned.

Anyone who complies with all HK4TUC rules and completes the full distance in under 60 hours is deemed a Finisher. Those who complete in under 72 hours are deemed a Survivor. There are several intermediate time cutoffs. Those who fail to comply with the HK4TUC rules or don't meet the cutoff times are deemed as Retired.

How to follow the event:

hk4tuc.live -- dot-tracking website of all of the race. It will be loaded up with this year's participants soon and will be live at start of the event. THIS IS THE MAIN SITE TO TRACK
https://www.instagram.com/HK4TUC | @hk4tuc -- Instagram – should be lots of stories, reels, and pictures posted throughout the event
https://www.facebook.com/HK4TUC/ | Facebook

Other Resources:

www.fourtrails.com | Four Trails – a new film about the 2021 HK4TUC edition (just released)
https://youtu.be/E0A_Ol5zmB0 | The Great Race - NHK Japan Documentary about the 2020 HK4TUC edition
www.breaking60.com | Breaking 60 – an awarding winning film by Robin Lee on the 2017 HK4TUC edition
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/HK4TUC - some prior video clips from the race(s)
Twitter - @HK4TUC

The HK4TUC map explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiEMIzvqh8c

Thank You

To all my supporters, especially my family, I appreciate you.

@rabbit -- best running apparel out there! I only have rabbit gear as it is comfortable, functional, and stylish. I am proud to represent rabbit ever since 2017. Monica and Jill you have created a great brand and culture. Happy Year of the Rabbit!

@VictorySportdesign -- #GreatestGearBagEver - the only bags I ever use for all my events. I have everything packed up into my Grizzley backpack and my Kodiak travel bag for this trek.

@AthleticBrewing -- #WithoutCompromise -- great tasting craft NA beer that is refreshing for all sorts of occasions.

My Crew -- I have lined up an amazing local support crew person. He is very familiar with the event, running in multiple times himself and been a Survivor (x2). I am proud to have Hong Kong local Will Hayward (@drvertigo) to be my crew in this event.

Thank you to my girls. You give me a why in this crazy sport. If I can show you through example what achieving a goal (or not) is like by putting in some hard work then my work as a father role model may just be worth it someday. I really wish you were all with me in Hong Kong but I will be doing this event with all my girls in mind. Katie I love you! Thank you.