Background: Since moving to Hong Kong in 2014, I've always felt compelled to do my home race, but it tends to get the better of me. Updating this in January 2024, I've now had five cracks at this and after my most recent attempt this year, I do believe I may have finally figured it out. I was a little late to the party training-wise, as I tore my meniscus in early October and I eased back on training for a few weeks. I was able to run pain-free from November and managed a slow half-marathon race on November 19, followed by a pretty slow Macau Marathon in early December. While that race was not at all pretty, I think it got me ready for some decent mileage and I managed some good long runs of 22, 25 and 30km in late December/ early January. So much so, I felt pretty good coming into the race on January 21. I ran well and although I was anticipating a difficult last 10/12km, I hung on and ran all the way for a time of 4'07". Not my best but certainly not my worst and actually one of the most satisfying races. 

 

It's held in either January or February, so ideal for a colder and less humid race as well as a good period of cool-weather training. The registration is now via ballot, so it's becoming harder and harder to get into. In 2015 it was still first-come-first-served and in 2016 I ran the half-marathon so got in okay. Since then, I've been lucky once (2018), unlucky once (2017 but I 'bandited') and sneaked in via a fastest time slot once (2019). In 2019, packet pick-up was a disaster, with long queues in the sunshine for a good 60-90 minutes. There are many categories with 10km, 21km and 42km, and we all queued together. As it happens, I didn't even race as I wasn't really ready and the race-morning logistics got the better of me. 2023 and 2024 were pretty straight-forward though and I got in without too much trouble - I think my 'legacy' status probably helps me get in so I guess I'll just have to keep doing it.

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Logistics: It's an early start - there are many batches of runners but all full and half marathon runners head off anytime from 5am to 7am from Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. They open the MTR nice and early so as long as you're staying close to an MTR station, it's pretty easy to get to. It's very well organized with plenty of logistical support at the race start - lots of portlaloos and bag drop of course. 

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The Course: You head off through the streets of downtown Kowloon before getting onto the highway and proceeding towards the shipping port area of Tsing Yi. The highway is a feature of this race - you see a lot of it and therefore very little outside (spectator) support from 1km to 38km. It's pretty mind-numbing at times - probably quite a novelty if you're travelling in from abroad, but if you live there and have done it several times, it's definitely mind-numbing.

 

After crossing over a couple of bridges, you turn back and head towards Hong Kong island itself. This is a good feeling, but there is a point here that always gets to me. You're into your stride as you get nearer and nearer to HK island itself and there is plenty of space on the road. However around 28km, when things are starting to hurt, the slower 21km runners suddenly merge with you and the road becomes crowded. Many are slow, many are walking and often stop in the middle of the road, while others are there for the occasion and stop for selfies every few hundred metres. This is generally the start of my decline - if you let these things get to you, it affects your race for sure.

 

The highway continues and this eventually takes you under the harbour through the Cross Harbour Western Tunnel at around 32km, and lasts for around 2-3km. If you're feeling good, I imagine it's a good part of the race as you know you're about to enter the final stretch. But for me, I have always started my suffering at the point just before the tunnel starts. I think it's a mental thing now, my mind switches off as I hit the private hell that it is the last 10km. Having said that, I overcame my demons in 2023 and 2024 and didn't allow the tunnel to get to me. 

 

Once out of the tunnel, you are almost home, but are still on the highway and are now faced with a series of rolling slopes. Then you hit the HK Convention Centre area in Wan Chai and finally start to see some crowds who stay with you and increase in number all the way to the finish in Victoria Park.

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The Finish: It's a grand finish for sure, and you're filtered through the various stages to get your medal, drinks and snacks. One year was a challenge though, as the exit gate to the nearest MTR was too narrow and thousands of runners were held up for a good 30-45 minutes just trying to exit the park. It was approaching midday too, and although not 'height of the summer' hot, it was sunny and a good 25 degrees. Not a good impression to leave the race with. 

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Post Race thoughts: It is definitely a well-organized race, and definitely worth doing once. But it's probably the most practical and the most boring of all the courses I've run. I've vowed not to run it again and didn't enter for 2020, but never say never and I put myself through the same ordeal in 2023 and 2024.

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Update for 2023: It's just too damn hard not to enter this race, and with Covid just about behind us, it was back to its original schedule, just after CNY. They were only offering around 37,000 slots for all distances (used to be up to 74,000 in the old days), so when the lottery opened up, I opted for the marathon to give myself a better chance of getting in. Lo and behold, I got a slot and had around 11 weeks to train. I set myself up with a Strava Marathon Plan and followed it to a tee - 3 good runs a week. I had a 3-week trip to the UK in the middle of it, but kept up the training in sometimes freezing temperatures.  

 

Come race day, I felt pretty good and as a now 50+ years old runner, I felt mature enough to manage my pace better. As it was, I did just that and maintained a 5'15" pace for the majority of the race, with the hope that I wouldn't fade in the last 10km - when the Western Tunnel came into view. The good news is that I ran through my demons and although I was slowing down, I was still on sub-4 hour pace with 5km to go. However, without any more gels, I left myself vulnerable and once I started to feel light-headed, I took the sensible option to take a walk and shuffled home in 4'05". I honestly don't think I could have gone any faster on the day and now I look back at my whole training block, I can see where I fell short and can definitely improve for the next one!

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Update for 2024: As above, I ran even better than 2023, albeit a couple of minutes slower.

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Now that I have 5 identical races to compare, it's interesting to see how my tactics have impacted each race. Although GPS is a little messed up in the city and the tunnels, I have compared my times for 10km, 21km, first 6+ minute split and (Garmin) finishing time.

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2015: 53'54 / 1'55'52 / 30.8km / 4'28'33

2017: 50'03 / 1'47'26 / 33.0km / 4'02'19

2018: 50'43 / 1'49'06 / 30.6km / 4'16'59

2023: 52'04 / 1'52'21 / 37.2km / 4'04'01

2024: 54'28 / 1'55'49 / 37km / 4'07'02

 

I'm sure a coach would read something into this, but from my quick analysis, my fastest time came from my fastest first 10km i.e. my old tactics - try to build up a cushion and hold on. However, my most balanced races seemed to be my last two races and I could/should/would have held on for sub-4 with a few minor adjustments in training and race day nutrition.

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Photos below are from my half-marathon attempt in 2016. I had a bit of a battle with that guy in the white t-shirt - we pushed each other pretty hard and I was happy to get under 1'45" that day for my HM PB. 

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