In Pictures: 5 runners finish gruelling Hong Kong Four Trails challenge in under 60 hours

Five runners have finished the gruelling Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge in under 60 hours.

The ultramarathon challenge covers Hong Kong’s four major hiking routes – MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong, and Lantau. It spans a total distance of 298km, starting in Tuen Mun and ending in Mui Wo, marked by a green mailbox.

The title “finisher” is reserved for those who complete the trails in under 60 hours.

Frenchman and first-time runner Julien Chorier finished fastest on Thursday with a time of 55 hours and 12 minutes.

Two Hongkongers, Liu Fo Lok and Man Wing Yam, also finished in under 60 hours, as did Briton Scott Pugh and Markus Schieder from Austria.

The annual event, which starts on the first day of the Lunar New Year, is considered one of the world’s hardest ultramarathons, with self-supported runners having to ascend a cumulative elevation of 14,500m.

See also: ‘My personal Four Trails’: Director Robin Lee on filming Hong Kong’s gruelling race and his own marathon creative process

Hiking poles, headphones, watches and painkillers are banned, though runners are able to catch some rest on vehicle or ferry rides between trails.

Four Trails Founder and Challenge Director Andre Blumberg told HKFP on Thursday that this year’s event was the 15th edition.

“Twenty-six participants from over a dozen nationalities took part. The film Four Trails released in late 2024 increased the awareness globally beyond the ultra endurance and trail running enthusiasts,” he said.

Shot during the 2021 challenge, the Four Trails movie became a box office hit after it won the Audience Choice Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival in 2023.