• Overall Champion Ultra Trail Mount Rosa (UTMR) 
• Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge finisher 
• Top 10 Ultra Trail World Tour x 2 (8th and 10th) 

We sat down with Stone Tsang, who is one of six people who have ever managed to finish the 298km Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge. Stone is an inspiration to runners who want to be adventurous and take part in ultra trail runs! 

 

On how he started

I started very late at 25 years old. My first run was a marathon and I never ran more than five kilometres but I just went as a team with my colleagues. During that time, I spent 5 hours running the full marathon. Almost all my muscles were cramped. After that, I started training and began to like running.

 

On training in Hong Kong 

Our We have a countryside that is huge with mountains and hills that are steep and technical. There are also forests which were unbelievably beautiful. The world-class scenery in Hong Kong is perfect for outdoor activities. While doing trail runs, I really find peace in the mountains.

On what keeps him going

Ultrarunning is hard. One half is physical fitness and the other half is the mind. You have to have a strong mind to go for it and the mind will tell you how to feel when it gets difficult. Sometimes we might feel that it is tough but if you tell yourself to keep going, you will keep going. If you want to give up, you will definitely give up and not finish the race. I always tell myself that I have to get to the finish line, that I can do it.

Words of wisdom for novice runners 

Your base is the most important for endurance running. You need to increase your mileage step-by-step. Also, if you want to finish the race you do not need to do a lot of high-intensity training. It is more of covering the distance. However, if you are looking at being competitive, some intensity would be important. Make it more fun as well! Change up your training circuit and involve your friends.