Chinese runners Yun Yanqiao and Zeng Xiaoqiang won the men’s championship and runner-up respectively
Hong Kong runner Claire Price broke the record to claim the women’s title
Hong Kong runner Claire Price broke the record to claim the women’s title
[January 20, 2013: Hong Kong] Chinese runner Yun Yanqiao won the 2013 “Vibram Hong Kong 100” race with a time of 10 hours, 16 minutes and 6 seconds. Zeng Xiaoqiang, a top local long-distance runner from Hong Kong who was unable to compete in the past two editions due to injuries, delivered an outstanding performance this year to clinch the runner-up spot.
In the battle for second place, Zeng Xiaoqiang overtook Nepalese runner Ram Kumar Khatri in the final moments, finishing as the runner-up with a time of 10 hours, 19 minutes and 43 seconds—just 16 seconds ahead of third-placed Ram Kumar Khatri.
Yun Yanqiao expressed excitement about winning the race: “I’m really happy to win, especially since I didn’t perform well last time. There were many strong runners this year, and the Nepalese athletes led early on—I wasn’t sure if I could win. But when I reached Checkpoint 5, I saw that Aite and Ram were running at a similar pace, so I knew I still had a chance. I felt great after passing Shing Mun Reservoir and maintained that until the finish.”
Aite Tamang, who led the first half of the race, struggled with muscle cramps in the second half and finished sixth, behind Andrew Tuckey and Jeremy Ritcey. Nicola Bassi, representing the Vibram Ultra Team and making his first appearance in Hong Kong for the title sponsor Vibram, was the first of all Vibram-sponsored runners to cross the finish line, completing the course in 11 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds, placing ninth. Bassi’s teammate from UTMB, French runner Sebastien Nain, finished the course in 12 hours, 30 minutes and 43 seconds.
Bassi, who came to Hong Kong from Italy, was pleased with his result: “This is my first time racing in Hong Kong. I hoped to finish in the top 20, so placing ninth exceeded my expectations. I pushed hard from the start and tried to stay with the leaders, but especially during the mountain sections, I found it very tough. I’m really happy to have secured ninth place.”
Zeng Jinjie, the Hong Kong representative of the Vibram Ultra Team and also known as “Eagle,” completed the race with an impressive time of 13 hours, 12 minutes and 39 seconds, finishing 31st. Joel LaBelle, who lives in Hong Kong and is also known as “Jogger Joel,” arrived at Rotary Park after 1 a.m. on the 20th. Qin Junping from the Chinese mainland, also known as “King Jump,” crossed the finish line 75 minutes after Joel with a time of 18 hours, 18 minutes and 39 seconds.
In the women’s race, British-born Hong Kong resident Claire Price won the race with a leading performance throughout and broke the women’s record with a time of 11 hours, 58 minutes and 4 seconds. Price, who finished as runner-up by a narrow margin last year, was particularly pleased with this victory: “I’m so happy! I had a minor injury and only confirmed my participation a few days ago. I didn’t have high expectations, but I felt great right from the start, the mountain sections were good, and I managed to win in the end.”
In the battle for second place, Zeng Xiaoqiang overtook Nepalese runner Ram Kumar Khatri in the final moments, finishing as the runner-up with a time of 10 hours, 19 minutes and 43 seconds—just 16 seconds ahead of third-placed Ram Kumar Khatri.
Yun Yanqiao expressed excitement about winning the race: “I’m really happy to win, especially since I didn’t perform well last time. There were many strong runners this year, and the Nepalese athletes led early on—I wasn’t sure if I could win. But when I reached Checkpoint 5, I saw that Aite and Ram were running at a similar pace, so I knew I still had a chance. I felt great after passing Shing Mun Reservoir and maintained that until the finish.”
Aite Tamang, who led the first half of the race, struggled with muscle cramps in the second half and finished sixth, behind Andrew Tuckey and Jeremy Ritcey. Nicola Bassi, representing the Vibram Ultra Team and making his first appearance in Hong Kong for the title sponsor Vibram, was the first of all Vibram-sponsored runners to cross the finish line, completing the course in 11 hours, 40 minutes and 42 seconds, placing ninth. Bassi’s teammate from UTMB, French runner Sebastien Nain, finished the course in 12 hours, 30 minutes and 43 seconds.
Bassi, who came to Hong Kong from Italy, was pleased with his result: “This is my first time racing in Hong Kong. I hoped to finish in the top 20, so placing ninth exceeded my expectations. I pushed hard from the start and tried to stay with the leaders, but especially during the mountain sections, I found it very tough. I’m really happy to have secured ninth place.”
Zeng Jinjie, the Hong Kong representative of the Vibram Ultra Team and also known as “Eagle,” completed the race with an impressive time of 13 hours, 12 minutes and 39 seconds, finishing 31st. Joel LaBelle, who lives in Hong Kong and is also known as “Jogger Joel,” arrived at Rotary Park after 1 a.m. on the 20th. Qin Junping from the Chinese mainland, also known as “King Jump,” crossed the finish line 75 minutes after Joel with a time of 18 hours, 18 minutes and 39 seconds.
In the women’s race, British-born Hong Kong resident Claire Price won the race with a leading performance throughout and broke the women’s record with a time of 11 hours, 58 minutes and 4 seconds. Price, who finished as runner-up by a narrow margin last year, was particularly pleased with this victory: “I’m so happy! I had a minor injury and only confirmed my participation a few days ago. I didn’t have high expectations, but I felt great right from the start, the mountain sections were good, and I managed to win in the end.”
The Vibram Ultra Team entered two female runners in this race. Qu Lijie, who competed again this year, finished with a time of 23 hours, 32 minutes and 55 seconds. Linds Russell withdrew from the race early due to an injury.
When asked about the difference from last year when she finished second, Price responded: “I think my strategy was better this year. The second half of the Vibram Hong Kong 100 has many mountain sections. Last year I pushed too hard at the beginning, which made the end much tougher. This year I managed my energy very well throughout.”
Jerome Bernard, Vibram’s Italian footwear market director, ran the half-course and was deeply impressed and inspired by the experience: “Vibram supports ordinary people in pushing their personal limits and achieving extraordinary feats. There’s nothing more extraordinary than seeing runners cross the finish line of the ‘Vibram Hong Kong 100’. The atmosphere at Rotary Park, the friendships I witnessed, and the mutual support and encouragement among runners left a deep impression on me.”
The 2013 “Vibram Hong Kong 100” saw a total of 1,225 runners from 30 countries and regions, including 217 women. Of all participants, 666 were residents of Hong Kong and 245 were from Chinese mainland, with others coming from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the Middle East, the UK, the USA, and more.
Jerome Bernard, Vibram’s Italian footwear market director, ran the half-course and was deeply impressed and inspired by the experience: “Vibram supports ordinary people in pushing their personal limits and achieving extraordinary feats. There’s nothing more extraordinary than seeing runners cross the finish line of the ‘Vibram Hong Kong 100’. The atmosphere at Rotary Park, the friendships I witnessed, and the mutual support and encouragement among runners left a deep impression on me.”
The 2013 “Vibram Hong Kong 100” saw a total of 1,225 runners from 30 countries and regions, including 217 women. Of all participants, 666 were residents of Hong Kong and 245 were from Chinese mainland, with others coming from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the Middle East, the UK, the USA, and more.