REDFERN CLAIMS BEST INTERNATIONAL TIME AT HK4TUC

Contributed by Marie Boyd, AURA member

The Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge is not your average ultra event; it’s created a little bit differently and features just a small number of participants, each one individually accepted after applications open.

Stephen Redfern from Engadine, NSW keenly put his name forward earlier last year for the HK4TUC, which was created by Andre Blumberg who wanted to put on a race that brought back the basics of running and allowing each participant to challenge themselves to the limits.

Traditionally run every year on the Chinese New Year weekend, this year it also happened to take place on the weekend of Australia Day – fitting for the two cultures to collide this way, as well as having an Aussie in Redfern finish on the podium.

Before we get onto the event, Redfern finished 2nd out of the whole field, with a time of 54 hours 46 minutes.

The four trails that make up the HK4TUC are:

• Maclehouse Trail, 100km with 4500m+ elevation from Tuen Mum to Sai Kung.
• Wilson Trail, 78km with 4300m+ elevation from Nam Chung to Stanley Gap Road.
• Hong Kong Trail, 50km with 2300m+ elevation from Shek O to The Peak.
• Lantau Trail, 70km with 3300m+ elevation from Mui Wo to Mui Wo Postbox.

Because the event is self-supported, each participant must make their own way from the end of one trail to the start of another, and this can include a private car or taxi drive, some train rides, whilst the last is a ferry ride.

This year, there were a total of 33 starters and it was the highest recorded number of female participants – in total it consisted of 7 finishers, 5 survivors, 21 retirees.

Redfern said it in the lead up to the HK4TUC, he felt it would be his biggest race to date since starting his running journey six years ago, and so the personal development and growth began with a few planned preparations including the UTMB in August, then the 24hour Championships in October.

“My biggest preparation was heading off to Hong Kong on two occasions to recce the trails,” he said.

“I could get a real feel for the trails, how they were marked, and also the logistics of getting around – one of the things I had to organise for myself was catching three trains to get across the harbour whilst on the Wilson Trail, and catching a ferry to the start of the Lantau Trail.

“To achieve what I achieved, those two trips were invaluable and made it super comfortable for me to do the race – on the day of the race, I didn’t have to overthink about the terrain, about the logistics of getting from one trail to another, the navigation of the trails; all of that really came into play.”

Despite all of this, there was the added challenge on race weekend with torrential rainfall and thunderstorms, however Redfern was thankful he conducted the recce runs so he didn’t have to think too much about the other factors that normally come in to play like which way to go, and keeping an eye out for markers.

In the direct lead up, Redfern said he was astonished at the amount of preparation he had to go through.

“I never thought trying to organise a race of this size was so hard, but it was like effectively having to sort out gear and nutrition for four races in one,” he said.

“Four changes of running gear, enough nutrition to last four races, three pairs of shoes, then all the spares and ancillary gear as well – then to be able to get all of this into one travel bag to take over to Hong Kong and trying to not be over in baggage weight.”