Race Media

North Face runner - New Zealand's Ruth Croft -  To me it was at the 37km mark when the race really started

The MSIG Lantau50 skyrunning event is definitely the race to enter if you want the most scenic views, technical running, and both a mental and physical challenge.

Starting off from Novotel to CP1 at Ngong Ping already you are faced with a steep, tough climb. At this point so early on in the race I didn't want to push it as it was going to be a long day out. After CP1 I was rather thankful for the flat and downhill section to CP2 giving my body a chance to get into a rhythm and make some time up that I had lost to Stevie and Mira.
 
To me it was at the 37km mark when the race really started, and also when my body started to pay the tolls of pushing too hard too early on. After CP3 (Shek Pik) I knew there was the steep climb up the top of the ridgeline (Kau Nga Ling) on the backside of Lantau Peak, but I had underestimated the difficulty. At this point I got past by Mira in which such ease she made it look going uphill. I also started to realize where this 6-7 hour to complete number had come from that was getting thrown around on the start line.
 
Mentally I just keep telling myself to get through to the last CP and then it's pretty much a home run…until I heard Michael say the words ‘Sunset Peak’ as I was about to set off from Pak Kung Au…. The last downhill near Por Kai Shan was the steepest and the most technical part of the whole course but this made it a quick descend down to the end.
 
Trail running in Taiwan is a lot different as you are running in dense bush the majority of the time with shorter climbs. Compared to Hong Kong where you are constantly rewarded with amazing views that really give you a sense of how far you have climbed.  It was a great race, well organized, and I was thankful to have the opportunity to run against such a strong women’s field. Thanks again Action Asia and also The North Face Taiwan for your support!

Ruth Croft - 3rd overall Women in the MSIG Lantau 50 - 2014 - part of the MSIG HK50 series

p.s. Ruth won the 1st edition of the Taiwan Action Asia 50 and numerous other races to her credit....