Race Media

HONG KONG, PRC - Japanese Salomon runner Dai Matsumoto finished the 28k Skyrace®category in the MSIG Sai Kung 50 (part of the Skyrunning Continental Championship) in 2 hours 49 minutes and 23 seconds to become the champion. 'Amazing race, but hard in terms of the course difficulties like the steep slippery downhill to Tung Wan and the narrow bush track together with the very steep technical downhill at the very end making it very exciting', said overall winner Matsumoto.

Japanese runner Kondo Yoshihito was second in the Skyrace® , completed the course in 2 hours 51 minutes and 41 seconds, making Japan proud. 'It was a surprise for me to have such a good result in the race. I had a fierce competition with Dai and Marco during the race and both are strong runners. I am very glad to be the first runner up on such a tough course', said Yoshihito.

Italian team runner Marco De Gasperi of Forestale and Scott Running accomplished the course in 2 hours 54 minutes and 32 seconds placing third in the 28k Skyrace® . Although De Gasperi had a great performance in the race, he was a bit disappointed on his result. 'The course is very tough and challenging. Really loved the technical down sections into the ocean as I'm strong in these areas. However I made a small mistake on the course and I realized it until I saw Dai, the Japanese runner coming in front of me running down the hill on the 4K circle. I probably wasted 4 minutes until I found the right way. If time can turn back, I would do everything to avoid the mistake', said De Gasperi who pushed as hard the Italian could on the remaining 10K of uphills in the race.

In women's 28k category, Italian Elisa Desco of the Scott team was a strong force to grab first in the race but not without Salomon team Stephanie Jimenez meters apart most of the race pushing Desco every inch and making life tough. Desco finished the course in 3 hours 41 minutes and 2 seconds. 'The course is very challenging for me because there were lots of uphills and downhills. Unlike those in Italy, we usually climb up one main mountain. I'm not used to the hilly terrain and it makes the course very technical to me', said Desco.

French runner Stephanie Jimenez of Salomon from Italy was second in women's 28K who battled Desco finishing the course 43 seconds after Desco to show you how close they were. 'This is the first time I've run in Hong Kong and I enjoyed the course so much especially the hilly terrain. I personally think that the last 8km was the hardest. Overall, I love the countryside in Hong Kong and I am so looking forward to visit Hong Kong again, maybe later in the year', said Jimenez.

Japanese runner Kanako Hasegawa placed third in women's 28k. Hasegawa finished the course in 3 hours 56 minutes and 25 seconds. 'This course is very different from those in Japan back in my hometown. It is more technical, and the surface is generally harder than the trail in Japan. My goal for this year is to become the best female Japanese Skyrunner and I really hope I can make it', said Hasegawa who did Japan proud.

In 50K, Ultra SkyMarathon®, Nepalese runner Samir Tamang was champion, completed the course in 4 hours 58 minutes and 40 seconds. 'Such an honor to become the champion, but I didn't finish the course within my estimated time. I have been to Hong Kong once before for a 100K race and this is my first 50k in HK. It marked a good start of the year in 2015!", said Tamang who also placed second at the TDS (sister of UTMB) and making the Nepal community very proud in HK and looking for sponsorship.

Yan Long Fei of the China Salomon team, one of the top runners from China who won the previous 2 races (MSIG HK50 and MSIG Lantau 50) finishing in 5 hours 11 minutes and 50 seconds, came second in the 50K race. 'I chose to follow some of the strong runners as usual and I guess I followed the wrong person this time. I realized there were two people ahead of me at the very last bit of the race and that was too late for me to overpass them both. I enjoyed the race overall especially the view at the hilltop', said Yan.

Spanish runner Cristofer Clemente sponsored by Land finished in 5 hours 15 minutes and 7 seconds placed third in the 50K category. 'I had a stomach ache during the race so I couldn't perform my best this time I would say. I like the mountain and the beach. I’m hoping that I will have better performance in the coming Skyrunning race in Australia', said Clemente.

In 50k women's, Mira Rai from Nepal grabbed gold by finishing in 5 hours 39 minutes and 31 seconds. 'Just heard that I was ahead of many strong men, I am very happy. I am happy with my result and thanks Michael Maddess of Action Asia Events for putting on a great race as I really enjoyed my experience and loved this MSIG Sai Kung 50 course as very much my style', said Rai.

Dong Li from China of Salomon China team grabbed the second in women's 50k, finishing in 6 hours 49 seconds. 'I had insomnia last night and that affected my performance. The first half was quite relaxing to me. It started to get tough when I reached CP4. I even fell down during the race and banged my knee and elbow but I enjoyed the race because I came here to have fun. It's surprising to place 2nd and I am so happy with it', said Dong.

Kasie Enman from the U.S. Salomon team placed third in 50k women's finishing in 6 hours 13 minutes and 57 seconds. 'Haven't been doing any specific training for this race because it is winter time for me back in my home, all the trails are covered with snow. Plus the jet lag is real here so this race is very challenging to me. I love the combination of the course, with beaches and mountains. It is really interesting to me', said Enman.

The top Chinese man and woman (based on placing) will have an opportunity to represent China in the Skyrunningworld championships in 2015.

MSIG Sai Kung 50 was full with 1,200 and proud to be selected as the official race of the Skyrunning Asian Championship. The race started in Pak Tam Chung, Sai Kung this morning.

 “This is the first time in Asia to host a Skyrunning Championship Race. It has attracted a host of international world class runners descending into Hong Kong to try and claim the Asian title while a world-class line-up will be pushing for points in the Skyrunner® World Series:” says Michael Maddess, Director of Action Asia Events, the organizer of Skyrunning Asian Championship.

The first of the five 2015 Continental Championships kicked off in Asia in Hong Kong on February 7. Both the Sky and Ultra distances (26 km and 50 km) were organized at the MSIG Sai Kung 50 where points for the Skyrunner® World Series are also awarded.

China, with runners from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland, battled with top runners from Japan, Malaysia and Nepal for the Skyrunning Asian Championship medals - while a world-class line-up pushed for points in the Skyrunner® World Series: the new 3 + 1 formula, where three out of five Series races in each discipline are scored, plus one race of any of the Continental Series.

Action Asia Events is thankful to the title sponsor MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited, and other sponsors the ActionX Store, Salomon, OtterBox, Bonaqua, Key Sun Zinke, Skins, Oregon Scientific, International Trail Running Association, Skyrunning Running Champs Asia, the China Skyrunning Association, Herbalgy, Salonpas, Oldham Li & Nie Lawyers, Pearl’s, AroundDB, Action Asia Foundation, Holiday Inn, GoPro, St John, Rocktape, AG Natural Health, Expat Parent, YMCA, Sweet Angel and Nutrition Asia.

RESULTS
50 KM
https://www.racematix.com/site/…

28 KM
https://www.racematix.com/site/…

 

MSIG Sai Kung 50

50k-  Men's Top 5
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team / Sponsor	Time
1	Samir Tamang	Nepal	Men18-39		04:58:40
2	Yan Longfei	China	Men18-39	Salomon	05:11:50
3	Cristofer Clemente	Spain	Men18-39	LAND TEAM	05:15:07
4	Blake Hose	Australia	Men18-39	Salomon	05:18:17
5	Miki Ushida	Japan	Men18-39		05:28:40
50k-Women's Top 5
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team / Sponsor	Time
1	Mira Rai	Nepal	Women18-39		05:39:31
2	Dong Li	China	Women18-39	Salomon	06:00:49
3	Kasie Enman	America	Women18-39	Salomon	06:13:57
4	Alessandra Carlini	France	Women18-39	Team Agisko	06:43:37
5	Shiho Iwadate	Japan	Women40-39		06:55:37
28K - Men's Top 5
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team/Sponsor	Time
1	Dai Matsumoto	Japan	Men 18-39	Salomon	02:49:23
2	Kondo Yoshihito	Japan	Men 18-39		02:51:41
3	Marco De Gasperi	Italy	Men 18-39	Forestale / SCOTT International Team	02:54:32
4	Tom Owens	UK	Men 18-39	Salomon	03:06:06
5	David Byrne	Australia	Men 18-39	Nike/Skyrunning ANZ	03:09:54
28K -Women's Top 5
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team/Sponsor	Time
1	Elisa Desco	Italy	Women 18-39	SCOTT International Team	03:41:02
2	Stephanie JIMENEZ	France	Women 40-49	TEAM SALOMON	03:41:45
3	Kanako Hasegawa	Japan	Women 18-39		03:56:25
4	Chiaki Fjelddahl	Japan	Women 40-49		04:24:03
5	Oksana Riabova	Ukraine	Women 18-39		04:31:12

 

 Skyrunning Asian Championship 

Skyrunning Asian Championship-50k-Men
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team / Sponsor	Time
Gold	Samir Tamang	Nepal	Men18-39		04:58:40
Sliver	Yan Longfei	China	Men18-39	Salomon	05:11:50
Bronze	Miki Ushida	Japan	Men18-39		05:28:40
Skyrunning Asian Championship -50k-Women
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team / Sponsor	Time
Gold	Mira Rai	Nepal	Women18-39		05:39:31
Sliver	Dong Li	China	Women18-39	Salomon	06:00:49
Bronze	Shiho Iwadate	Japan	Women40-39		06:55:37
Skyrunning Asian Championship -28k-Men
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team / Sponsor	Time
Gold	Dai Matsumoto	Japan	Men 18-39	Salomon	02:49:23
Sliver	Kondo Yoshihito	Japan	Men 18-39		02:51:41
Bronze	Kazuaki Hoshino	Japan	Men18-39		03:23:19
Skyrunning Asian Championship -28k-Women
Rank	Name	Country	Category	Team / Sponsor	Time
Gold	Kanako Hasegawa	Japan	Women 18-39		03:56:25
Sliver	Chiaki Fjelddahl	Japan	Women 40-49		04:24:03
Bronze	Lai Han Dennex LUI	China	Women40-39		05:04:12

 

  Medal Number

Country	Gold Medal Number	Silver Medal Number	Bronze Medal Number	Total Medal Number	Total Medal Ranking
Japan	2	2	3	7	1
China	0	2	1	3	2
Nepal	2	0	0	2	3

 

More about the Races

Event Name: MSIG Sai Kung 50 - HK50 Series

Date: Feb 7, 2015 (Saturday)

Start Time: 7:00 a.m

Start Location: Pak Tam Chung Picnic Garden, Sai Kung

Distance: 13km, 24km, 28km and 50km

Category: Trail Running and Hiking

 

About MSIG

With a network of operations dating as far back as 1855, MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong) Limited (“MSIG”) has been providing general insurance solutions and products to customers in Hong Kong for more than 150 years.

MSIG is backed by the solid foundation and rich heritage of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited, an established insurer that has received strong financial ratings from leading rating agencies, including Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. Today MSIG is one of the few foreign-based general insurers to have representation in every ASEAN country, a testament to its strength and reach. MSIG also benefits from being a member of MS&AD Insurance Group –one of the largest general insurance groups in the world.

Leveraging on the multi-channel distribution, strong partnerships with intermediaries and extensive geographical network, MSIG offers a wide range of insurance solutions across personal and commercial lines. MSIG builds and nurtures enduring relationships, forging close partnerships, through good times and bad.

 

尼泊爾Tamang和 Rai包攬首屆「亞洲Skyrunning冠軍賽

-MSIG西貢50」 ULTRA RACE男女冠軍

 

2015年2月7日，香港唯一一個獲得International Skyrunning Federation認可的MSIG HK50 越野跑系列賽的最後一站，MSIG西貢50暨「亞洲Skyrunning冠軍賽」完滿收官。最終尼泊爾選手Samir Tamang（04:58:40）和Mira Rai（05:39:31）包攬50公里組別男女冠軍，二十八公里的桂冠則由日本跑手Dai Matsumoto（02:49:23）和意大利女將Elisa Desco（03:41:02）摘得。

日本名將Dai Matsumoto在MSIG西貢50暨「亞洲Skyrunning冠軍賽」中的28公里組別勇奪冠軍，完成時間02:49:23。他表示：「本次賽道難度非常高，非常刺激。沿路較高的灌木叢是整場比賽中最難的部分，整場比賽賽道風景非常迷人。」

日本跑手Yoshihito Kondo在比賽中受傷但一路緊跟Dai Matsumoto，勇得28公里組別的第二名，完成時間02:51:41。

意大利名將Marco De Gasper在 28公里組別中排名第三，完成時間02:54:32他表示：「賽道中的沙灘，大海，山景都是讓人驚歎的美景。賽道本身則十分有挑戰性，和歐洲比賽相比難易程度相當，一路較高的灌木叢是最難以掌握的部分。」

在這場各國明星跑手薈萃的比賽中，日本選手勇奪Skyrace的冠亞軍實屬不易！

二十八公里 - Skyrace的女子組別方面，來自SCOTT International Team的意大利選手Elisa Desco以03:41:02的成績奪冠。Elisa感嘆說：「這場比賽的挑戰性很大！賽道有非常多的上山下坡，和我在意大利跑過的比賽非常不一樣，因為那些賽道經常是只有一個大的爬升上山然後就一直是下坡。我不是非常擅長山地跑，所以這次這麼多起伏的賽道對我來說比較困難。」

二十八公里女子組別的亞軍是Salomon的法國女將Stephanie Jimenez，時間03:41:45。以僅僅四十三秒之差落後Elisa的她表示仍然很享受在香港的第一場比賽。Stephanie說：「沒有想到香港的山竟然這麼多起伏，跑起來非常刺激！尤其是最後的八公里我覺得難度最高。但是總體來講，我很喜歡香港的郊外景色並且期待能再次來比賽。」

日本選手Kanako Hasegawa以03:56:25獲得二十八公里女子組別季軍。Kanako說：「香港的賽道無論從起伏幅度和路線設計與日本的相比難度更大，這次的體驗很棒，我的目標是成為日本的第一女Skyrunner！」

Skyrunning五十公里組別的冠軍是來自尼泊爾的Samir Tamang，時間為04:58:40。Samir說：「很開心這次可以奪冠，但遺憾是我沒有達到自己的預定目標時間。這場比賽也和我想像的與其他國際選手有激烈比拼略微不同，我一路保持領先並最終獲得第一。我之前來香港只參加過一百公里的類似比賽，這是第一次跑五十公里賽事，這個冠軍是個很好的開始。」

另一名來自尼泊爾的女將Mira Rai此次再次以05:39:31的時間問鼎五十公里女子組別總冠軍，完成MSIG HK50越野系列賽的三站大滿貫。Mira說：「剛剛發現我這次的成績超過了很多越野跑國際精英男選手，非常開心。感謝動感亞洲，我非常喜歡這幾場比賽的體驗，更喜歡香港這個城市。」

來自紅牛和中國Salomon的閆龍飛以05:11:50的 成績獲得五十公里總亞軍。閆龍飛表示：「今天有點失誤的是我在前半段採取跟跑策略的時候跟錯了人，而等我意識到有其他選手領先我十分多鐘的時候再想趕超已 經有些來不及。到後半段的時候，我的力氣已經差不多耗盡，卻又要面對高難度的連續上山下坡路線，加速更是非常困難。但我仍然很享受今天的比賽，跑在山上俯 瞰海灘感覺非常贊！」

另一名來自紅牛和中國Salomon的東麗以06:00:49獲得五十公里女子組別的亞軍。東麗說：「我這次抱著與國際實力選手交流的心態而來，所以跑的比較輕鬆。昨天晚上我沒有休息好，所以今天狀態不太好，到比賽後段也不幸摔倒受傷，但是很開心仍然能取得這麼好的名次。」

來自Land Team的西班牙選手Cristofer Clemente獲得五十公里男子組別的季軍，時間5:15:07。作為他在香港的第一場賽事，Cristofer評價說：「賽道和歐洲的其他賽事相比挑戰性不算太大，但是我今天胃痛發作有些影響了自己的發揮。我最喜歡比賽的第一部分，因為在作為一個熱愛行山的人，有機會在香港行山是非常棒的體驗！」

來自Salomon的美國隊員Kasie Enman 以06:13:57的時間獲得五十公里組別女子季軍。Kasie表示：「今天總體而言是非常有挑戰性的賽道，但是我仍然努力在跑步間隙享受一下賽道周圍的美麗景色，香港真是個美麗的地方！」

本次比賽有Marco De Gasperi, Elisa Desco, TomOwens, Fulvio Dapit, Stephanie Jiminez, Alesandra Carlini, Vlad Ixel, Samir Temang, Luke Nelson, Blake Hose, Dong Li, Yan Long Fei, Mira Rei以及來自台灣和馬來西亞的Skyrunning冠軍加盟。該系列賽事的28公里及50公里組別採用Skyrunning計分系統。

今日的比賽在被稱為「度假天堂」的西貢舉行，超千人參加。此次賽道是賽道設計總監 Michael Maddess專門為MSIG西貢50暨「亞洲Skyrunning冠軍賽」所設計，所有公里的賽事都是以北潭涌作為起點，前進至鹿湖郊遊徑。28及50公里的參賽者沿途都會經過大浪四灘中最廣闊，亦是不少露營愛好者最喜歡的沙灘。給參賽者們帶來了能觸摸到天空的越野跑感受。

「MSIG HK50越野跑系列賽」- 最後一站MSIG西貢50暨「亞洲Skyrunning冠軍賽」由動感亞洲活動舉辦，榮獲MSIG三井住友保險冠名贊助，並感謝（排名不分先後）Action X Store，Salomon薩洛蒙，Bonaqua飛雪，OtterBox，Key Sun Zinke，Skins，Oregon Scientific，International Trail Running Association，Skyrunning Running Champs Asia，China Skyrunning Association，Herbalgy健絡通，Salonpas撒隆巴斯，OL&N，Pearl’s，AroundDB，Action Asia Foundation, Holiday Inn, GoPro, St John, Rocktape, AG Natural Health楓之寳，Expartparent，YMCA, Sweet Angel和Nutrition Asia的大力支持。

 

賽事信息

賽事名稱：MSIG HK50越野跑系列賽 –MSIG西貢50暨「亞洲Skyrunning冠軍賽」

地點：北潭涌傷健樂園, 西貢

時間：2015年2月7日早上 7時正

賽程：13公里, 24公里、28公里及 50公里

官網：http://www.actionasiaevents.com/

 

關於MSIG (三井住友保險)

三井住友海上火災保險(香港)有限公司(簡稱「三井住友保險」) 早於 1855 年在香港開展業務網絡，擁有逾一百五十年歷史，一直為客戶提供多元化的一般保險方案及產品。

三井住友保險的母公司是Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company Limited，實力雄厚，擁有豐富的保險市場經驗及根基，並獲得國際權威評級機構給予極高信貸評級，包括標準普爾、穆迪投資等。Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company Limited作為全球其務遍佈每一個東盟國家的外資一般保險公司。

透過多元化的銷售渠道、與中介公司的緊密伙伴關係、及遍佈全球的業務版圖，三井住友保險致力為客戶提供全面的個人及商業保險產品，並繼續緊守其一貫信念，與客人維繫持久的關係，推動更緊密的合作。