This weekend on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, athletes lined up for Trans Lantau by UTMB.
The event offered runners four distances, including 100 miles, 100k, 50k, and 25k.
Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong, home to many manmade landmarks and is well known for its mountainous terrain.
The longest race covered a total of 129k and challenged participants with over 6,700m of positive elevation gain.
In the menโs race, Tom Joly of the United Kingdom placed first after finishing the grueling course in 16:47:29.ย
Joly has had a dream season, winning Ultra Sierra Nevada 50k and placing third at Transgrancanaria 100k. Joly also placed 11th at World Mountain and Trail Running Championships 100k earlier this year.
Chinaโs Yanqiao Yun was next to cross the line, over one hour behind Joly, in 17:49:24. His compatriot Jiaju Zhao would round out the podium less than 10 minutes later after finishing in 17:58:51.
On the womenโs side, Chinaโs Fuzhao Xiang was the first to cross the line, and fifth overall, after completing the course in 18:16:27.
Xiang is coming off the back of a win at Trans Jeju by UTMB an has found herself on the podium six times this year, four of those being on the top step.
Xiang finished hours ahead of second-place female finisher Man Yee Cheung, who completed the course in 21:55:59, placing second among the women and 12th overall.
Cheung has two wins this year in the 100k category, with this being her first podium this year in the 100m category.
Compatriot Chin Nam Ng would complete the podium, finishing in 24:21:14.
In the 100k race, runners had to negotiate with 4,700m of elevation gain.
Among the men, Guangfu Meng of China crossed the line in first after 12:03:32.
Meng came into this race with momentum after winning Mount Yun by UTMB 20k just two weeks ago. Meng has also found himself on the podium four other times this year.
Italyโs Daniel Jung took second, following Meng just 20 minutes behind as he crossed the line in 12:25:12.
Liang Disi of China would take the final podium spot after crossing the line in 12:47:55.
Among the women, Eszter Csillag of Hungary prevailed after completing the course in 13:50:58, which would also place her sixth overall.
Csillag placed third at Western States 100-mile race and won OTW2023 100k earlier this year.
Local Hong Kong racer Ki Chun Wong would be the second women to finish, and 8th overall with a time of 14:38:16.
Franceโs Manon Bohard Cailler finished third among the women and ninth overall after 14:52:44.
2,500m of elevation awaited athletes in the 50k race.
John Ray Galutera Onifa of the Pillipines too the win after completing the course in 4:57:00.
Slovakiaโs Peter Frano finished second in 5:08:51.
Fuk Cheung Tsang of Hong Kong finished third among the men but fourth overall, in a time of 5:31:26.
Nepals Sunmaya Budha finished third overall, ahead of Tsang and was the first female finisher after 5:25:12.
Slovakiaโs Veronika Vadovicova was the second woman and eighth overall, finishing in 5:55:54.
Rounding out the womenโs podium was Marcela Vasinova of Czechia, who completed the course in 6:24:46.
The next UTMB World Series event is Ultra Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB in New Zealand from December 7 to 9, 2023.
