This year, The North Face 100 Ultra Trail Challenge @thenorthfacehk celebrates its tenth anniversary by introducing a new 100-kilometer relay race. This new format lowers the barrier to entry for the 100-kilometer event, allowing participants of all experience levels to team up and tackle the long-distance challenge together.
This time, the current Hong Kong women’s trail running representative, Harmony Lin @haharmonyxd, leads three other athletes: Hidy Yu @hidyyu, Chiu Fung @callstarcf, and Tin Hin @tinyanfung, in facing this exciting new competition.
This year, rising trail running star Harmony Lin led several artists in her second participation in the TNF 100. She noted that her role had changed from focusing solely on personal goals to considering the needs of her teammates, which brought a new perspective. She mentioned, “When you’re running with teammates, you think about everyone’s situation. Inadvertently, you’re also preparing yourself better. Running with others encourages deeper thinking and indirectly enhances your own abilities.” As a source of inspiration for the team, her teammates feel reassured when they have questions.
Hidy Yu, who has participated in four 100-kilometer races in Hong Kong, had always wanted to join the TNF 100 but had heard that the route was challenging. Knowing that it was a relay format boosted her confidence. However, she faced difficulties during training, experiencing cramps and struggling with her legs. She said, “When you’re alone, it’s easy to think about giving up, like when you cramp up. But with teammates, you don’t want to let them down. That sense of responsibility helps you push through, knowing your teammates are supporting you.”
Although Chiu Fung has experience in trail running, the 100-kilometer race once felt like an unattainable goal. The new relay format lowered the barrier, allowing for strategy discussions and planning with teammates to maximize everyone’s potential. He remarked, “In the past, my performance was solely my own. In a team format, the responsibility is greater, and the mental aspect is completely different. You can’t be afraid or focus on how tired you are. Just think that if you can run one second faster, you’re bringing the team closer to victory. Let’s face the North Face together.”
For Tin Yan, participating in the TNF 100 for the first time felt relaxed. He believed that with less experience, he had the greatest potential for improvement and a fresh perspective. He said, “Having experienced teammates feels different, like studying together for an exam where each person focuses on a part. This time, I’ve definitely taken a step further.”
This relay race not only bridged the gap for artists participating in the 100-kilometer event but also provided a great opportunity to compete alongside elite athletes. Chiu Fung shared, “I used to hesitate to approach elite athletes because I was self-conscious and felt my skills were lacking. Just watching them from a distance was satisfying. Now, I feel empowered to train with them and gain their expert advice and feedback. It’s been a truly enjoyable experience.” Team leader Harmony stated, “Everyone ran faster than I expected, and the response was great. Initially, I worried about how tough it would be for everyone, but it turns out their abilities and skills were impressive.”
