TransLantau by UTMB celebrates 10th anniversary edition, with Tom Joly (GBR) and Xiang Fuzhao (CHN) victorious in inaugural 100-miler
Over 2,000 runners from 50 countries celebrated the 10th anniversary edition of TransLantau by UTMB this weekend, on the mountainous Lantau Island. As the largest of Hong Kong’s islands, runners enjoyed exploring the technical trails, country parks and steep climbs.
Tom Joly (GBR, UTMB Index 856) won the Men’s race of the inaugural 100M distance, crossing the line in 16:47:29 and establishing an hour buffer on second and third -placed, Yanqiao Yun (CHN, UTMB Index 901) and Jiaju Zhao (CHN, UTMB Index 895). “_We had four seasons in a day – wind, rain, fog, and then stunning views. It is a technical trail, and I am very happy with my result!_” said Joly.
In the Women’s race, pre-race favorite Fuzhao Xiang (CHN, UTMB Index 761) came out on top, crossing the line in 18:16:27. Jumping across the line and fist pumping the air, Fuzhao was over the moon to add another top result to her season, alongside a recent victory at TransJeju by UTMB® 50K and fourth at Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc 100M earlier this year.
Describing it as the hardest race she has ever done, Fuzhao said, “I hadn’t expected the mixed terrains, large stairs, and hot and humid weather but I really liked the course. The mountains and sea views here are so beautiful!”
It was a good day for local Hong Kong runners as they secured four of the five top positions in the Women’s race, with Man Yee Cheung (CHN, UTMB Index 661) and Chin Nam Ng (CHN, UTMB Index 564) finishing second and third respectively.
In the 100K race, Guangfu Meng (CHN, UTMB Index 875) took the top spot in the Men’s race, with Daniel Jung (ITA, UTMB Index 871) and Disi Liang (CHN, UTMB Index 761) taking the remaining podium positions.
Eszter Csillag (HUN, UTMB Index 765) was in a class of her own in the Women’s race, finishing in 13:50:58 ahead of Ki Chun Wong (HKG, UTMB Index 639) and Katrina Hamlin (HKG, UTMB Index 626) and securing a 6th place finish overall. On Instagram, she posted: “_This race was tough! It was a very long rollercoaster with infinite stairs, rain then humidity and my stomach that rebelled the whole day…Congratulations to everyone out on there on a tough course!_”
Covering 50K of the most scenic trails on the South Lantau Island, John Ray Onifa (PHL, UTMB Index 852) dipped just under the five-hour mark to take victory in the Men’s race. He was joined by Peter Frańo (SLO, UTMB Index 882) and Fuk Cheung Tsang (HKG, UTMB Index 760) on the podium.
As one of the standout performances of the weekend, Sunmaya Budha (NEP, UTMB Index 764) won the Women’s race while also securing third place overall in a competitive field, finishing in 05:25:12. Having recently returned to running since becoming a mother, Veronika Vadovicova (SLO) celebrated an incredible second place, while Marcela Vasinova (CZE, UTMB Index 764) rounded out the international podium.
The 20K race proved fast and furious, with Vlad Ixel (AUS, UTMB Index 840) taking the victory by eleven minutes from a chasing Chun Kit Tsang (HKG, UTMB Index 741) and Mark Green (CAN) in the Men’s Race, while it was an all-Hong Kong podium in the Women’s race, with Fanny Yeung (CHN, UTMB Index 521), Lai Shan Pak (CHN, UTMB Index 510) and Kt Lam (CHN, UTMB Index 542) all finishing within 6 minutes of each other.
Full results available here
After a short break, another double-header weekend awaits UTMB® World Series in December with Doi Inthanon by UTMB® in Thailand and Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB® in Australia concluding the 2023 race calendar.
