Beijing time January 22 ,2026 WTM World Trail Grand Slam series and ANTA Champion Hong Kong100trail race (known as 'HK100') officially kicked off,3,000 trail running enthusiasts gathered on the Sai Kung Peninsula. The opening category on the first day was The Third 31-kilometer which was also the first day of the Grand Slam category.
Due to landslides caused by last year's typhoon, this year's Hong Kong 100 course routes for all categories have been adjusted. The Third category course total distance has been shortened to 30.82 km, with total ascent exceeding 1351 m, with total descent 1362 m.
31 km category, in the men's field, favorites include: marathon (PB 2:15) and trail-and-road ace Qi Zhaohai,2024 champion, Korean runner Kim Jisub , and ITRA 841 point Zhang Juemin. However, it is reported that marathoner Yang Chunlong, who had appeared on the pre-race elite list, will miss the HK100.
On the women's side, two Hong Kong, China athletes Lee Tsz Kwan（2025 third-place finisher）and Mei Yong Yii lead the field, along with China's marathoner Fan Kaili and British short-distance standout Joanna Mockford.
At 8 a.m.,The Third 31 km category started on time.The course has been adjusted, previous records lie dormant, and a new course record awaits being created.
In the 31-km category it was a high-speed duel, and the elite runners started at a very fast pace.
Qi Zhaohai was first to check in at CP 1 Dongba (10km) checkpoint, with a time of 34 minutes 13 seconds. Marathon specialistJi Meisong followed closely, checking in at 34 minutes 32 seconds, Grand Slam category'sZhang Zhenlong was just behind Ji Meisong by 1 second.Zhang Juemin was in fourth at that point, 34 seconds behind the leader, and Jin Zhixie was fifth.With the course adjustment increasing the proportion of paved sections (reducing the distance by 2 km and 108 m of ascent), and aided by cooler weather than last year, elite athletes reached CP 1 much faster. Last year the men's elite leader reached CP 1 at Dongba (10 km) in 48:40. After crossing Xiwanshan they reached CP 2 Xiantian (19km), Qi Zhaohai, equally at home on road and trail, used his speed to extend his lead, hitting the checkpoint in 1:21:03. The second to check in, Zhang Zhenlong, was 2 minutes 25 seconds behind, while Zhang Juemin came in third, 3 minutes back.After an almost continuous climb followed by successive descents on the Dazhen Gai decisive section, Qi Zhaohai surged clear to the finish, and claimed the victory in 2:29:36.
The two, Zhang Juemin and Zhang Zhenlong, who had been battling together,Zhang Juemin surged, and secured the runner-up spot in 2:33:45.Zhang Zhenlong 2 hours 34 minutes 54 seconds claimed third place, marking a strong start to his Grand Slam campaign.Among the women, Mexican runner Miriam Morales clocked 38:42 to be first through CP 1 Dongba (10km),Fan Kaili was close behind, 19 seconds back. The dark horse Miriam Morales had previously won the U23 women's title at the 2024 Golden League Series World Final.到冠军。By CP 1 at Dongba, Miriam and Fan Kaili had already opened up a gap of more than 2 minutes on third place. The victory is expected to be decided between the two of them.
At CP2 Xiantian (19km),Miriam Morales was still in the lead, with a time of 1 hour 32 minutes 27 seconds. At this pointFan Kaili was 1 minute behind.Using her superior speed, after leaving Xian Tian behind, Fan Kaili successfully caught up to Miriam on the gentle flat section.At 22.8 km, Fan Kaili and Miriam were running tightly together.The final decisive section featured sustained climbs and descents. Ultimately Miriam, who focuses on trail running, took the win in 2:47:59.Fan Jiali took second place, finishing in 2 hours 49 minutes 58 seconds.
Tomorrow, the Hong Kong 100 The Half 50 km category will start. The day after tomorrow, the Hong Kong 100 marquee The Full 93 km category will go head-to-head. Paoye will continue on-site coverage, and our sister outlet Trail Stand will livestream the 93 km category—stay tuned.
Text: Mengmeng / Editor: Mengmeng
Image:Trail Running Explosion / Visual:Five-Year Trainee
