Nikki Han, 50, becomes only woman to finish Hong Kong's 'brutal' 298km trails

Nikki Han pushes hard on the first day of the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge. South China Morning Post

Nikki Han dragged herself to the end of the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge for a second time, the only woman to finish once, let alone twice. But unlike 2019, this 298km run was "brutal."

"I've had a good one, then this one. I had to give every last little drop of blood I had to get through. Racing wise, the hardest thing I've ever done," she said.

The HK4TUC links all four major trails in Hong Kong - the 100km MacLehose, the 78km Wilson Trail, the 50km Hong Kong Trail and the 70km Lantau Trail. Runners are not allowed any support and there are no checkpoints, though they do have help travelling between the trails.

If they reach the postbox in Mui Wo on Lantau, which marks the end, in under 60 hours they are deemed a "finisher". If they reach it in under 72 hours, they are a "survivor". Only 16 people had finished before this year. Han finished in 58 hours and 20 minutes in 2019 - on Sunday she finished in 59:42. Other woman have survived. At 50 years of age, Han is also the oldest finisher.

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"I didn't beat my time. But god no, I don't mind.

"Given what the conditions were like it didn't bother me. Lantau Peak was like Mong Kok, unbelievably busy," she said.

Han ran most of the Lantau Trail with Hyun Chang Chung. They are good friends, often running and supporting each other's challenges as they both live in Discovery Bay.

"He pushed me. He made me sleep for the first time. A 10-minute power nap on Lantau," she said.

Word spread around the hiking and running community, as social media posts showed the HK4TUC runners across Hong Kong. Avid fans were following every second, glued to the tracker that showed dots moving slowly through the trails.

On section five of the Lantau Trail, Han and Chung turned a corner and masses of hikers who recognised them made a tunnel of honour, cheering them on.

"It was awesome. Amazing," Han said.

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But nothing could prepare her for the end, where a mask-wearing crowd had gathered. The organiser rang his signature cow bell to signify that a finisher was approaching and the crowd erupted into cheers. She reached the postbox and kissed it, as is the tradition for all finishers and survivors. The fans chanted "Nikki, Nikki!".

"Out of the whole thing, the finish, coming here, all the people, that was the best moment," she said.

Han attributes how tough it was to the cool first morning. With the 10th edition in mind and only previous finishers and survivors invited, runners were out to better their times. With the low temperatures, it was the perfect condition to move fast, but the temperature rose over the day and the rest of the weekend.

"The Wilson Trail, that was the hardest," Han said. "On the first day, it was cool in the morning and everyone just pushed crazy fast."

She finished the first 100km in 15:32.

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"I think we all got carried away, so the second day was carnage.

"Last time, I could do another 100km by the end, I didn't think about stopping. This time, completely different. I wasn't going to stop because I'd committed to it. It could have been an option but I didn't let it enter my head."

Han is happy to prove, once again, the strength of women but warned: "It is pretty amazing, but saying that it is a brutal challenge. You have to be prepared.

"Don't do Four Trails," she joked. "I'm never going to do it again. That's it. Twice. It is proper hard."

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