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Hong Kong 100 – A Thrilling Start to the 2026 World Trail Majors

Hong Kong, January 2026 – The Anta Guanjun Hong Kong 100 is set to kick off its 16th edition, marking the beginning of the 2026 World Trail Majors season. The event promises top-class competition, beautiful scenery and inspiring stories. From January 22 to 25, many of the world’s best trail runners will be taking on Hong Kong’s stunning trails in Asia’s most competitive trail race. Thousands more will enjoy 3 days exploring Hong Kong’s physical beauty and enjoying its unique energy and culture.

Elite Athletes Compete for Glory

This year’s Hong Kong 100 will feature a stellar line-up of elite trail runners, making it the most competitive edition yet. With over 3000 participants from 60 countries, the race promises thrilling match-ups at the front of the pack, with former champions and world-class athletes vying for the coveted crown. In the men’s 100km:

·         Meng Guangfu, the reigning Hong Kong 100 champion, returns to defend his title, alongside You Peiquan, also a two-time winner. One of these two trail legends could become the first runner ever to win a hat-trick of Hong Kong 100 titles.

·         Dakota Jones of the USA has won many of the world’s best known trail races and lines up alongside Abel Carratero of Spain, who was 6^th in the 2024 World Trail Majors and fellow Spanish national team member, Mario Olmedo Sancha.

·          Australia’s Mikey Dimuantes, John Ray “Stingray” Onifa from the Philippines and Tom Joly from the UK are just a few of the international stars set to race, along with last year’s runner-up, Qin Guidu, and 3^rd placed Deng Guomin (who will be making his 9th^th appearance at Hong Kong 100). Both Qin and Deng were top-ranked finishers in the World Trail Majors 2024.

·         Yan Longfei, the 2015 champion and Yang Jianjian, the 2025 World Trail Majors Short Series winner, will also be in the mix, bringing all their experience and talent to the Hong Kong 100 course on which they have already tasted success.

Women’s Race: Many Claims to the Podium

The women’s race will be just as exciting with Veronika Leng, the 2025 runner-up, returning to see if she can go one better, and Hau Thi Ha (who was 3^rd in 2025) and Chi Lingjie (5^th place in 2025) and Ma Ting (7^th last year) favoured to podium.

Challenging them will be local favourite, Cheung Man Yee, who delighted the crowd with her victory in 2023, and was the runner-up in the 2025 World Trail Majors.

Other prospects to watch include Elizabeth Dangadang, the Queen of Philippines’ trail running, and Canada’s Stephanie Case, who has just become a professional athlete in her 44^th year and as a new Mum, proving Walt Disney was right (“If you can dream it, you can do it”).

The Half (50km): World Class Competition

The Half will be the 1^st race in the 2026 World Trail Majors Short Series and the field is stacked accordingly.

Unusually for a race in Greater China, the top-ranked runners in the men’s field are not from Mainland China. The undisputed King of Japanese trail running, Rui Ueda, will face a challenge from Sweden’s Anton Gustafsson and Great Britain’s Luke Grenfell-Shaw. Chinese hopes for the win probably rest with Tian Peng, Shi Aiai and Shi Guo, but the field is deep and sport loves to surprise.

The women’s race too looks likely to be dominated by runners from outside of Greater China with a likely showdown between South Africa’s Toni McCann, Hungary’s Eszter Csillag and Japan’s Yuri Yoshizumi. As a Hong Kong resident, Csillag has the advantage of local knowledge, although Yoshizumi came 2^nd in The Half in 2025 and spent time in Hong Kong in advance to study the course, so she’ll know when to push and when to hold back. Also equipped with course knowledge is China’s Lei Yan, who scoped out the route on her first ever trip outside of Mainland China just a few weeks ago and found it “beautiful, but technical”. Other contenders for the podium include Great Britain’s Eve Moore and China’s Zhang Ting and Huang Xuemei. Trail running fans all over the world will be following this one closely.

The Grand Sam: A Monumental Challenge

For those brave enough to take on the ultimate challenge, the Grand Sam (192km, 3-day stage race) is an opportunity to test the limits of endurance. Last year’s women’s winner, Zhao Fen, defends her title and will face stiff competition from her compatriots Deng Ronghua and Chen Rongrong.  The rankings suggest these 3 athletes or perhaps Bai Jie or Ting Xu will claim the top spots in this gruelling but gorgeous multi-stage challenge.

Contenders for the men’s Grand Sam crown include the top 3 finishers from 2025: Wu Yongbo, Ryan Whelan and Yang Liu. Liang Disi, the inaugural Grand Sam winner who was 2^nd in 2024 competes again, as do Sangé Sherpa and Luca Papi (both resident in France) - runners known for their incredible mileage and consistent high-level performances. The out-and-out favourite is Zhao Jiaju, with Zhang Zhenlong and Xiong Zhengqiang likely to push him all the way. With the field expanding from 10 runners in 2023 to 250 runners this year, the Grand Sam will showcase some of the world’s toughest ultra-endurance athletes and some of the world’s most iconic trails.

Rarámuri, Maya and Mixteca Athletes: Breaking New Ground in Hong Kong

One of the most exciting stories this year comes from the Rarámuri, Maya and Mixteca runners from Mexico. María Lorena Ramírez Hernández, a legendary ultrarunner from the Rarámuri tribe, competed in the Hong Kong 100 for the first time in 2025, joined by her brother José Mario Ramírez Hernández and Mirna Beatriz de la Cruz Alvarez. This year they are bringing a group of 12 athletes from the team México Imparable (“Unstoppable Mexico”) to compete across all 4 events. It will be fascinating to see how this group that was “born to run”  takes on Hong Kong’s rugged terrain, bringing the unique spirit and talent of the Rarámuri, Maya and Mixteca people to the race. The group includes the inspirational Emmanuel Sedglach, who lost his left leg in an industrial accident, and will courageously run the 50km race with a prosthetic limb.

Visually Impaired Athlete Lee Chun-fai Takes on Hong Kong 100

Local hero, Lee Chun-fai, a visually impaired athlete who runs marathons in under 3 hours, will take on the 100km with his team of guide runners. Chun-fai completed Hong Kong 100 in 2017 and climbed to Everest Basecamp the same year.  Two thousand fellow runners, over a thousand volunteers and countless fans and supporters will be cheering him on all the way.

Get Ready - Global Coverage

Witness the action as it unfolds on HK100’s Facebook, Instagram, Weixin and Xiaohongshu. You won’t miss any of the gorgeous views of Hong Kong or the excitement as the world’s best athletes explore their limits.

The 2026 Anta Guanjun Hong Kong 100 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting ultra-trail races of the year. With elite athletes from across the globe, thrilling competition in all four events, and heartwarming stories of courage and perseverance, this year’s race is not to be missed.

About the 2026 edition of Hong Kong 100

What?  -  Anta Guanjun Hong Kong 100 16^th edition, comprising: The Third (31km, 1395m elevation), The Half (50km, 2118m); Hong Kong 100 (93km, 5028m); and The Grand Sam (all 3 races).

When? – Press Conference at 4pm on Wednesday 21 January; The Third at 8am on Thursday 22 January; The Half at 8am on Friday 23 January; Hong Kong 100 at 7am on Saturday 24January; Asia-Pacific Trail Running Expo is on Wednesday 21 January (11am to 9pm), Thursday 22 January (11am to 9pm) and Friday 23 January (11am to 7pm).

Where? – The races start in Pak Tam Chung on the Sai Kung Peninsula. The race pack collection, press conference and Expo are at The Upper Stage, 7^th Floor, D2 Place One, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon (Lai Chi Kok MTR Station, Exit D2).

Who? – Some of the best trail runners from all over the world. Over 3000 participants from 60 countries. Over 1400 volunteers. Thousands of spectators.

Why? – Because Hong Kong’s trails are stunning and Hong Kong 100 is Asia’s most competitive trail race.

Anything Else? – It kicks off the World Trail Majors 2025 season ( www.worldtrailmajors.com ) – a competitive series of 10 “Races of a Lifetime” from around the globe.

About World Trail Majors

Established in 2024, World Trail Majors is a non-profit association formed by ten independent trail running races with the aim of promoting the sport in a diverse, sustainable, and respectful way that aims to safeguard the original spirit of Trail/Ultra running. The association is formed by Hong Kong 100 Ultramarathon, Black Canyon Ultras, The North Face Transgrancanaria, Mt. Fuji 100, MIUT - Madeira Island Ultra-Trail, South Downs Way 100, Quebec Mega Trail, Vietnam Mountain Marathon, Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Miler and RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town.

Want to Know More? – For more information, live updates, and streaming details, visit Hong Kong 100’s website and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Email: hk100ultra@gmail.com

Highest Ranked Runners List: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qn8yv76r2uubr7o05xipa/Start-list-sortd-by-GPI_Press-release.xlsx?rlkey=7439u4m15jt96do9vxjact24c&dl=0