Hong Kong Trail Running Awards 2023/24- Final Results
Posted on July 30 2024
After a hiatus of 4 years it was so exciting to get the Gone Running Hong Kong Trail Running Awards back for 2023/24. The results are now in!
Thanks to everyone for a wonderful evening of recognition and celebration, especially our generous sponsors, awesome MCs and volunteers, expert panel, and everyone who voted. We couldn't do it without you!
It was also great to raise much needed funds for the Trail Runners Association of Hong Kong, and RUN HK who do such a fantastic job to help people coming from significantly more dangerous parts of the world. 
For the top awards and Male and Female Runner of the Year, we had two very worthwhile recipients
John Ray Onifa (Stingray) .. achieved remarkable success from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, establishing himself as a leading figure in trail running. He won the Asia Trail Master Championship 2023 after an impressive performance at the Siksorogo Lawu Trail in Indonesia. Onifa also claimed victories in prestigious races such as the North Face Malaysia Mountain Trail Festival, where he won the 50K Ultra Trail Challenge and set course records in multiple events, including the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 50K and the AKHA Trail 78K. Additionally, he represented the Philippines at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Austria. His consistent top finishes and record-setting runs have solidified his reputation as one of Asia's top trail runners.
Of course we had some massively inspiring improving athletes too in the Most Improved Category.
For the men, Richard Kimber has had an extraordinary year of trail running, marked by several notable achievements. He won the Salomon 100km in Hong Kong and secured victories in two Altra King of the Hills mountain marathons. Additionally, Richard earned third place at the Asia Trail Master Lantau 70km and finished in the top five at the 28km Dragon Tour race. His success is attributed to extensive training, meticulous nutrition, and thorough race preparation. Transitioning from a dedicated trail running filmmaker to a disciplined competitor, Richard's accomplishments serve as an inspiration, demonstrating that hard work can lead to podium finishes even in one's 40s while balancing family life
..and for the women, Angie Yan's trail running season was marked by numerous significant accomplishments and personal growth. She completed her first UTMB in September in approximately 33 hours, showcasing her improved pacing and endurance. In November, Angie was part of the winning team at the Oxfam Trail Walker. She secured third place at the TNF 100 just two weeks later, followed by a completion of the challenging 4 in 4 races over Christmas. Angie achieved first place in the 9 Dragons 50/50 in February, second in the Lantau 70, and third in the Mt. Fuji 100, standing on the podium alongside her idol, Courtney Dauwalter no less. Her season was characterized by mastering self-awareness and race strategy, reflecting her significant development as a trail runner.
Our Youth Runner winner also showed great form ..Lok Yin Lo (Rex) had an exceptional trail running season. He emerged as the champion in several races, including the 2023 TNF 100 (16km Open Men's), V162 (25km), Dark 45 by The Peak Hunter (16km Open Men's and Overall), and XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship (34km U20-24). Rex also secured second place in the Mizuno Hong Kong Half-Marathon Championships (Junior) and the 2023 Lantau 2 Peaks (15km Overall Men), and achieved a fourth-place finish in the 2023 HK50 Trail & Hike (50km Overall Men). His achievements reflect his dedication and outstanding performance in trail running.
At the other end of the scale what a fitting winner for our Master Runner of The Year. The evergreen KK Chan had a phenomenal year. KK demonstrated exceptional prowess in trail running. He secured a commendable finish in the Salomon Hong Kong Dynamic 100km Challenge in February 2024, covering 103 km with 6300 m of elevation gain in 19:37:45, ranking 23rd overall. In December 2023, he completed the gruelling Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB - Trans-Int 160, finishing the 175 km race with 10030 m of elevation gain in 39:18:38. He also performed strongly in the Oxfam Trailwalker and the UTMB TDS, further establishing his endurance and skill in ultra-distance events.
We would be remiss if we didn't make a point of honouring a truly world class athlete that we have in our community. The Gone Running Sponsors Award this year goes to Eszther Csillag. She had an exceptional trail running season. She achieved a remarkable, repeat, 3rd place finish at the Western States Endurance Run (WSER) and set a course record by winning the MoonTrekker. Eszter also secured 1st place at the TransLantau 100km and the Izu Trail Journey 70km. Additionally, she placed 4th in the Four Peaks Sailing and Running Team Race and won the Hungarian Championship for the marathon distance in Vienna with a personal best time of 2:42:43 in April 2024. If the running wasn't enough, in March 2024, Eszter also defended her Ph.D. at Hong Kong University's art history department. Despite this incredible global profile, Eszther remains one of the most down to earth people we know and really goes above and beyond to support our local community. What a pleasure to have her in Hong Kong!.
Finally perhaps a mention for the Sportsmanship Award. Jo Lodder demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship in 2023 by completing the "5 Trails of Hong Kong in 5 Days" challenge. This gruelling feat was part of the Run for Freedom movement, through which Jo raised significant funds to support individuals with disabilities and children facing behavioural and learning challenges from lower-income families. His dedication and the incredible support from the trail-running community have created a lasting positive impact, transforming his passion for trail running into a force for meaningful change.
Please see full list of results below. Congratulations to all our winners and nominees for some incredibly inspiring runs, superb events and great community contributions over the past trail running season. So good to see the running scene coming back so quickly after the pandemic!
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