I traveled to Hong Kong a dozen times, never venturing beyond the monotony of the hotel treadmill for my workout. So it was a revelation when my Hong Kong savvy friend Mitch showed me an impressive network of trails less than a kilometer from my hotel in HK's Central business district.
Apparently Bowen Road, a 4k stretch of flat, wide pedestrian-only paved trail running a long a ridge, is something of a mecca for HK runners. Hong Kong has fallen out of favor as a running location with horrific waves of toxic smog blowing in from the factories of China, but I saw more than 20 other runners during our hour run, more runners even that people walking their pets.
The views from Bowen Road were impressive, but then Mitch and I ran up the almost vertical Wanchai Gap trail to a loop around the top of Hong Kong island via Middle Gap Road, dirt trails, and Blacks Link which provided even more amazing views. As we finished the run in the early evening, the lights of Hong Kong's skyscrapers seemed close enough to touch, even as we descended through a dense jungle.
No more treadmills for me in Hong Kong.
3 comments:
There are lot's of places to run! try taking a ferry to lantau island or lamma island.
& The tourist office does some nice guides to the wild places, and if you call them they are very helpful too:
I think +852 2508 1234.
But the pollution is no joke. Watch for a huge skills gap and depopulation of HK in the next couple of years.
I lived in HK for a year in the mid-levels ie just below Bowen road but unfortunately i wasnt running at the time. Still i remember participating in a few hash runs around black link, in Lantau and saikong in the New territories! It'a a real shame about the polution!
Thank you for choosig "Honolulu" the worst training city.. I live in Honolulu and I know what you mean. People here drive away too much. We went Sadi Island last year, too.
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