The 2025 Hong Kong 100k, an exhilarating ultra-marathon event, took place on Saturday, January 18, kicking off at 8 a.m. local time from Pak Tam Chung. The race boasted perfect conditions, with bright blue skies and cool temperatures, creating an ideal atmosphere for competitors and supporters alike, who gathered en masse to cheer on their favorite runners.

A Record-Breaking Performance

Nepal's Sunmaya Budha and China's Guang-Fu Meng produced outstanding performances, both shattering previous course records in what is being heralded as the fastest edition of the race to date.

This popular race, serving as the grand finale of a three-day event, covered a grueling 103 kilometers (approximately 64 miles) with an elevation gain surpassing 4,500 meters (14,800 feet). The challenging terrain consists of numerous technical climbs and descents, notably culminating at the summit of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s highest peak, before leading downhill to the finish line at Rotary Club Park.

The 2025 Hong Kong 100k has the honor of being the inaugural race in the newly launched World Trail Majors series, solidifying its status in the global trail running calendar.

Stellar Competition

The elite field of participants included last year's top finishers eager to defend their titles and ambitious newcomers. The women's race was a fierce contest featuring four of the previous year's top five finishers, including returning champion Mann Yee Cheung from Hong Kong and the runner-up, Veronika Leng from Slovakia. Despite the strong competition, Sunmaya Budha proved unbeatable, consistently widening her lead throughout the race. She crossed the finish line with an astonishing time of 11:11:47, eclipsing the old course record by an incredible 27 minutes.

In the men's category, Guang-Fu Meng also dazzled the crowd, breaking away from the pack around the halfway mark. He finished in a remarkable 9:43:10, surpassing the 2020 course record by 17 minutes and securing his consecutive win.

Women’s Race Highlights

From the start, a leading pack formed with Veronika Leng setting a fast pace as the runners made their way toward checkpoints. Budha was soon prominent alongside Leng, as they battled through the challenging sections of the course. The two women maintained their lead and reached the final key checkpoints with impressive times, giving Budha the opportunity to surge ahead and glide to victory while setting a new course standard.

1. Sunmaya Budha (Nepal) – 11:11:47 2. Veronika Leng (Slovakia) – 11:25:22 3. Hadu Ha (Vietnam) – 12:09:37 4. Jing-Yan Tang (China) – 12:19:20 5. Ling-Jie Chi (China) – 12:31:47

Men’s Race Highlights

The men’s race commenced briskly, with athletes keeping a tight pack for the first half of the course. However, it was not until the fourth checkpoint at the 43k mark that Guang-Fu Meng and John Ray Onifa started to break away from compatriots. Meng made a decisive move during the mountainous stretch, increasing his lead significantly until he crossed the finish line victorious and record-breaking.

1. Guang-Fu Meng (China) – 9:43:10 2. Gui-Du Qin (China) – 9:51:11 3. Guo-Min Deng (China) – 10:07:52 4. Ionel Cristian Manole (Romania) – 10:16:58 5. Jia-Sheng Shen (China) – 10:29:52

Both runners' extraordinary achievements not only highlight their exceptional talent but also elevated the stature of the Hong Kong 100k in the global trail running community. Expect to see even more thrilling performances in the upcoming events of the World Trail Majors series as these athletes continue to push the limits of endurance racing!