Start point
Taking place on 18th December 2016 at the Helipad in Tai Po(2016 MIZUNO香港半馬拉松錦標賽)
The race is very enjoyable as the day was well and sunny. The best part is, the location is a nice natural attraction with views of the mountain and the reservoir. Very tranquil and nice. This is hard to come by in the down town Hong Kong.
Official Website of Championship
Route
Going through the mountains
The route is really quite relaxing, there were a few up hills but they were compensated by the descends that come after. Towards the ending of the route, there were no steep up hills. The last 3-4 Km is the best. It is directly on the channel over the reservoir, straight, flat and scenic, only problem is that it can get really sunny especially running out. The glare and strength from the strong sun is quite flaming and hot for the runners. Other than that , having a straight road to the end is really a bonus for most runners.
Hydration Points
This race I decided not to carry any hydration, having done the 1/2 marathon earlier on this year in January, I realise that the water points in Hong Kong races are pretty reliable and has enough to go round. The only problem is that there was no isotonic drinks provided. There were also no other forms or fuel included.
Race Bib Collection
The collection was mainly at the Tokyo Sports store in Jordon MTR station( Exit E). The store is actually outfacing the main Nathan road, Prudential Tower. Tokyo Sports is one of the official distributor for the Mizuno brand in Hong Kong. The store also carries a wide variety of other Mizuno items like swim wear and leisure wear. Race bib collection is not available on the race day itself. For the Friday before the race, the collection is done at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, you need to take a taxi from the nearest MTR to this place.
There is a running vest, bib and Mizuno coupons for the goodie bag.
Baggage Deposit
Staff helping to tag the baggage
Big plastic bag provided to but your bag and items inside
On the day itself , the start point is actually about 80 m away from the finish point. But the baggage deposit is at the finish point area, which is the helipad area. There are actually no tents there for the bags and racks, all bags and items are kept in a big plastic bag and the runner’s Bib number is indicated on the bag by a paper tag. If you are bringing a phone to the run, do take a picture of the bag in case the bag is misplaced. The deposit area is divided to the categories, so please go to the right place. The staff are pretty friendly but do make sure that you do not have any valuables with you or best just carry them along with you.
After race thoughts
Walking up to the helipad to bag deposit
Beautiful Scenery at Tai po
Chartered bus from down town Tsim Sa Tsui YMCA brings the runners straight to the start point and back from the race, only 60 HKD . It really saves a lot of time and effort, as the public will take about 2 hours to reach.
The race is pretty scenic and enjoyable, if you are thinking of a PB, this might be a good choice but do train a bit more on the hills. Also take into consideration of the ending part where it is very exposed, if it rains it can be quite tough and for sunny days it is glaring. After the race you can also chill out around the area as it is quite a relaxing recreational area, away from the crowd and rowdy in Central Hong Kong.
Do take not that the stringent cut off time of 2:15 means that all who are slower will be swept back, so do make sure you train for it. I must say this race are for those who want to vie for the prizes and full of Hong Kong runners, who can run very very fast. But it is also a good learning experience.