Two factors make running in Hong Kong a demanding challenge: it’s very hot and very hilly. I hadn’t fully appreciated this before moving here two years ago, dazzled instead by the photographs of the harbour and colourful skyscrapers. Coming from London, I was used to going out for long runs on the weekend. I loved exploring the UK capital by foot, especially as it was just waking up: brides being photographed in front of Tower Bridge; partygoers stumbling out of the after-hour clubs in Bermondsey; the tang of onions frying as food was prepared in Borough Market.
When I arrived in Hong Kong, I hoped to discover my new home the same way: on my runs. But with crowded city streets and short waterfront promenades, I soon learnt that running long distances here meant going up and down steep hills.
The transition from London morning jogs to distance runs on Hong Kong’s trails has not been entirely smooth. I’ve found myself taking shelter from the sweltering summer sun under a lone tree on a red dirt trail. I waded through a torrent after the rains flooded a path where a bright green snake swam by, its red forked tongue darting. And I once ended up in the doctor’s office having an MRI scan on my overworked knee.