AUSSIES OVERSEAS
100 kilometres in Hong Kong Mark Phillips (Vic)
Oxfam is dedicated to emergency relief and poverty alleviation projects in Africa and Asia. Funds are raised through Trailwalker events in Hong Kong, England, Sydney and Melbourne. Over $HK200 million has been raised to help disadvantaged people.
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HE Oxfam Hong Kong Trailwalker began in 1981, as a 24-hour endurance exercise for the Gurkhas, an elite Nepalese soldier regiment of the British Army renowned for their strength and stamina. The 100km course is on the MacLehose Trail, named after a British lord, and follows ancient Chinese paths. The 2004 event raised about $HK20 million, much going to aid Chinese orphanages. Earlier, in March 2004, I entered the second Melbourne Trailwalker with Peter Mitchell, Nigel Aylott and Damon Georke. Being mountain runners, we hoped to do well, but did not expect to finish ahead of the invited team of Gurkhas. Well, 100km is a very long way to run and, to our surprise, we overtook the tiring Gurkhas at 75km, going on to win in 11 hrs 59 min - the first Australian team to beat the Gurkhas and the first Australians to finish under 12 hours. A little later we were invited to the Hong Kong Trailwalker. Asia Miles, a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, had offered to sponsor us. We accepted not really knowing what was in store for us. Kevin Tory joined in place of Peter, who with wife Jenny, was expecting their second baby only weeks before the event. Then there was Nigel’s tragic passing which had a devastating effect on us all. We could not even think about the event and felt too drained of energy and emotions to run. After a few weeks we decided to forge ahead and dedicate the run to Nigel’s memory. We felt sure this is what he would have wanted. Pete kindly offered to come back into the team even though he had little time to prepare. Arriving at Hong Kong Airport was overwhelming – the sheer size of it! Outside the heat and humidity struck us immediately. It was like walking into an oven. The drive to our hotel in Kowloon was amazing. I had never seen buildings like it before, so tall and so many. We stayed at the YMCA Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. The view of the harbour and over to Hong Kong Island from our 15th floor suite was mesmerizing. It is the busiest harbour with ferries, fishing boats and ships of every description going in every direction. Being one of five international teams we felt quite privileged. The hospitality of Oxfam and our sponsor Asia Miles left us feeling very honoured to be part of this special event. The weather forecast wasn’t so favourable with a predicted top temperature in the high 20’s and
22 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER MARCH 2005
humidity of nearly 90%. Not ideal conditions for 100km of tough, hilly running. The air was full of excitement and anticipation. It was hard to believe it all. Around 10,000 people were involved with the event, with 980 teams of four, support crews and volunteers. And here we were, a bunch of Aussie guys, on the front line with the famous Gurkhas and Team Montrail. This is the stuff dreams are made of and one of mine was about to come true. Wow! I could feel adrenaline pumping and tried to keep calm and soak it all in. The course passed through ten checkpoints and some of the most stunning scenery - mountain vistas, secluded bays and idyllic beaches reminiscent of Wilson’s Prom. At other times we were running through open grasslands or under sheltered bamboo groves. We traversed steep mountain spurs with huge cities just below. It seemed unreal with never-ending steps, ascents and descents, one after another. The early morning was warm and humid. An arduous climb on stone steps led up to a spectacular view from the top of the range
Team Asia Miles – Damon Goerke, Kevin Tory, Peter Mitchell, Mark Phillips, and supporters.