Filipino’s HK4TUC spot caps journey from ‘fatty belly, chain-smoker, and hard drinker’ to ultra runn

Rowell Campos will use “patience, patience and tons of patience” to outlast the inevitable low moments, as he runs one of the most gruelling ultra marathons on Earth wearing sandals.

The Hong Kong-based Filipino will tackle the 298km Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC) over Lunar New Year.

“We cannot control the waves, but we can always learn how to ride them – this is how I will survive,” he said. “Sometimes I talk to the uphills, downhills, stairs and trails. I say ‘make it longer, give me what you got, make those climbs more difficult for me’. It’s somehow reverse psychology for me, some kind of strategic self expression.”

The HK4TUC links all four of Hong Kong’s major trails. Participants run the MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong and Lantau Trails in reverse. There are no checkpoints or support allowed on the trails, though runners are allowed help travelling between the trails. This year, they also have to run from the end of the Hong Kong Trail to the Lantau Ferry.

If they reach the end – marked by a green postbox in Mui Wo – in under 60 hours they are a “finisher”. If they reach the end in under 72 hours, they are a “survivor”.

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Filipino's HK4TUC spot caps journey from 'fatty belly, chain-smoker, and hard drinker' to ultra ...
South China Morning Post
Rowell Campos wears nothing but simple running sandals on his feet when he ... to Run, which details how human beings are evolved to run barefoot, ...