Annual charitable Eco TrailHiker run attracts more participants

Up to 2,000 runners representing 500 teams braved the searing heat yesterday as they completed in the territory’s annual race, Sands China Macau Eco TrailHiker. The sixth edition of the run drew a turnout roughly 3.5 times the size of that of its inaugural year.
The runners, hailing from not only Macau but also Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Portugal and the UK, set out from the Venetian Macao and trekked through Coloane’s hilly terrain before returning to where they started in sunny weather.
Last year’s winning team Team Asia Trail, comprising one local and three Hong Kong runners, repeated its victory in the 30-kilometer corporate challenge, having finished the race in two hours and 40 minutes – a time its team members still found satisfactory despite falling roughly seven minutes short of last year’s record time.
One of the team members, Clement Dumont, who is also editor-in-chief at the magazine Asia Trail, told the Times that the course allowed them to enjoy running at a full speed most of the time.
“All the members of Asia Trail team have several years of experience in trail running and usually participate in races on more technical trails with more elevation,” the senior runner told the Times. “But this is also why the team likes TrailHiker, because the trails are quite different from what we are used to and we like to experience something different.”
He acknowledged that it felt “great” to have defended the top spot, but said it would not be as good if he weren’t sharing the joy with his fellow teammates. “There is a true team spirit; each teach member adapts his pace to the team to give our best,” said Dumont.
The team last year raced to a win on their second attempt at the event, running in torrential rain. However, this year they said they were “slowed down by the warm weather.” They also promised to come back for future contests.
In the 10-kilometer course category designed for family fun, two teams managed to reach the finishing line at the same time of 44 minutes and 45 seconds.
The first team consisted of four mainland runners. Sky Chan, the team’s leader who is also a member at the local Chun Hing Sport Club, said their victory came as expected and with ease.
“My friends seldom go to Macau. This is the first time they have experienced the city,” said Chan, who introduced the competition to the other three newcomers. “Our run was ideal, though a bit slower than expected.”
The team echoed the 30-kilometer winner’s view that the trails in the territory are geographically less demanding than those they are used to elsewhere. “It’s rather simple: firstly, the trails here in Macau are less bumpy and more regular,” he explained. “Yet it’s quite hot today.”
They pledged to return to the event next year. Asked if the team would move forward to the corporate challenge, he said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s 10 or 30 kilometers, as after all it’s for charity, and happiness comes first.”
Another squad competing in the 10-kilometer race was last year’s winner OiVa Running.  The members of this team believed their counterparts were equally strong this year. They also wished that the organizer could have provided clearer signposting, as they witnessed teams heading in wrong directions.
Both squads were able to break last year’s record of 46 minutes and seven seconds.
Among the 10-kilometer racers was a team of runners with an average age of 13, and their efforts were recognized by the event organizer during an after-
race buffet.
“In Macau, there are not very many of these sports activities, and this is a big one that most of us can do at any age,” the team’s leader, Taylor Mackay, said while explaining how they came to enter the race.
Despite being satisfied with their performance, the leader thought that they could have pushed themselves a bit further if the temperatures were not so high. “We could have done it faster, but it’s very hot today,” said the 13-year-old captain.
The teenage sportsmen, all from Inception Health and Fitness, also aimed to test themselves on the 30-kilometer course in the coming two years with more training.
Aside from encouraging physical well-being through exercising in a green environment, the run also sought to raise money for associations targeting the under privileged. A total of MOP400,000 has already been donated to this year’s two beneficiaries, the Macau Special Olympics and the Macau Association for the Mentally Handicapped.
According to Robert J. Kirby, one of the major organizers, the event will include a 20-kilometer category in the near future to accommodate different types of racers.
The Macau Eco TrailHiker is organized by the Macau Trailhiker Limited. Macau Daily
Times is one of the event’s sponsors.