TrailHiker rush, registration sold out in 90 minutes

Robert Kirby

The 2017 edition of Eco TrailHiker is living up to expectations for a record-breaking number of participants, with all 550 team slots being filled within 90 minutes of registration.

Director of Macau TrailHiker Ltd., Robert Kirby, told the Times that he was “overjoyed” with the response from the public.

“We opened the portal at 6 P.M. right after the press conference and by 7:30 P.M., my assistant…came to me and said, ‘Robert we have to close it,’” Kirby said. “It was just an incredible response. We have seen, over the years, more and more people going to our website but this was just phenomenal.”

According to Kirby, the high-demand shows that “the event has reach its tipping point”, and “wellness is important in the community” and further, that “corporate responsibility is [becoming] increasingly important.”

Remarking on the many people who were unable to register on time, Kirby said, “Of course now we have to manage the people who were disappointed and I don’t underestimate that, so we [are creating] a waiting list […] because we know there will always be a few people who will [drop] out.”

When questioned about how Eco TrailHiker plans to cope with the extremely high demand, Kirby responded that the event had to “grow.” He added that for the 2018 edition, Eco TrailHiker will not only include its two current courses (10km and 30km), but would also include an additional 20km course – a decision that Kirby had made previously, but had been unable to implement in 2017 due to the “sponsors’ switch and adjustments that had to be done from there.”

The organizer added that with the new upcoming 20km race, Eco Trailhiker will accept an additional 150 teams, increasing the maximum from 550 to 700.

When questioned about the possibility of splitting the event over multiple days as team numbers grow, Kirby said, “I believe the new sponsor would not be upset if I say yes, there is an opportunity for a weekend event like a sports festival where… we can run the 10K and 30K on Saturday and then the 20K on Sunday,” he said, adding that it nevertheless may take several years to occur, and that it was unlikely to occur in 2018. 

Grant Bowie

According to Kirby, several factors attract the high number of participants, such as the lunch that we serve after the event and “the camaraderie of having an event that is not individuals participating but a team of four”, which is “very unique.”

On the other hand, Kirby remarked that there is still work to be done for the wellness promotion aspect of the event.

“I’m still disappointed that when I go out in the trails on the weekends, I don’t see more people,” he said. “But for sure, TrailHiker brings motivation to teams to go out and train before the event and there is no doubt that a small percentage of these people will continue to exercise after the event.”

“I would like to see more people continuing [throughout the year] and not just around the events,” Kirby said, adding that the event is now also being used as a team building activity for companies.

CEO and executive director of MGM China Holdings Limited Grant Bowie also commented on the strong response to the event, saying, “We are delighted to have received such a great response from not only the Macau community, but also from Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia, Taiwan and beyond.”

“At MGM our goal is to bring Macau to the world and the world to Macau and the TrailHiker presents one opportunity to do just that,” Bowie continued. “The strong response serves as validation that creating opportunities to get out with friends and explore the natural side of Macau is in demand and something we should do more of.”

MGM will be the event’s title sponsor for this year. “MGM is truly honored to take an active role in contributing to this initiative, having a positive impact on increasing the awareness to protect our environment while adding to the well-being of the community,” said Bowie. “With MGM Cotai as the start and finish point of this major sports event, it marks the beginning of many great moments for us, and we will continue to contribute to a sustainable future for Macau.”

Bowie also expressed hopes that through the event, the community will have a “deeper understanding of the importance of creating healthy living style, preserve the natural environment and to showcase the natural beauty of Macau.” Like Kirby, he commented positively on the opportunities that such a friendly competition creates in terms of teambuilding, opening the doors to the expansion of the event in the near future.

Macau Daily Times
is Eco TrailHiker’s
official media partner