Search

RUN247 / Running News / Ultramarathon News / WATCH LIVE: World Trail Majors Hong Kong 100 as Claire Bannwarth eyes โ€˜The Grand Samโ€™

WATCH LIVE: World Trail Majors Hong Kong 100 as Claire Bannwarth eyes โ€˜The Grand Samโ€™

Stuart Dick
Reporter
Updated on

Franceโ€™s Claire Bannwarth, who this time last year was busy successfully defending her Winter Spine Race title, headlines the 15th edition of the Anta Guanjun Hong Kong 100.

It is the first event in the 2025 Gran Canaria World Trail Majors season and takes place from January 16-18.

The 2025 World Trail Majors boasts a 12-event schedule. Races will take place in the United States, Spain, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada, France, South Africa, Vietnam and Australia.

Bannwarth is set to take on โ€˜The Grand Samโ€˜ โ€“ competing in all three races across the Hong Kong 100 weekend โ€“ โ€˜The Thirdโ€™, โ€˜The Halfโ€™ and โ€˜The HK100โ€™.

Advertisement

Bannwarth targets Grand Sam

Claire Bannwarth crosses the line.
Claire Bannwarth at Kullamannen by UTMB. [Photo Courtesy of UTMB].

โ€˜The Grand Samโ€™ begins with the 32.66km โ€˜The Thirdโ€™ on Thursday, January 16. โ€˜The Halfโ€™ then follows on Friday, January 17 over 55.59km with elevation gains of 2,206m. The final leg of โ€˜The Grand Samโ€™ is the โ€˜HK100โ€™, a 102.94km jaunt that tops 5,314m in elevation gain, on Saturday, January 18.

Bannwarth enjoyed another action-packed campaign last year, including victories at TRAILCAT200, Lake Zurich 100 Endurance Race, Trail Menorca Cami de Cavallas CDC, Montreux Trail Festival and Atlas Quest.

Competitors running across the beach during the HK100 (Photo: World Trail Majors)

The Frenchwoman also recorded a pair of World Trail Majors results in 2024. She coupled a fourth-place finish at Miut-Madeira Island Ultra-Trail and sixth-place at Quebec Mega Trail.

She will face the challenge of Xie Wenfei and Zheng Junyue, the defending Grand Sam champion and runner-up from 2024.

The menโ€™s โ€˜Grand Samโ€™ boasts several potential contenders including former winner Liang Disi. He is set to compete against French duo of Alexandre Boucheix and Luca Papi. In total, 190 runners across both the menโ€™s and womenโ€™s field will compete.

Defending champions set for HK100

While the โ€˜Grand Samโ€™ might be the headline, Saturdayโ€™s HK100 is the feature of the weekend and contributes to the World Trail Majors rankings. Meng Gunagfu is the defending menโ€™s champion and will be eager to go back-to-back.

In addition to his HK100 win, Guanfu finished fourth at Swiss Canyon Trail and recorded a number of other successes across 2024. He took the honours at Huangyan Jiufeng Trail Master Challenge, adidas TERREX Chongli, Ultra-Trail Ninghai by UTMB and Suichang Great March of Red Army Trail.

On the womenโ€™s side, Lin Chen is set to defend her crown. She recorded victories at Chengdu Trail, Trans Jeju by UTMB and Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB in 2024. However, she will face last seasonโ€™s podium duo Ying Li and Wu Yuanyuan as challengers.

Runners embark on HK100 2024 (Photo: World Trail Majors)

The route

All three races of the World Trail Majors Hong Kong 100 take place in Pak Tam Chung to the East of Hong Kongโ€™s New Territories. The course meanders its way along coastal paths, across beaches, through ancient villages, over hills and through valleys.

The HK100 is a point-to-point run across Hong Kong. It begins in the vicinity of High Island Reservoir as competitors run counter-clockwise around the body of water. The first half of the race then winds through the Sai Kung Peninsula and Sheung You Country Trail.

The route takes runners from East to West through the rural and mountainous areas of the special administrative region of China.

How to follow the race

You can follow Claire Bannwarthโ€™s progress via live stream. The HK100 race stream will be available between 07:45 โ€“ 22:00 (GMT+8) on Saturday, 20 January to follow the feature race. Weโ€™ve embedded it below so you donโ€™t have to leave this page.

Stuart Dick
Written by
Stuart Dick
Stuart is a graduate of the University of Sunderland with a masters' degree in Sports Journalism. He spends a lot of his time running and cycling around West Yorkshire, England.

Latest Running News

Nรฉlie Clรฉment WMRA win 2025 Briancon
Latest WMRA Mountain Running World Cup unearths another potential French superstar
David Roche Javelina Jundred 2024 Aravaipa Running
David Roche needed therapy after Western States โ€“ but has an emotional thank you message for fans who rallied around him
โ€œWorldโ€™s toughest mountain raceโ€ unveils TWO new, more accessible formats
Run 247 Breaking News
Marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich provisionally suspended over banned substance
David Roche Javelina Jundred 2024 photo credit Aravaipa Running
David Roche says he was โ€œa patient in a comaโ€ at Western States as he unpacks brutal DNF
trail running on your terms

Never miss out with our trail alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.

The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...