It is a drizzly and overcast Saturday morning in Hong Kong where, despite the gusting winds, many runners are training along the Central Harbourfront. At the AIA Vitality Hub – a venue on the harbourfront that offers free daily health and fitness classes – a dozen runners have gathered for an hour-long class led by ultrarunner Wong Chun-kiu. At 40, Wong is fit, experienced and ready to share the skills he has learned. He opens the session with stretching and running drills. “When you run, try to use the force of gravity that you can feel when you lean forward,” he instructs the students, who range in age from their 20s to over 60. “Also, focus more on lifting your knees up from the ground, rather than kicking your feet back.” Watching the soft-spoken instructor, one might not imagine the extraordinary running feats he has accomplished or the sheer grit he has that has carried him through extreme physical and mental challenges. In 2017, he ran 1,400km (870 miles) around Taiwan in 19 days, tracing a figure-eight route. The following year, he ran 3,500km in 73 days in Japan, starting in Hokkaido and ending in Okinawa. In 2022, he ran across the United States, from New York to Los Angeles, completing a 5,400km journey in four months. “I just like to challenge myself,” he says with a cheeky smile. Wong has been athletic ever since he was young. Growing up in Hong Kong, he played basketball obsessively in secondary school – so much so that his mother often had to drag him home from school. He studied mechanical engineering at university and worked in the field for two years. At the time he really enjoyed photography and climbing, which were introduced to him by his father and brother. Wong combined the two interests and started working as a climbing and outdoor photographer. In 2010, his life took a turn when he was invited to be the photographer for an ultra-marathon race in the Taklamakan Desert, in China’s Xinjiang region. “I was inspired by those athletes and thought it would be really cool to be one of them,” he says. “When I came back to Hong Kong, I put down my camera and started picking up running. Then, one day, I felt like the mountains were calling.” Trail running is a popular hobby among Hongkongers today, thanks in part to the city’s abundant scenic and challenging trails. Many trail races are held throughout the year, there are numerous running groups and a wealth of information can be found on and offline. That was not the case when Wong started running in Hong Kong’s mountains in 2010. He began with no coach, no running friends and little online guidance. He chose to train alone, following his instincts. “I just ran by heart,” Wong says. “I spent a lot of time in the mountains alone, refilling myself through those kiosks, vending machines, spending days and nights in the mountains, on trails, training.” His first ultratrail race was in 2011, the first edition of the Hong Kong 100. He finished the 100km trail, which runs largely along the MacLehose Trail in the Sai Kung Peninsula, in under 16 hours, earning a gold trophy. In 2012, he attempted the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix, France – one of the Alps’ toughest trail races at 171km with 10,000m of elevation gain. The event was cut short that year because of inclement weather, but the experience fuelled his ambition. Later that year, he took on Japan’s Ultra-Trail Mount Fuji, a challenging 168km race that circles around Mount Fuji with a cumulative elevation gain of more than 6,200 metres, which must be completed within 44.5 hours. Though he did not finish, he learned crucial lessons about pacing, nutrition and listening to his body. Over the next couple of years he took part in ultratrail races around the world, including in New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Beijing. In 2013, he ran two ultratrail races in New Zealand on consecutive weekends – the Tarawera Ultra-Trail by UTMB and the Northburn 100, a 100-mile race notorious for its difficulty – “just to challenge myself”. What made these early race accomplishments remarkable was that he accomplished them all without formal coaching. Despite his unconventional approach, he avoided serious injuries. He credits physiotherapy, yoga and a lot of stretching. Despite that early self-taught success, he does not recommend this path for everyone. “When you train, you need to educate yourself on how to deal with injuries, nutrition, training, recovery and more,” he says. “Some people can find their own path. But say you are in your mid-50s and want to do something phenomenal, and you have resources like money and time. Then you should find a coach, because it helps you train more efficiently.” In 2014, Wong met his running mentor, Jason Lester, a renowned endurance athlete with a paralysed right arm who held a world record for running the Great Wall of China solo in a single attempt: 4,200km in 83 days. Lester invited Wong to compete in Hawaii’s Hurt 100, a brutal 100-mile race with a 36-hour cut-off that many fail to finish due to its technical terrain of mud, volcanic rocks and steep climbs. Wong crossed the line in just under 32 hours, calling it his toughest and most memorable race. By 2017, Wong had shifted from organised races to self-designed projects, such as his run around Taiwan in 2017 and from Hokkaido to Okinawa in 2018. When Covid-19 halted international travel, he took on local Hong Kong challenges. These included stand-up paddleboarding around Hong Kong Island on a board made of recycled bottles, and climbing a 70-metre-high sheer wall section of the Lion Rock 126 times to match the height of Mount Everest. In 2022, he resumed his international projects. His 5,400km journey across the US began from New York’s Times Square and ended in Los Angeles, lasting over four months. Wong now works as a full-time running coach and personal trainer, but is always preparing for the next stage of his global running project. “After the US, I have been taking a break for my body and mind, but I know there are bigger things to come.” Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.