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Organized by:
Seyon Asia Limited
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Sham Tseng Mountain Marathon Race Course
February 22, 2009
Sham Tseng Reservoir (above Tsing Long Tau off Castle Peak Rd.)
Public Buses: 52X, 53
Registration: 08-08:50
Race Start: 09:00
Half marathon 22.50 km 1070 meters cumulative altitude gain
Full marathon 37.00 km 2200 meters cumulative altitude gain
In the interest of safety, for those doing the full marathon, there
will be a hard cut off at 1430 (5.5 hours running time) at checkpoint
4 (Route Twisk). Those failing to make the cut off will be taken
back to the start by van.
Full Marathon - Maximum Allowed Time 7.5 hours
Start: Sham Tseng Reservoir - Service Rd. above highway - Yuen Tun - Pipeline Trail - Park Access Rd - Country Park Warden Post - Bamboo Contour Trail toward Tin Fu Tsai - Kat Hing Bridge - End Section 9 of Maclehose - Ho Pui Reservoir - Contour Trail toward Kap Lung - Cross Section 9 of Maclehose Long/Short Split - Chuen Long -Tai Mo Shan Fire Lookout - Trail down southern flank of Tai Mo Shan - Contour Trail and road to Chuen Long - Cross Route Twisk - Catchwater Trail - Ha Fa Shan - Shek Lung Kung - Pipeline Trail/Ancient Trail - Tsing Fai Tong - Sham Tseng Reservoir Finish
Half Marathon - Maximum Allowed Time 6.0 hours
Start: Sham Tseng Reservoir - Service Rd. above highway - Yuen Tun - Pipeline Trail - Park Access Rd - Country Park Warden Post - Bamboo Contour Trail toward Tin Fu Tsai - Kat Hing Bridge - End Section 9 of Maclehose - Ho Pui Reservoir - Contour Trail toward Kap Lung - Cross Section 9 of Maclehose Long/Short Split - West on Maclehose - turn left to Lin Fa Shan - down to Sheung Tong - trail beside stream to road - Ancient Trail/Pipeline Trail to Tsing Fai Tong - Sham Tseng Reservoir
Course Directions - Full
From the start, run up the road with the reservoir on the right. Continue past the ranger post and slightly down hill. Take the next right and continue along a flat road beside a drainage ditch. After about 1 km, turn right across a small bride and up some steep stairs. Continue up and along to an open field. Bear right toward a temple-like building. Bear right past the temple to a road. Go left up the road to another field on the left. Take a paved trail to the left at the upper end of the field by a service shack. The paved trail eventually turns to dirt and comes to a sign-posted intersection with the pipeline trail. Turn right on the pipeline trail and continue all the way to a paved road. Turn left up the road for several hundred meters, ignoring the trail off to the right. At a road junction marked by a warden's post, continue past the post and down some stairs to an intersection of several trails. Take the right-hand trail which soon enters a bamboo grove. Continue along this undulating contour trail for several kilometers.
Ignore all turns until a stepped descent to Tai Lam Chung Reservoir by Kat Hing Bridge. Turn right when hitting the road and continue to the intersection of sections 9 and 10 of the Maclehose. Water Stop. Continue through this intersection on the road toward Ho Pui. After about 1 km on this road turn right down some stairs, across a bridge and then left and up the hillside. (Marked by landslide closure signs). Continue to the intersection above Ho Pui Reservoir and descend to Ho Pui Reservoir. Cross the main dam and turn immediately left up the mountain biking trail to gain another contour trail. Turn left and continue for several kilometers to a marked turn to the right that climbs consistently to intersect with the Maclehose. Water Stop. Descend directly down the other side to a clearing. Turn left down a short hill and then bear right on the trail down to Chuen Long. Cross Route Twisk carefully and continue up the road to the turn off to Chuen Long by the minibus stop. Bear right through the village, cross a bridge and turn left toward some homes on the hillside. Continue up a concrete path past the village homes and after a couple of twists and turns, bear left steeply up a dirt path. Continue up this path across one road and turn right along the road at the second crossing. At the first bend in the road, bear left through a gap in the vegetation and then turn steeply left up hill. Continue climbing directly up hill, ignoring the major trail that breaks off to the right. After a very steep bit, pass the Tai Mo Shan Fire Lookout and bear left slightly down hill to a major trail intersection. Water Stop. Follow the less defined trail diagonally off to the right across a very small stream. Continue along this undulating trail down to another stream and then pay particular attention to the correct route through a series of alpine meadows. Each time the trail appears to split, the correct route is to the left. Eventually climb to a prominent rock formation and begin to descend steeply down the southern flank of Tai Mo Shan.
Cross over a major contour trail and continue over a small rise before descending even more steeply down hill. Eventually come to a major trail intersection and turn right. Follow this major trail over a couple of streams and hills and eventually join a paved road. Turn right up hill for a short distance and then left downhill eventually passing an Agriculture and Fisheries Dept. camp. Before Chuen Long, bear left down a road which curves around to the right. Bear left again on a dirt trail past a village house and eventually come to another paved path. Turn right to Chuen Long. Just at the edge of the main village, turn left along a stream through agriculture, eventually crossing the stream to the right and joining a more significant trail. Continue down this trail past a village on the left and eventually along a yellow railing to Route Twisk. Cross the road carefully. Water Stop. Join the catchwater trail heading west. Continue for a couple of kilometers, ignoring the first couple of trails off to the right.
Eventually turn right along a stream and then left steeply up hill toward Ha Fa Shan. Join a major trail with great views of the airport and pass below and to the left of Shek Lung Kung mountain which is recognizable by the radio antennas on its summit. Continue down a partially paved path to a grassy area with a signpost to Sheung Tong to the right and straight ahead to Tsing Fai Tong. Continue straight ahead on the pipeline trail toward Tsing Fai Tong, eventually rejoining the half marathon course. After cresting a couple of hills, look for a not-obvious left turn (marked with ribbons) onto an overgrown trail. Continue through the shiggy for about 30 meters and come out on a main trail and turn left. Follow this trail around a hill and down to the base of a very steep hill directly in front. Turn right just beyond a large, fallen tree down to Tsing Fai Tong. Continue along the edge of the field to the small row of houses. Water Stop. Continue bearing left around the edge of the field out of the village, past a thicket of bamboo and up a slight rise to another trail signpost. Turn right here onto the pipeline trail and shortly afterward turn left along the hiking trail (Marked by a danger steep cliffs sign). Follow this trail for a couple of kilometers to another sign-posted intersection. Turn sharply left and continue up the stairs to a height of land. Continue down the other side on the main trail, ignoring the several very minor trails that come in and split off from it. Descend all the way to Sham Tseng Reservoir, cross a small bridge and climb the stairs on the other side to the road. Turn right and run the last 100 meters back to the start/finish. Beer Stop.
Course Directions - Half
From the start, run up the road with the reservoir on the right. Continue past the ranger post and slightly down hill. Take the next right and continue along a flat road beside a drainage ditch. After about 1 km, turn right across a small bride and up some steep stairs. Continue up and along to an open field. Bear right toward a temple-like building. Bear right past the temple to a road. Go left up the road to another field on the left. Take a paved trail to the left at the upper end of the field by a service shack. The paved trail eventually turns to dirt and comes to a sign-posted intersection with the pipeline trail. Turn right on the pipeline trail and continue all the way to a paved road. Turn left up the road for several hundred meters, ignoring the trail off to the right. At a road junction marked by a warden's post, continue past the post and down some stairs to an intersection of several trails. Take the right-hand trail which soon enters a bamboo grove. Continue along this undulating contour trail for several kilometers.
Ignore all turns until a stepped descent to Tai Lam Chung Reservoir by Kat Hing Bridge. Turn right when hitting the road and continue to the intersection of sections 9 and 10 of the Maclehose. Water Stop. Continue through this intersection on the road toward Ho Pui. After about 1 km on this road turn right down some stairs, across a bridge and then left and up the hillside. (Marked by landslide closure signs). Continue to the intersection above Ho Pui Reservoir and descend to Ho Pui Reservoir. Cross the main dam and turn immediately left up the mountain biking trail to gain another contour trail. Turn left and continue for several kilometers to a marked turn to the right that climbs consistently to intersect with the Maclehose. Water Stop. Turn right on Section 9 of the Maclehose and continue to the next intersection. Bear left here on the paved road heading up hill toward Lin Fa Shan. Pass the helicopter landing pad on the right and begin to descend on the other side of the hill. Continue basically descending (although there are a couple of short rises in between) to a small field on the right.
Bear right across the field, crossing a small, wooden plank bridge and staying on the path to the edge of the field. Turn left and head down to the large rock with an arrow painted on it. Follow the arrows down through the rocks to an narrow and overgrown trail through the forest. Follow this trail down under a power pylon and eventually bear left and come out in a field with a grave in it. Bear right and go straight across the field which is quite wet and muddy to join a concrete path. Turn right and pass through the remains of Sheung Tong village. Bear left after the village houses and follow the concrete path over a surprising deep river chasm. Continue down the concrete path which gets quite steep and does a couple of switchbacks to descend to another field marked by 2 bridges. Go straight across the first bridge and immediately left across the second bridge into a field. Run across the field with a river on the runner's left to join a trail that follows more or less along the edge of the river.
Eventually follow the trail away from the river to the right, past a picnic table and through another grassy clearing to road. Turn left on the road across a bridge and immediately turn left again onto another trail ("The Ancient Trail"). Follow the ancient trail to where it joins the pipeline trail and turn right on the pipeline trail (this is where the full marathon trail rejoins.) After cresting a couple of hills, look for a not-obvious left turn (marked with ribbons) onto an overgrown trail. Continue through the shiggy for about 30 meters and come out on a main trail and turn left. Follow this trail around a hill and down to the base of a very steep hill directly in front. Turn right just beyond a large, fallen tree down to Tsing Fai Tong. Continue along the edge of the field to the small row of houses. Water Stop. Continue bearing left around the edge of the field out of the village, past a thicket of bamboo and up a slight rise to another trail signpost. Turn right here onto the pipeline trail and shortly afterward turn left along the hiking trail (Marked by a danger steep cliffs sign). Follow this trail for a couple of kilometers to another sign-posted intersection. Turn sharply left and continue up the stairs to a height of land. Continue down the other side on the main trail, ignoring the several very minor trails that come in and split off from it. Descend all the way to Sham Tseng Reservoir, cross a small bridge and climb the stairs on the other side to the road. Turn right and run the last 100 meters back to the start/finish. Beer Stop.
Race Course Hints and Suggestions
Maps - Although the course has been marked with white arrows and white ribbons, the arrows tend to fade overtime. Purchasing a Northwest New Territories Country Park Map to take along on the run may be helpful if questions arise. Racers are also advised to familiarize themselves with the course ahead of time.
Water - There are a total of 3 water stops on the half marathon course and 5 on the full marathon course. Water will be provided near Kat Hing Bridge, crossing section 9 of the Maclehose (Full/half split), near the Tai Mo Shan Fire Lookout, at the Route Twisk/catchwater intersection and at Tsing Fai Tong. Each runner may take one 0.5 liter bottle of Bon Aqua Water at each water stop. Additional water can be purchased in Chuen Long village on the full marathon course. Due to the length of the courses, runners are advised to prepare appropriately and carry water sufficient for their own needs.
Weather - It can be hot this time of the year and approximately 30% of each course is exposed to direct sunlight. Hats and sunscreen are recommended.
Trail Conditions - Much of the half marathon trail takes place on undulating contour trail, the pipeline trail and obvious hiking trails, though they are still rocky and rough in places. Only the descent from Lin Fa Shan to Sheung Tong is particularly steep and rough. The full marathon includes a very demanding ascent of Tai Mo Shan and a very long and steep descent. If it has rained recently, it will be slippery. On the full marathon, Route Twisk - which is a very busy road - must be crossed twice. Runners should very careful while crossing the road.
View Course [Requires
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Race start map
Sham Tseng Mountain Marathon Previous Records
Full Marathon - 37.0 km
Men's Open: Neil Tait 3:34:45 2005
Men's V-40: Michael Maddess 4:05:211 2005
Men's V-45: Patrick Ford 4:10:00 2007
Men's V-55: Bob Whitehead 4:39:23 2006
Ladies Open: JoeJoe Fan Suiping 4:12:16 2006
Ladies Veteran: Kng Poey Lyn 5:19:57 2005
Half Marathon - 22.5km
Men's Open: Gary Mandy 2:02:09 2006
Men's V-40 Tim McCosker 2:13:37 2005
Men's V-45 Leung Ping 2:15:32 2007
Men's V-55 Chris Wardlaw 2:14:50 2007
Ladies Open: JoeJoe Fan Suiping 2:25:28 2007
Ladies V-40: MarieHelene Arnauld 2:35:07 2001
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