It begins with a boy Emperor...
A transliteration of the Chinese 九龍, gau lung, or “Nine Dragons”, Kowloon is named for the eight mountains which rear up behind the plateau—and one final dragon besides.
Legend goes that Kowloon was named in the year 1278 by the boy Emperor Bing, of the Southern Song Dynasty. Noticing the eight hills of Kowloon (Kowloon Peak, Tung Shan, Tate's Cairn, Temple Hill, Unicorn Ridge, Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Crow's Nest), the emperor was pleased to name them the “Eight Dragons”—but a quick-witted courtier pointed out that the emperor was a dragon himself, making it nine dragons.
The team at RaceBase aimed high with a back-to-back 50/50 plus all the extra-curricula activities too. Sure, it was not without a few hiccups but overall was an amazing weekend of rugged trails, wonderful atmosphere and great racing. This race is tough and not for everyone, but a really fun challenge. Two thumbs up!
- John Ellis (50/50)
Two days - three events.
The 50 Mile course (82.1km approximately) crosses Kowloon and the New Territories in Hong Kong from west to east. The route uses a variety of trail including the Maclehose and Wilson trails, among others. The race is scheduled to start in Yuen Long at Po Leung Kuk Jockey Club Tai Tong Holiday Camp, and finish in Tai Po. The race has an accumulative vertical of 4,400m.
The 50km course starts in Tai Po, runs through the New Territories and finishes in Kowloon. It runs from North to South. The route uses a variety of trail including some of the Wilson and Maclehose, among others. The race has an accumulative vertical of 3,700m.
The 50/50 is for the bravest and the winner will be The 9th Dragon! Both races same weekend.
Are you brave enough?