Hong Kong 100 course maps and checkpoints

Almost everyone goes through the ballot. The exceptions are past winners, the previous year's volunteers, runners who have done every edition, and sponsor nominees. You can enter alone or as a pair, for one distance only, and entering the ballot is free. For 2027 it opened on 30 July 2026 and closed on 4 August, results came out on 17 August, and unclaimed places were reallocated from 31 August, when the waitlist opened. The Hong Kong government caps the fields at 1,800 for the HK100 and 500 each for The Half and The Third.

You don't need a qualifying race, but the organizer expects real trail experience. Entry costs HK$2,180 for the HK100, HK$1,120 for The Half, HK$880 for The Third and HK$4,180 for the Grand Sam. Charity places cost more and go first come, first served. There are no deferrals or transfers, and no refunds unless you buy the optional Refund Protect cover when you register.

All three races start at Pak Tam Chung on Tai Mong Tsai Road. A taxi takes less than an hour from Hong Kong Island, a little under HK$300, or about 45 minutes and HK$200 from Kowloon. By public transport you change in Sai Kung Town. From Kowloon, take bus 92 from Diamond Hill or minibus 1A from Choi Hung to Sai Kung, then bus 94 or minibus 9 on to Pak Tam Chung. There are no hotels close to the start, only the basic Pak Tam Chung and Lady MacLehose holiday villages.

The HK100 finishes at Rotary Club Park, off Route Twisk in Tai Mo Shan Country Park, a long way from the start. Tai Mo Shan Road is closed to cars and taxis from 08:00 on 23 January to 17:00 on 24 January 2027, so take the free race shuttle from Tsuen Wan MTR, which runs from 5:30 pm Saturday to 2:30 pm Sunday. Bus 51 stops about three minutes' walk away but doesn't run between about 11 pm and 6 am.

Crews may help only at checkpoints, and pacers aren't allowed. You can still buy food and drinks from shops and vending machines along the way. East Dam is cut off by a road closure on race days. Beacon Hill and Lead Mine Pass are each about an hour's hike from the nearest road. The others can be reached by road, most of them by taxi or public transport. Minibus 7 runs from the start to Pak Sha O in about 10 minutes, and buses 99 and 299 from Sai Kung stop at Shui Long Wo for Kei Ling Ha. Parking is very limited at Gilwell Camp and Shing Mun and there's none at the finish.

HK100 runners get one drop bag at Kei Ling Ha (52 km) and one at the finish, both handed in at the start that morning. The Half and The Third get one bag, left at the start and collected at the finish.

January at the Hong Kong Observatory averages a high of 18.7°C and a low of 14.6°C, with 33.2 mm of rain over the month (1991 to 2020 normals). The organizer warns you to be ready for strong winds, heat, cold and heavy rain.

The mandatory kit is a phone, a headlamp with batteries, a whistle, a space blanket, room for at least a litre of water, two energy bars, a ziploc bag for your rubbish, your bib and some cash. Gear is checked at random. Checkpoints hand out no disposable cups or cutlery, so bring your own.