#HKCOASTALTRAILCHALLENGE
The Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail Challenge is back with a bang! The 3rd edition of The Challenge, co-organised by Designing Hong Kong, iDiscover and Parks & Trails, three local NGOs, and powered by TrailWatch, promises to be bigger and better with new events and more prizes with a total value of over HK$200,000 and counting.
From December 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023, everyone is invited to hike or run (parts of) the 65-km-long Coastal Trail loop around Hong Kong Island. All participants are in the running to win amazing prizes and get a well-stocked goodie bag and a certificate of completion as a new, added bonus. Registrations are open from now to January 30, 2023.
The 2022/23 Event
Also new this year is that participants can choose between two events to sign up for: Leisure and Racing.
The Leisure Event invites keen explorers to walk any, several or all 8 stages of the Coastal Trail in their own time and at their own pace while completing a fun scavenger hunt.
The Racing Event is for those looking to test their speed and endurance. Runners can sign up for one or more of the following three races: the 65km Coastal Run One Go, the 15km Harbourfront Run, or the 25km Hill Run.
To add to the fun, all participants can take part in weekly, themed photo challenges through Instagram and Facebook.
The Coastal Trail Challenge is a self-guided event. Participants are asked to track their runs and walks through the free TrailWatch app or any other hiking or running app to show proof of completion to the organisers and be eligible to win prizes.
Awards and Prizes will be presented at the in-person closing ceremony in February 2023.
The Trail
An iconic 65-km-long loop around Hong Kong Island divided into 8 stages, the Coastal Trail is a unique hiking trail. Walking the trail is a wonderful way to (re)discover the city’s abundant history, heritage, greenery and, of course, its scenic shores.
Connecting known routes, small paths and lost trails, the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail offers something for everyone to enjoy, from steep, remote mountain climbs to flat urban harbourside walks.
Registration & Donations
Registrations are open till January 30, 2023.
For the Leisure Event, a minimum donation of HKD150 per participant is requested at the registration stage.
For the Racing Event, a minimum donation of HKD250 and up per participant is requested at the registration stage and depends on distance + team composition, whether Solo, Pair, Team of 4 or Corporate team of 4.
Sponsors & Partners
The 2022/23 Challenge is organised with the support of Museum Cafe, T8, Gone Running, Movaia, Tiny Island, Water World Ocean Park, The Lion Rock Press, Green Monday and more to come.
The Backstory
Over 200 teams participated in the previous edition of the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail Challenge, which took place from January 1, 2022, to February 6, 2022.
Together they walked over 60,000km, solved questions about local culture and heritage, and took hundreds of photos along the trail.
In 2021, the Coastal Trail Mapping Event had hundreds of walkers trying out the trail while documenting their favourite places along the way. They submitted photos and stories, capturing the trail’s surprising and constantly changing views. The most compelling stories and eye-catching photographs were filtered into 40 stops and published in the iDiscover app. They also inspired an illustrated map of the trail, designed by local illustrator Carmen Ng. Hikers used the iDiscover and TrailWatch apps to navigate and learn little-known secrets about places they passed. The hikers ‘ digital data and comments revealed interesting insights about popular sections, favourite photo spots and pain points along the way. This way,the organisers also used the event as a tool to unlock community intelligence for inclusive planning and placemaking in the city.
“This event is a great opportunity for people to rediscover the beauty in their own backyard, especially at a time when travel is restricted. It is also a continued joint effort to listen to the
community’s voice and get their ideas on how to improve the trail step by step. We want to grow the event every year, make the Coastal Trail an asset for the city much,” says Ester
van Steekelenburg, Director iDiscover
“This challenge is a good way to engage people under the current pandemic. We are delighted that hundreds of participants have completed the entire trail and provided us with a lot of feedback along the trail. Their comments are essential for us to further improve our initiatives and continue to negotiate with the relevant departments for their cooperation,” says Samuel Wong, Project Officer at Designing Hong Kong.
“How fun to see so many teams enjoying the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail! We saw many teams use TrailWatch to circumnavigate the route and take many photos along the way – of the scenery, pets, nature, and the fun they were having, which we greatly appreciate! Alongside people enjoying the trail and sharing their wonderful experiences, we think it’s important that
people can preserve their treasured memories. Who knows, maybe these records can be used to protect Hong Kong’s environment and coastal gems many years later,” says Coastal Trail Challenge Project Director Shu Pu.