Round the Island Time Trial 2010

Thanks ... does anyone have a map of the course by any chance?

If you use the 'search contents' at the top of the page, you will find some maps attached to postings. But due to the scale, they are not too much use. The route will be posted on the AVOHK webpage shortly but in the meantime just use the 2009 route in reverse. The blue dots are still quite prominant from last year if you want to get out on course.

Using the search function, you should be able to find this image I posted in 2008 after completing the RTI 2008:
http://www.hkrunners.com/files/RTI2008.jpg

If you have Google Earth or other software, you can open the follow kml file and see an enlarged map on Google Map:
http://www.hkrunners.com/files/RTI_080406.kml

Couldn't find the route map on your site. Help please.

Sorry, I cannot access the web site to add the route, I will remind the guys who can to post it but the 2009 route is there, this years is that in reverse ie start down the hill to Bowen Road and run the western loop first.
The routes are included in the Acknowledgement Pack you receive after entering.

I have attached the 2008 directions (or at least I have tried to), which presumably apply to 2010.

A 'must' run this year. Will take trial runs after SCM !

The route in Chinese and English is attached

And now the English version

I am little new to all of this trail / distance running. I did the greenpower hike a few weeks ago, which stretched me to the absolute limits. Another 15k on top for a full 65k is asking me some searching questions. The main question is: is this a relatively flat course? Inevitably, being HK, there will be up and downs, but having read the course layout it is not that clear how taxing the uphill sections are and what % of the course is 'relatively' flat. Any guidance gratefully acknowledged, particularly from someone who has previously run the course. Thanks, Dwyfor Evans

I'd say if you've done the GP, then you know pretty much what to expect. The RTI is perhaps biased more in favour of 'flats' with a fair proportion of true contour running (on catchwaters, or Bowen road, for example) but it does have some sustained uphill sections, as does the GP.

Ben

thanks Ben, this is very useful. It makes me a little more comfortable with the task ahead. I think I'll give it a go.

The GP uses the complete Hong Kong Trail which includes all the ascents up Peal Rise, Middle Gap Road, Jardines Lookout, Mt Butler and the full climb over The Dragons Back. By contrast the RTI misses all of these climbs out but there are still a couple of climbs on the route.- this year the route goes up Brewin Path on Hong Kong Island and along a wierd little trail to connect to Po Shan Road, a short climb up part of The Morning Trail (less than half way to the top). On the second half only half way up the steps from the Hobby Cat club up to the road under the dragons back and then about halfway up to a contour trail that runs underneath the dragons back. On the path to Sir Cecils ride there is the famous rope which we will go up this year although I hear rumours that concrete steps have been put in there. Finally a bit of a slow climb up sir Cecils ride to Mt Butler road as done in the Mt Butler race. The RTI although longer is not as hilly by a long way as The Hong kong Trail- none the less still a challenge.

this is also extremely helpful, thanks Peter

Hi my name is Susie. I am a 'newbee' to the RTI. I am looking for other 'newbees' who wish to get lost with me while trying to sort out the first half of the route this coming Sunday and then the second half the Sunday after. I plan on walking not running as I would really like to take the details in carefully. I plan on starting around 8:15-8:30 at the start point.

Hi Peter
If I try out the first half of the RTI this Sunday will the blue dots be still visible along the route
thanks

Hi Kim,
I noticed blue dots on part of the trail that's in the first loop. I wasn't looking for them either so they must still be pretty clear.

Generally the blue dots are pretty visible - Dave - the Race Director heads out there each year with a pot of paint. Nevertheless its good to do a reccie. When you are stessed during the race its easy to miss them.

This is a reply to Susie:

Some of us in our hiking group will do tbe recce of the loops separately on Mar 14 (west) and Mar 20 (east). The east loop is trickier to follow and so we would do it in slow jogging or quick hike. Please go to:

www.meetup.com/hongkonghikinggroup/

join and check out the event calendar. I may aslo do the west loop this coming Sunday (Mar 7).

Hi Susie and Speeto

Just sent you both messages.

Hey Speeto. It's Susie again. I went and joined the meetup group you recommended. My only concern is that it seems you guys would be jogging or running during your recce. I don't have a problem with quick hikes but I don't want to be a drag to the group if I'm a slow train by not running. However, I would like to get familiar with the second/east half. I have done both Sowers and GP in okay times, 8 roughly each. But I did them mostly walking. If there are members who plan on walking, then I will join but as said I don't want to be a burden if I am holding the others back.

Susie & Lawrence,

I'll do the west loop this coming Sunday. This will be a quick hike rather than jog or run since we don't want to get lost. Please meet me at the bus stop outside Pacific Place 3 at 8:30 am. (This is better than at the offical start point because CityBus Route 6 runs at 20 minute intervals on Sunday mornings.) Please come on time. Our meetup grace time is 10 minutes. Look for the spritely kid with short, salt & pepper hair.

Pack lunch, snacks and water according to your past needs. Shower facilities are available in the tennis centre at Wong Ngei Chung Gap Road after we are done. Allow 4 to 6 hours to complete.

runnerslow, still waiting for your message to be forwarded to me but you are welcome to just us.

Is there RTI Recce this sunday (7/3) ?
I am a newbie to that road, and wanna find the partner who knows the road and can take me to try the road once.
Would you mind me to join the Reece? HOw many people would join ? and what time we would meet ?

Is there RTI Recce this sunday (7/3) ?
I am a newbie to that road, and wanna find the partner who knows the road and can take me to try the road once.
Would you mind me to join the Reece? HOw many people would join ? and what time we would meet ?

see ya there.

See you all

Meetup Venue: Bus stop outside Pacific Place 3, Queen's Road E
Time: 8:30 am (10 minute grace)
Estimated time to complete:5-6 hours

Confirmed: (4)
1. speeto
2. susie
3. Larissa
4. runnerslow

[Please respond only for yourself on this thread without updating the total confirmed. I'll do it. Many thanks. -
The spritely kid with short, salt & pepper hair.]

(Message removed by keithchan on Mar 4)

Thanks speeto for organizing the hike. It is good to see that Sunday is just a quick hike. I am a slow runner always worrying can't catch you up, and eventually slow you all down. BTW, should I use "slow" or "drag"? Do they mean the same in this circumstance?

A smoke joke. While we all afraid of getting lost in trail, we may however all love getting "lost in translation", quite a good movie directed by sofia Coppola.

Sorry, Keith, but thanks for your attempt in clarification. That's not the bus stop. I meant the multi-bus stop right outside the glassy PP3 entrance, with nice sitting platform and toilets downstairs inside the building, from where we take a 15 min hike (as warm up) to Bowen Road (1.5 Km mark?) Then start from there. We will ultimately return to the official start/changeover/finish point.

All this is to avoid wasting 20 minute waiting for CityBus 6.

There will be 9 other hikers (some slow) from my friends and Meetup hiking group coming to this event.

Hi speedto, sorry for that. I have removed my previous post to avoid confusion.

susie, larissa & runnerslow,

Thanks for joining this hike. There may be as many as 16 from my friends and the meetup hiking group coming as well.

Weather forecast is unstable for Sunday. However, unless we see cats & dogs falling from Heaven at 7:00 am on Sunday, the hike still will be on and please pack your rain gears with you. If you are not sure, please call me at 2602 6446 before 7:15am.

A group of 10 hikers completed the west loop last Sunday March 7 through quick hike/slow jog in 4hr 30'.

This recce of the east loop will be carried out in a similar manner and the estimated finish time can be from 5 to 7 hours because of the various abilities among the 16 signed up from our meetup hiking group.

Anyone interested are welcome to join us at 10:00am, bus stop with sitting platform at Place Place 3 entrance, Queen's Road East.

You are advised to join us as a member via www.meetup.com/hongkonghikinggroup so you can be kept updated with changes and know who you are going with. The rendezvous may be changed.

Happy trails.

This recce precedes the one on Saturday March 20 and is mainly on a walking/quick hike pace.

So far 3 has signed up. Please meet us at Exit C, Concourse Level after the turnstiles, Admiralty MTR Station so we can go for CityBus Route 6 together.

More details can be found at
www.meetup.com/hongkonghikinggroup

Happy trails.

The steep, rope-assisted climb up on the dirt trench from catchment to the upper trail overlooking Kornhill and leading to Mt Parker Road no longer exists. It has been replaced with cement-paved steps, making the ascent a lot easier and safer.

The left turn from Mt Butler Road to the remaining portion of Sir Cecil's Ride before the Finish could be easily missed due to setups of road/slope construction.

Thanks for the updates speeto, this is very useful. Will keep these in mind when doing my own recce of the course in the coming weeks.

Thanks speeto. I practised the eastern loop last Saturday and found the stairs which looked quite new, but there was still a rope at the upper section. As I never run it before, I am wondering the meaning of "climb up" and going to ask you and others at this forum whether the stairs are new. And you have already clarfied it for me. Thank you.

In regard to the remaining portion of Sir Cecil's Ride, it is OK as there is a very clear road side of "Sir Cecil's Ride". Indeed I had doubt for a few minutes becuase I could not spot any blue dot. May be I have to check my eyes and glasses.

During the HK KOTH I noticed the steps at the top going down but I wasn't sure if they extended all the way to the bottom.
On Saturday I ran the Eastern half with friends and discovered that they do extend all the way. I don't know why they don't just spray concrete over the entire island and be done with it because in a few years that's what it will look like.

Oops! CORRECTION:

I'll hike this loop again with a few friends on Thursday March 18. Then it will be run on Saturday March 20.

Meetup is at CityBus Route 6 Terminus, Exchange Square, Central. 0845 on March 18; Pacific Place 3 bustop, Queen's Road East, 1000 on March 20.

Sat March 20, east loop - meet 1000 at bus stop at entrance of Pacific Place 3 (run and / hike)

Tue March 23, west loop - meet 0900 at bus stop at entrance of Pacific Place 3 (hike mainly)

Sat March 27, west loop - meet 1000 at bus top at entrance of Pacific Place 3 (run / and hike)

All are welcome.

Will any entrants with a @yahoo.com.hk email address please ensure that the mailbox is not full. I am having a great deal of difficulty in sending out Acknowledgements to this address. They are constantly returned due to being timed out or server not responding. I have resent several 3 times. If not successful next time, I will list the runners with their numbers on the AVOHK website to confirm the entry. Thanks

Just for your info: you need to finish at 4pm max! So if you start at the earliest time, which is 6am, you need to complete the whole race in 10hrs. After this time, your time will not be taken into consideration. So train hard if you intend to finish the race and have your time registered! ;-)

I'll do the race and I train every week in order to make a good time!

C u there everyone! ;-)

Just to correct the last comment.
You must finish between 2 and 4pm to be classified with a finishing position. Anyone finishing earlier than 2pm, their time will be taken as 2pm, anyone finishing after 4pm will still have their time recorded and included in the results but will not be classified with a finishing position.

Hi it is Susie here. I was wondering if anyone(who is not going to the Rugby 7’s)would like to join me on Sunday in doing the West half of the RTI. I would like to do it as a brisk hike. I hope to aim for 5 hours or less. Is there anyone interested? I would like to start from the car park at Wong Nai Chung Gap around 8:30 or so. We could meet up at the MTR in Wai Chai and catch a taxi to the start point.

What a great trail route, excellent change from the dull standard HK trail. Did the Eastern loop this morning and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Route map http://bit.ly/bXbK6s

Does anyone know the more or less exact distance of the two loops? My Polar G3 tells me 38.5km for the eastern loop. Does that sound about right?

Please go to www.avohk.org for further details on this year's RTI. You can access course details, instructions, rules and information on the post race function.

Thanks for sharing this aublumberg. You were really moving... good speed.

Have you a recording for the small (Western loop)? Have noticed that you backtracked on the Eastern loop at the area nearby the quarry on Mt. Butler Road so the distance of the western loop is almost 22.4 miles (36km).

Yes I got lost a bit there so went back to pick up the blue circle marks (not as clear on that section, or perhaps I was getting tired) again. Unfortunately I don't have a "clean" recording of the Western loop, last time I ran it I auto-piloted from start of HK Trail Stage 2 on and did a few unnecessary loops :-) Went up the stairs next to the covered reservoir but I think one should go straight instead. All good fun ...

Meet at 6:30 am, bus stop outside Pacific Place 3, Queen's Road East. All are welcome.

We'll cheat a little by starting from the 3/1 Km mark at Bowen Road after hiking from PP3 via Monmouth Path. Replenish at Park N Shop, Parkview after the west loop before descending again to finish the east loop or as far as physically possible.

Agree that the east loop is about 38.5 while is west is somewhere around 26.5 km.

Hi Speeto,

I have sent email to you.

A recce run taken on east loop yesterday.Missed the blue dots to Sir Cecil'Ride entrance after passing the country park management 40m at Mt. Parker Road. The second time was when running down Mt.Butler Road,missed the blue dots again and failed going upstairs to SCR.Will be careful on the race day ! See you all !

Route map of Western loop in case anyone interested:

http://bit.ly/dtKPGf

Did Eastern Loop, starting 1000hrs today from Wong Nan Chung Gap. Thanks to freshly painted dots along the way, and light rain could finish in 5h15m. Wish next sunday weather is similar...

Just a few silly questions. Does anyone know whether sports drink will be provided at the checkpoints? I note that only water is mentioned in the acknowledgement letter and "drink" in the instruction sheet. Also, what will be the food item/refreshment? These information will help us decide the items to be brought for the time trial. Thank you.

Hi Aublumberg, I just found this 'Everytrail' website myself, very useful!

Hi Patrick, yes - Everytrail also have a great iPhone app.

Thanks to the good soul(s) that updated the blue dot paintings on the Eastern loop. Did the latter section today starting from the roundabout Tai Tam Road / Shek O Road and very easy to see and follow now.

Andre.

The checkpoints will provide water and a variety of food, ranging from muesli, brownies, bananas, oranges, biscuits.
We don't provide isotonic drinks as most ultra runners prefer ther own concoctions. Some of the CP's may have a supply but do not rely on this.

Dear fast01, thank you. The information is very useful.

Dear fast01,

i just sent the application form and cheque for the RTI race, would u mind tell me is it confirmed?

My name is Tony Yuen Ying Ho, Thanks!!

Does anyone have any views on a hydration pack or a waist pack for the RTI? A camelbak type hydration pack makes sense to me, but given the humidity, there is no escape from the sweat and heat generated by your back. Anyone think that maybe a waist pack makes more sense?

See www.avohk.org for details

Here's my 2 cents: Have done fine myself with just a waist pack since there are 7 checkpoints with water and snacks along the way. Depends on what else you want to carry and whether or not you have trained with a waist pack or hydration pack.

Good luck tomorrow, looks like we'll be treated with perfect conditions

When will have the result release??? Thanks..

I did explain to every one on the Start line that the provisional results would take me a few days and the detailed results at least a week. Unfortunately I only have an hour or so each evening to work on them, they are further complicated by runners not registering for their start time so I need to work back from the CP records to determine the Start time. Provisional results should be on the AVOHK website today.

Thanks to Fast Dave for the event and some of the provisional results. The AVOHK website now lists MV1 and MV3 provisional results. MV2 unfortunately shows MV3 results. I for one is willing to help since I'm currently unemployed or 'retired' depending on who looks at it.

Will CP times of all runners be shown in the final results?

Thanks again.

Thanks Speeto, unfortunately no one can help as you need to be in possession of the CP records plus my spreadsheets. Provisional results for all categories are ready and will be posted on AVOHK website today. Detailed results with full breakdown of CP times will be available at the weekend.

Speedto - Men's Vet 2 category results are now available for viewing at the AVOHK site.