After five full years, the 9 Dragons finally return this weekend in Hong Kong’s New Territories. The unique 2-day event, featuring a 50 miles race on Saturday and a 50 km race on Sunday with the aim of combining and finishing both, has been long awaited by Asia’s challenge-seeking trail running crowd. When former participants argue that “getting up to toe the start line on Sunday morning for the 50k is the hardest part of the entire weekend” it sums up why this race is so special. While certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, the start list once again proves that organiser RaceBase managed to find a way to stand out in Hong Kong’s overcrowded trail calendar.

The 50/50 category has attracted big guns like 2022 ATM Champion Arnie Macaneras and multiple ATM race winner Kristian Joergensen, as well as several global competitors such as Lodewijk Vriens (NED), Oleksii Melnyk (UKR) and Coree Woltering (USA). Both Vriens and Melnyk have proven already before that they can deal with Hong Kong’s particular trail courses with the many stairs and are therefore very serious contenders for the podium against the perhaps better-known locals and Asians. Coree Woltering is very interesting as he actually took part in the 2019 9 Dragons and DNFd rather anonimously, despite already being a marquee trail runner at the time. It speaks volumes that Coree has decided to return to the event this weekend, and the other favourites better watch out. During those five years and the covid pandemic, the American had a battle with alcohol but has since chosen sobriety as a lifestyle. His competitive performances have reached his arguably best level yet and he is in training for the southbound Appalachian trail fastest-known-trail record attempt. In any case, Manila-based Dane Kristian Joergensen is taking the race very seriously as he has been in Hong Kong for two weeks to leave nothing to chance this weekend. Arnie Macaneras very much looked the part in VMM 70km last September, but five months have passed since. He was surprisingly beaten by Larry Apolinario in a 50km domestic race in Philippines in December, which might indicate that the star from Davao is now truly focusing on the ultra race distances, though. So much can happen in a tough 2-day race that we should also consider other podium candidates such as Hong Kong’s Salomon Wettstein, Limbu Yamanath and Hyan Chang Chung. Bukidnon’s Yoyong Sacayle is the second Filipino iron in the fire. Proven to be very resilient in tough conditions, Sacayle may lack the top speed of some other favourites, but his 7th place in the ATM Championship Final last December - not too far behind Hisashi Kitamura - shows that he can cause the upset when motivated.

Resilience is also what characterises Guangzhou’s Xie Wenfei, one of the top favourites in the 50/50 female race. While perhaps no longer among the youngest competitors, Xie Wenfei has an enormous amount of racing experience - including victories - in the toughest of events worldwide. The 9 Dragons has been on her bucket list for months, so for sure she comes to Hong Kong motivated. Australia’s Hayley Teale is expected to challenge for the female victory as well, a major competitor who has notched up a series of wins. Local competitors Ki Chun Wong, Angie Yan, Kimmy Leung and Natalie Webster are not to be underestimated either.

Runners can also choose to run just one day at the 9 Dragons event, which means that also the medium distance trail stars have a 50k race to look forward to. Sunday’s 50km race also offers ATM Championship points and has attracted reigning ATM Champion John Ray Onifa to take part. Three weeks after winning a 30km ATM Candidate Race in Cebu, Onifa is once again squaring off against his younger compatriot Godwin Mirar, age 23, who has been incredibly impressive in his young trail running career. Keen to learn and improve his competitiveness ever more, Mirar is making his debut in Hong Kong this weekend. Can he challenge Onifa, who is perhaps less motivated these days to run the HK stairs but has years of experience on them? Another upcoming Asian talent who is seeking some form of rehabilitation after misfiring in his home ATM Championship Final race at Siksorogo Lawu Ultra early December is Risqi Kurniawan. The 26-year-old Indonesian, unbeatable in his home country on the medium distance last year, is also making his debut in Hong Kong. It will be interesting to see how he copes this time around with having potentially faster runners around and ahead of him, a learning process that all domestic ‘champions’ need to go through when they move up to a higher international level. Guided by 2018 ATM Champion Ruth Theresia - who herself will be running the 50 miles solo race on Saturday - Kurniawan has appeared relaxed as he arrived in HK. As with Godwin Mirar, however, it still remains to be seen how he deals with the stairs - it really is not something for everybody. Locals KC Chan and Fuk Cheung Tsang can deal with the specific terrain and will certainly be in the mix for the win and the podium.

The 50km women’s race has an incredibly long start list, which in itself is already a big success. It does imply we are likely to discover several new names. Amongst the well-known athletes we find Angelie Cabalo from the Philippines, 3rd in last season’s ATM Championship Final. Cabalo has always been fast on the medium distance, so she certainly starts with victory chances.

ATM will be reporting live from the 9 Dragons from start at midnight on Saturday until the finish on Sunday afternoon.