Months of quarantines and physical distancing have posed a challenge for all of Hong Kong, but the city has responded to the covid-19 crisis with characteristic Lion Rock spirit, underscoring the importance of a positive mental outlook and willingness to overcome any obstacle in achieving health and wellness and personal fulfillment. This fact is well understood by the passionate community of Spartan, the world’s top obstacle course racing series.
Spartan today announced its planned return to the city’s event calendar with the Spartan Race Hong Kong 2020 Series presented by Everbright starting this autumn. From September to December, Spartan events will be staged across the SAR, including the first ever Spartan Trail event in Hong Kong and the city’s first stand-alone Spartan Kids Race.
Mr. Gary Wan, Managing Director of race organizers Hybrid Group Limited said, “We are excited at staging Spartan Hong Kong 2020. As past races have shown, we have a passionate and growing community of current and future Spartans in the city, who after six months of physical distancing are more excited than ever to take on the Spartan challenge.
“The health of participants and staff remains our highest priority, and we will abide by any governmental regulations on mass gatherings and implement significant risk mitigation measures as the conditions require. But for us, the challenges of the past few months have only reinforced the need for people to maintain not just a healthy and active lifestyle, but a positive mindset, a spirit of resilience and determination and a willingness to face and overcome any challenge, which is something that Spartan focuses on,” added Mr Wan.
Holding up front-line healthcare workers as a model of this Spartan spirit, Mr. Wan also confirmed that Spartan Race would offer up to 700 Hong Kong healthcare professionals free admission to participate in one of the Spartan race types this year in gratitude for the services of the entire industry in helping Hong Kong fight covid-19.
Spartan is also supporting the ongoing fight against coronavirus with a series of risk mitigation measures implemented for race events, according to Race Director Maximilian Lai. Spartan Race is continuously monitoring the situation and health and safety measures will be refined and updated to meet local conditions throughout the series.
“We have been working closely with Spartan Race Headquarters (United States) on identifying best practices around the event to ensure the safest possible conditions, including eliminating water obstacles, and putting in place extensive personal hygiene stations and temperature checks for all participants and staff.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and abide by all governmental regulations,” added Maximilian Lai.
Not your everyday running competition, Spartans expect to run, climb, push, pull, throw and crawl, over and through hills, trees, walls, barbed wire and other obstacles designed to push the limits of their physical and mental endurance.
The action in 2020 kicks off with the first ever Spartan Trail Race in Taipo on 13 September, followed by Hong Kong’s first stand-alone Spartan Kids event on 26 September in Central, and H3X on 3 October 2020.
The excitement comes to a head on 28 and 29 November with the Spartan APAC Championship Trifecta Weekend with Hurricane Heat (HH), Spartan Kids, Spartan Sprint, Spartan Super and Spartan Beast events run over two testing days at Kam Tin Country Club.
More information on each of the Spartan Hong Kong 2020 Series events will be released on social media closer to the event dates.
Exploring new Paths – Spartan Trail
More than simply a running or endurance competition – Spartan Race is a way of life, and Hong Kong’s ultimate athletes are ready to test themselves on the streets – and for the first time, on the trails surrounding the city with Hong Kong’s first Spartan Trail on 13 September in Taipo. The final Spartan event of 2020 will be a Spartan Trail Race in Aberdeen on 6 December.
With 10K and Half Marathon races, Spartan Trail offers a new challenge for Hong Kong’s growing legion of trail runners and adventure racers with elite and open categories offering a challenge for every ability level. Spartan Trail unites these growing racing communities in the city bringing people together with one goal – to run their race.
Stand-alone Spartan Kids Race
Given the importance of physical exercise and active lifestyles for developing strong immune systems, 2020 sees the first ever staging of a stand-alone Spartan Kids Race on 26 September at the Harbourfront Event Space in Central.
Hong Kong’s young obstacle course fans aged 4 to 13 can take part in both open and competitive races to have fun while developing confidence and self-esteem. Participants will receive Kids Runner headbands and t-shirts and medals to mark their accomplishment.
Who can best the Beast? Spartan APAC Championship 2020
Kam Tin Country Club will play host to the Spartan APAC Championship 2020 from 28-29 November with Hurricane Heat and Spartan Kids events leading up to the weekend’s main events: Spartan Sprint, Spartan Super and Spartan Beast challenge.
The event will serve as the second stop of a planned five-leg East Asia Series this year, with races also originally scheduled for Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.
The top ten male and female elite finishers from the APAC Series, along with the top individual finishers in each age grade, will win cash and prizes worth up to $200,000 and will earn automatic entry to the Spartan Race World Championships in Abu Dhabi this December.
There they will pit their skills against champions from over 20 countries across Asia Pacific, North America, Middle East, Latin America and Europe.
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