Tag Archives: Ken Ting

Aug 19 2014

Taiwan KenTing Marathon ( 台灣墾丁馬拉松 ) 18 May 2014

HOT to Die vs Amazing Scenery Racing Course

23 Feb 2014 – The night after Tokyo Marathon, I have chit chat with a running buddy about our next race. Well, after I gone through my overseas Marathon track list:

BJ ( half, unofficial entry ) Oct 2010
Osaka Marathon ( full ) Oct 2011
Shanghai Marathon ( half ) Dec 2012
Sydney Marathon ( half ) Sept 2013
Tokyo Marathon ( full ) Feb 2014

” Taiwan ” , I shouted out to say my next race should be in Taiwan. LOL. 🙂

16 May 2014 – I went to see my doctor before I go airport to catch my night flight to Kaohsiung. I am in a flu symptoms with some throat inflammation, in addition with minor gastroenteritis. Well, I know I am total out of a good condition for the race. But never mind, I never been really performed anyway. HaHa 🙂

18 May 2014 – SUPER HOT ( around 32 degrees ) is the first thing I can recall  on the race day. Even we starts at 6am, but you still can feel the HOT sun seems only a few inch on the top of your head after 7am when we are running out of forests then without any shadows anymore.

I never have a Marathon race in summer. Never. I basically can’t really run during HOT temperature even I will still keep slow running as regular exercise in 4 seasons. But when we talk about a race, it is a total different thing! For all my previous race, if the temperature of race day higher than 15 degrees, it is already tough for me! As a slow runner, 1 degree temperature higher means a lot to me. ( My PB for full Marathon is 05:25 in HK Marathon/SCM 2013, and the slowest record is 05:50 in Tokyo Marathon 2014. : )

So you may ask me why you choose Ken Ting race if you know you can’t really survive in hot temperature race? The reason is simple. I am more looking forward  a good scenery view of the race course now. KenTing race has an excellent scenery view inside their National Park and also along the sea shores. Give & Take!  No complaint actually when we are running in such beautiful scenery view course.

Gradient is the second thing I would like to highlight. I am so proud of myself can keep non-stop slow pacing for the first 5-6 km running in a up, up & nothing but just up slope running in that out of shape morning. 🙂 Again, no complaint. I know the gradient before the race. I love slope actually.

After the first 11 km good average pacing running, I feel certain kind of alert from my body. Well, it seems normal under such high temperature and sickness. I decide not to push myself too hard. I starts to fast walk to enjoy my music with all those wonderful view to finish my race. Since we have 4 hours to finish half marathon, it is more than enough with less than 11 mins per km fast walking pacing. 🙂

19 May 2014 – I wake up at early morning the day after the race. Many runners has already left after the race on Sun night and I enjoy really much the quite moment at Ken Ting. I walk around this full of natural beautiful small town with slow pacing. Feeling peaceful mind with blessing hearts. For me, can run marathon around the world is a kind of miracle in my life.

On the race day, the race organiser has many broadcast to say ” Hong Kong ” is the biggest ” organisation ” to participant this year. If my memory don’t go wrong, it seems total have 267 HK runners to join the race this year. Amazing!

19 Aug 2014 – It is my first time to running in a Taiwan race, feeling impressed by their good arrangement even it is only a small scale local race ( Total runners should be 5,000 that day ). Every 2.5 km not only has water/power drinks, food and also in addition with ice water to cool down our body. Things been so smooth for everything.

I am in a lazy summer after KenTing race. HOT is an excuse.

And what’s next? Well, after Taiwan, next race should be in South Korea, both Gyeongju Cherry Marathon in April and Chuncheon International Marathon in Oct 2015 should be a good choice.

Once more, I have just happen to found this video from another HK runner who also joined the race. He use a Cantonese Song as background music with many race day photos to create the video. A good memory to share. 🙂