Coastal Trail Challenge

Co-hosted by Parks and Trails, TrailWatch and Designing Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail Challenge 2025/26 took place between the 8th of November 2025 and the 26th of January 2026, with the theme of ‘Trek Along the Shore, Venture Through Time’.

This year’s event attracted 1,133 participants, breaking the record since the event’s launch in 2020. This included 161 runners who competed virtually in the Racing Category, and 972 participants in the Leisure Category who completed all or part of the 65-kilometre Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail. An additional 100 participants joined the various theme tours or the Second Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail Charity Walk 2025 (Pet Friendly Edition).

The Closing Ceremony of the challenge was held at Cafe 8 above Central Pier 8 to celebrate the achievements of the award winners. A photo exhibition themed ‘Mountains & Seas • Past & Present’ was also hosted to showcase the scenery and history along the Coastal Trail.

In this year’s event, the Racing Category featured three distance options: a 65-kilometre Coastal Run, a 25-kilometre Hill Run and a 15-kilometre Harbourfront Run. Runners in the 65-kilometer race completed a full clockwise circuit of the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail. Elsa Polycarpe won the Women’s Individual 65km race with a time of 6 hours and 37 minutes, breaking previous records in the Women’s 65km Race, while Rupert Chamberlain won the Men’s Individual 65km Race.

Interestingly, participants in the Leisure Category recorded their journeys with the TrailWatch Event App, which combines features of route-tracking and scavenger hunt, allowing them to learn about Hong Kong’s nature, culture and history while enjoying the scenery on the way.

Participating individuals and teams who scored the highest in the scavenger hunt were awarded the Leisure Category prizes. Among the participants, 687 completed all eight sections of the 65km Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail, once again breaking previous records. Among those who completed all eight sections, some were families with children, others explored the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail with their pets.

Participants of the Leisure Category who completed each section of the trail earned the corresponding newly-designed pin. This year’s pins featured representative historical monuments to showcase the history and changes along the Coastal Trail. These include the Fourth Generation General Post Office which is scheduled for demolition in 2027, Silver Café which is located in the to-be-renovated Wah Fu Estate, as well as historical buildings that have witnessed drastic changes, such as the White House (now the University of Chicago Hong Kong Campus) and the Repulse Bay Hotel (now a residential complex ‘The Repulse Bay’).

Elsa Polycarpe, winner of the Women’s Individual 65km Race, told Fragrant Harbour she felt the Challenge was a great idea. “This event takes you all over Hong Kong Island and I was very happy about it, even though I got lost five times. North Point and Stanley were particularly difficult for me, but I gained at Tai Tam. I think they should set up more trails and stop pouring concrete over everything!”

Participants remarked that the Coastal Trail Challenge gave them the chance to explore the less travelled side of Hong Kong Island and raised their awareness about the importance of environmental and cultural conservation.

This year, the event had local trail runner Stone Tsang as its event ambassador, who also ran the 65km Coastal Run with several members of the youth team he trains. Stone said that running the coastal trail gave him and the youngsters a new perspective towards the heritage and coastline of Hong Kong Island. Even though the 65km run was challenging for the young runners, they were able to support each other along the way.

Mike Lo, founder of Legacy Innovation Development, one of the event’s sponsors, remarked: “As a local Hong Kong company, we are dedicated to developing insoles for athletes, as well as supporting a variety of local events.”

Additionally, this year’s closing ceremony featured a photo exhibition. Themed ‘Mountains & Seas • Past & Present’, it showcased the natural landscapes, historical sites, and event highlights captured by participants along the Hong Kong Island Coastal Trail, echoing the theme of ‘Trek Along the Shore, Venture Through Time’.

For more information about the Challenge, contact Steffi Lau, Programme Officer, Parks and Trails. Email: steffi@parksandtrails.hk or +852 6370 2483.