Quickest woman in gruelling 298km ultra trail race in Hong Kong on her planning, training and advice for other runners
- Only two women crossed the finish line of this year’s Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge, and lawyer Alice McLeod was the first
- She advises others looking to take on the challenge to invest time in strength training, run on the race trails and get a solid support crew together
Alice McLeod, the quickest woman in the 2024 Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC), which was held in February, wrote her training plan for the 298-kilometre (185-mile) race on the back of an airline menu on the way home from her honeymoon in July.
The rules mean she is classified as a “survivor” rather than a “finisher”; finishers must complete the race in under 60 hours, and survivors in under 72. Despite this, McLeod is now ranked fifth fastest female ever on the course.
The corporate lawyer is still basking in the glory of surviving the race on her first attempt. Just four women were on the start line this year, and only McLeod and Rouisa Tse Wing-yan completed the route.
“It felt like a pretty seminal moment getting to that postbox. I struggle to see how there could be any ultra endurance challenge that could beat Four Trails. It was amazing,” says McLeod.
