Text: Cheng Mei Chi (Media Veteran)
The documentary ‘Four Trails’ was released in Hong Kong in late 2024, striking a chord with seasoned and casual hikers alike. Tom Robertshaw appeared in the documentary. What is less know is that in 2017, Tom became the first Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC) participant to break the event record by completing the course in under 60 hours (53 hours). Whilst others marveled at the 298-kilometre distance of the challenge, Tom stated that, for him, the point of running the Four Trails is not how far you run, but how deeply you dig into yourself during the journey.
Tom is British. He fell in love with Hong Kong immediately upon arriving here in 2009, spending nine months here. He says that back in the UK he hated running, let alone trail running, but he loved travelling. As soon as he finished secondary school at the age of 18, he planned a backpacking trip around the world. He travelled from the UK to Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, before heading to Los Angeles and New York in the US, spending a total of five months on the road. Tom says that before coming to Hong Kong he was never a “sporty type” but rather an “artistic type”; he graduated university in the art department, which is a far cry from the persona evident in the documentary.
How an “Artistic Type” Fell in Love with Hong Kong’s Mountains
Tom, who could not stop thinking about Hong Kong, applied to come and live here under the Native-speaking English Teacher Scheme and has now been living here for 15 years. He recalls that at the time he was completely ‘hooked’ on Hong Kong’s cityscape, and he chose to live on Tung Choi Street (Goldfish Market) in Mong Kok, because of the world renowned neon lights. “I used to wander around with my camera, taking lots of photos,” he recalls. Whilst he was captivated by the hustle and bustle of the city, his friends kept telling him that Hong Kong’s country parks were not to be missed. “So, I started going on solo hikes to various country parks and discovered that I really enjoyed the tranquillity and sense of solitude amidst the mountains. Compared to hiking in the UK, Hong Kong is much safer and more convenient; in the UK, just getting to the starting point of a hike takes a lot of time.”
Unexpectedly, this art enthusiast turned out to have a real knack for hiking. “My friends started complaining about how fast I was walking. A teacher at my school who was into competitive running suggested I take part in a trail race, and that’s how I got hooked.” It was October 2013 when Tom took part in his first race—a 21-kilometre event—despite having only been hiking for a year. A month later, he signed up for another 50-km race; a month after that, Tom took part in a 100-km trail race. He can’t help but laugh as he recalls it: “Goodness me, it all happened far too quickly, it was far too extreme, and my ambitions were far too grand. I wouldn’t recommend anyone else do the same.”
However, this is just Tom’s nature: “I like to test my limits, because it gives me a deeper understanding of myself.” Extreme sportspeople are typically not your average Joe. At the height of his career, Tom would compete in 10 to 12 mountain races each season. He admits frankly: “It’s truly addictive, but I’m not a very sociable person; the benefit of competing is that it forces me to make new friends.” Tom first took part in the 298-km Four Trails challenge in 2016, but he had abandoned the practice of wearing a sports watch during races long before that. “I don’t like relying on external technology to tell me my speed or physical condition; that’s something I should sense from within.”
Breaking the “Four Trails” Record
His 2016 ultra-marathon experience was a pure and unadulterated affair; at that time, the event attracted little attention, and it remains his favourite and most cherished ultra-marathon journey. “As I recall, you didn’t even need to register—you just had to turn up at the start line on the day.” On that occasion, he entered the race without any preconceptions or expectations, simply wanting to test whether he could complete the distance; he finished in 60 hours and 38 minutes. After that, his mindset shifted. “When I entered again in 2017, my goal was crystal clear: to break the sub-60-hour record.” Having never hired a coach, Tom took the responsibility of training himself. He worked especially hard that year, and his efforts paid off: he broke the event’s all-time record, finishing in 53 hours – a massive improvement of over seven and a half hours compared to the previous year’s time.。
Before we knew it, the story had moved on to 2021, the year the documentary was filmed. Having finished the race in 2017 as a ‘Finisher’ (those completing within 60 hours are classified as ‘Finishers’, whilst those finishing within 72 hours are ‘Survivors’), he was invited by the organiser to take part in the 2021 Four Trails challenge. “I’d stopped running for several years, but I took part again because I really wanted to experience this journey once more with my close-knit support team and fellow runners.” However, he felt unwell part way through and withdrew from the race. Tom admits that for some time afterwards, he lost confidence in himself and needed to slow down to readjust his state of mind.
Inner Dialogue in the Mountains
Tom recalls that when the documentary was screened, seeing himself on the big screen stirred a subtle, indescribable emotion within him. “It’s a brilliant documentary; the stories of the different people are all very inspiring. But when I saw myself, I immediately remembered every scene and feeling from that time, including the disappointment and sadness I felt when I decided to give up.”
He feels that Hong Kong’s mountains and wilderness possess a unique charm that draws him to experience and enjoy them. He regards mountain races as a form of meditation and self-reflection: “It’s a process of delving deep within oneself; whether it’s hiking or competing, it allows me to engage more deeply in dialogue with myself.”
