Your Voice: Hong Kong’s endurance challenge; mandatory air safety training (long letters)

Have you heard of the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge? Imagine combining four of the most demanding hiking routes in Hong Kong. Who in their right mind would dare take up that challenge?

It is considered one of the toughest endurance marathon races in Hong Kong, with an estimated distance of 298km. Participants – selected by invitation only – start in Tuen Mun and finish at a postbox in Mui Wo. In 2025, the starting time was announced only six hours before the marathon began. This race is considered by many to be unfathomable.

In most other long races, people group as a team and run this with a support team behind them.

However, in the Four Trails marathon, people run as individuals and must be self-sufficient, with crew support allowed only off-trails. Most participants only rest on the public ferry between trails.

The difficulty is compounded by the fact that watches, headphones, hiking poles and painkillers are all banned, thoroughly testing your endurance and unless you have an inbuilt watch, you are racing against the clock.

If you do not finish before 60 hours, you cannot earn the title of a “finisher” and, instead, will be a “survivor”. Only 15 to 25 runners take this challenge each year, with a success rate of six per cent.

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Imagine running the long 100km MacLehose, 78km Wilson, 50km Hong Kong and 70km Lantau trails and only being labelled as a “survivor” instead of a “finisher”, as that is what happens if you exceed 60 hours. It is totally merciless, especially as the combined elevation is 14,500 metres, which is even higher than Mount Everest, and we would never have thought of climbing that in 60 hours.

A film on this marathon tells the story of a group of “survivors” and “finishers” who challenged themselves to break new boundaries, testing their physical and mental barriers.

The reality of continuously pushing your body through this physical challenge, coupled with a lack of sleep, becomes clear as athletes honestly share the mental strain it causes. They describe it as “pushing the edge of what’s possible”. This race presents numerous obstacles to overcome, from staircases to steep elevations and walking along the ridges of mountains. While the views are spectacular, the experience is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

This film was a true testament to the spirit of Hong Kong and the power of endurance. The director chose to make this film as a labour of love, self-financing this project and doggedly following the athletes during their journey.

The audience was captivated by the film’s passion, which earned it the Audience Choice Award at the 2023 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival. The footage showcased Hong Kong’s striking contrasts, highlighting open spaces alongside the urban jungle and lofty mountains next to skyscrapers.

Andrea Cheung, Island School

Airlines should take checking plane safety certificates as seriously as checking passports before boarding. This ensures a smooth trip for passengers and crew.

Plane safety certificates are online courses you can complete on plane and flight safety. At the end of the course, you will have to pass a test to claim your certificate.

This course covers basic flight safety rules, including keeping your seat belt fastened at all times when seated, paying attention to flight attendants and reading the safety briefing card.

Even though these rules may seem obvious, many passengers don’t follow them.

A survey conducted by the US Federal Aviation Administration showed that 68 per cent of people did not read the safety cards provided by airline companies.

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As passengers today have developed a habit of not reading the safety cards placed in front of them, they are more likely to panic and misinterpret the crew’s directions during emergencies. This scenario creates an unpleasant situation for everyone and increases the risk of casualties and accidents.

If passengers are well informed, they will be better equipped to assist the crew in desperate situations, potentially saving lives and preventing accidents. This may lead to fewer fatalities and make air travel a safer means of transport. If everyone completes a basic flight safety course, the crew would have an easier time guiding passengers out of perilous situations, further enhancing air travel safety.

Some may argue that completing an online course will add costs to their travel plans and won’t be helpful in real life.

However, these courses are affordable because they are online and are typically a one-off test. Furthermore, these courses are invaluable, as they may potentially save your life in an emergency.

Crew members and pilots are required to take exams and courses to prepare for various emergencies, such as emergency landings or fires on the plane.

Given that passengers constitute the majority of those on board, why shouldn’t they also participate in similar trainings? It would help them take responsibility for their own safety as well.

In conclusion, plane safety certificates should be mandatory for boarding planes to prevent future increases in incidents and casualties and to ensure the safety of all passengers when boarding a flight.