Kay Chow- Race organiser of Raleigh Challenge Wilson Trail 2022
Kay, Thank you for accepting this interview, In behalf of TRAILME, we are very grateful. Well done for another successful Raleigh Challenge Wilson Trail race.
Tell us about yourself.
“I am Kay Chow, a venturer who has transformed his life physically and mentally since joining Raleigh. After that, I felt connected to nature.”
How did you get started as a race organizer?
“I joined Wilson Raleigh for almost 12 years. On the beginning, I just enrolled as a general volunteer and never believe that I will be one of the organizers today. Until one day in spring 2022, I bumped into Debbie (a former Raleigh organizer) and she asked if I would be interested in organizing Raleigh's Challenge Wilson Trail event this year. Along with her support, I accepted the offer.”
What inspired you as a race organizer?
“To run an event that is successful and everyone is happy.”
It’s been a tough year for racing, with COVID-19. What is your biggest challenge as a race organizer?
“The biggest challenge ultimately is communicating with the government. There were a lot of restrictions on what they would allow us to do. This includes the number of participants, the distance, and the duration of the race.”
The government of Hong Kong has slightly relaxed its Covid Anti-Epidemic rules. Do you think races will resume as usual anytime soon as a result of this?
“I think eventually, it will get better. It has been announced that one of the biggest race organizers in Hong Kong will host one of the biggest races next year. This year we were able to obtain a hybrid race permit (physical and virtual), better than last year when even virtual permits were difficult to get.”
In this year's hybrid mode racing, how do you think technology (TRAILME) played a role in both physical and virtual formats? and what impact does that have on the race?
“For the virtual race, TRAILME technology delivered what we expected and needed, and a lot of participants are already familiar with this format; for the physical race, as we were the first ones to use this life on the race, we can expect more improvements. However, it was very helpful to see and follow the position and location of the runners that were competing at that time. It was fun and interesting watching the top runners. I'm not sure if there is another technology like TRAILME that works on trails.”
Do you think the virtual format will carry on?
“I think so, there are some organizers still doing some virtual races but most runners prefer to do the physical race.”
What’s your personal favourite trail in Hong Kong and why?
“Of course the Wilson Trail! Why? Because it is Hong Kong-style running where you can combine the city and country park runs. “
Is there any trail runner star that you consider to be your personal favourite? If so who is it?
“That is a very tricky question, For this year, I would say, Richard Kimber, the first runner-up of RCWT. He is extremely nice to the organizers and other volunteers during the event. His running is an inspiration to many runners."
Any words of advice for trail runners this year?
As the saying goes, "Try your best to overcome challenges and achieve something that you are capable of."
