Dear all,

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our incredible sponsors. A special thanks to T8 for the fantastic gear that so many of you wore. We are immensely grateful to UMARA for their amazing support in keeping you fuelled during the race and aiding your recovery afterward.

A huge thank you to TOPO, Eleeels, and DangerGrizzly for their generous contributions to the event prizes. We also appreciate the fantastic team at CAM2 for their assistance with Race Pack Pick Up and their helpful offers to runners. Thank you to Lotus Biscoff for the amazing biscuits which the runners (and race team) enjoyed at checkpoints.

A big shoutout to Joint Dynamics for providing massages, which we’re sure were much needed!

Thank you to Neon Tiger, Carlsberg, and H Brand Ltd for keeping everyone hydrated at the finish line, and a special thanks to H Brand Ltd for the amazing trophies for our 50/50 winners. Finally, a huge thank you to the Pirata Group for ensuring you had a great meal post-race with their vouchers.

We are incredibly grateful to RUN for the delicious food provided at the end of the 50-kilometer race. We would also like to highlight their incredible work with vulnerable refugees—learn more at RUN Hong Kong. Additionally, we appreciate our wonderful Filipino community for their support at the checkpoints, offering food and encouragement. Thank you so much for your time and kindness.

A massive thank you to the 197 volunteers who kept you on track throughout the weekend. From marking the course and forerunning to supporting you at checkpoints and ensuring everyone safely exited the course, your dedication made this event possible. Without you, 9 Dragons wouldn’t exist.

Now, let’s get down to business!

50 Miles

A chilly night awaited the 50-mile runners, but after descending Tai Mo Shan, it became clear that humidity would be a factor throughout the night and into the morning. The front pack remained together for a short while, but soon two runners began to pull ahead: Kazufumi Ose and Jeremy Yeung. Leading from the front, Kazufumi steadily built a significant lead. Unfortunately, Jeremy Yeung had to withdraw from the race due to a muscle strain. From that moment on, Kazufumi continued to push forward, extending his lead on the course he originally won in 2017.

Kazufumi Ose finished in 1st place with a time of 11:56:07.

Wing Ho Yu secured 2nd place, completing the race in 13:01:26.

Yiu Chung Tsang came in 3rd place with a time of 13:17:27.

In the women's race, during the initial sections, Lai Shan Park and Ching Lam Chau held second and third places. As they neared the Kadoorie Farm checkpoint, both surged ahead to claim first and second positions, which they maintained until the finish. Meanwhile, Cecile Flores, who started strong, settled into third place and held that position for the rest of the race, demonstrating her endurance despite not regaining the lead.

Lai Shan Pak finished in 1st place with a time of 14:26:36.

Ching Lam Chau secured 2nd place, completing the race in 14:49:37.

Cecile Flores came in 3rd place with a time of 17:53:53.

50 Kilometres

One word can describe the female race - Dominance. Not only determined with crushing the fastest female time on the course, but Aurore Dacier de Blasi put the men to the sword also - finishing 3rd overall in a time of 6:58:56. A phenomenal run on a very hot day. Behind her Nicole Lau sat comfortable through the race in second place. Trisha Reyes had a battle on her hands with Kimmy Leung through Shing Mun to the finish with a battle for third. Trisha ended up pushing through and finishing 2 minutes ahead.

Aurore Dacier de Biasi won 1st place in the Women Open category with a time of 06:58:56.

Nicole Lau finished in 2nd place, completing the race in 08:14:50.

Trisha Reyes secured 3rd place with a time of 08:37:02.

The men's race featured a mix of the fastest local runners and talented speedsters from overseas. Wai Hei Ng expertly leveraged his local knowledge against Randolf Gonzales, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move. He powered through the course to finish impressively in 6:20:04. Meanwhile, Matthew Gay bided his time until reaching Eagle's Nest, where he surged from fourth to second place, maintaining that position until the very end. Kose Rodarte also delivered a strong performance, running consistently from start to finish to secure a solid third place.

Wai Hei Ng won 1st place in the Men Open category with a time of 06:20:04.

Matthew Gay finished in 2nd place, completing the race in 06:55:29.

Kose Rodarte secured 3rd place with a time of 07:03:03.

50/50

Leading from start to finish, Kanako Edamoto showcased her talent with an outstanding performance. She never looked back, progressively building a significant lead over her competition. Meanwhile, Man Yee Cheung and Cornelia Oswald engaged in a fierce battle for second place throughout both days of the race. Initially, Man Yee Cheung sat in third for both distances, but she skillfully overtook her competitor to secure second place on both occasions. Both runners delivered fantastic performances.

Kanako Edamoto secured 1st place with a time of 21:09:01, making her the new 9th Dragon.

Man Yee Cheung finished in 2nd place with a time of 21:43:46.

Cornelia Oswald took 3rd place, completing the race in 22:17:21.

Last year's 50k winner, John Ray Onifa, and the second-place finisher of the 50/50, Oleksii Melynk, were among the top competitors to watch, and they certainly didn't disappoint. From the start, Onifa and Shoma Maruyama set a strong pace until the humidity began to affect the Japanese runner. Subsequently, Onifa and Melynk took the lead, with only one minute separating them by the end of the first day— the closest margin seen in any edition of the race. On day two, Melynk asserted his dominance early on, maintaining a lead up to the Waterfalls checkpoint. However, Onifa made his move on the climb to Tai Mo Shan, overtaking Melynk and settling into a steady pace to finish with a victory margin of just under nine minutes. Meanwhile, local runner Chun Kit Tsang maintained a solid pace, crossing the finish line with a smile to secure a spot on the podium.

In the mens event, John Ray Onifa achieved a time of 16:56:59, making him the new 9th Dragon.

Oleksii Melnyk in 2nd place with a time of 17:05:48.

Chun Kit Tsang finished 3rd with a time of 17:56:05.

Although most runners had an amazing weekend of racing, sadly we had two cases of sabotage on the course - both at key junctions. This affected a small number of runners and we apologise for this. We do everything we can to ensure that this does not happen from ensuring our GPX is accurate, to the marking are checked twice by our forerunners. Sadly this is why we cannot stress enough that you should always have the GPX available on your watch or phone.

We thank you all for coming to this year’s 9 Dragons and can’t wait to see you again at next years edition.

Remember - FML Hills,

Steve, Michael and Elliot.

The 9 Dragons

February 2026

50/50 - 50 Miles - 50 kilometres - 20 Kilometres