How Hong Kong helped this American sprinter meet new challenges – and learn to run again
Claire Cormier Thielke moved to the city in 2019, made friends through running and has now even completed the 777 Marathon Challenge
For Claire Cormier Thielke, running used to be about fractions of a second. Now it is about using it to know Hong Kong better, both on a personal and professional basis – a way to make connections, in every sense.
The former Stanford University track and field captain, who specialised in the 400m and 800m, went on to compete for USA Track and Field as a member of the national team. Her life revolved around training schedules, stopwatch splits and performance targets.
“Running 800m is a painful, ‘mind over matter’ race,” Thielke said. “You run in oxygen debt the whole way. It is good for mental discipline.”
After she retired from sprinting, Thielke made a personal rule: to take on challenges that seemed almost impossible and to use them to support a cause. That mindset led her to tackle an Ironman, a marathon on Mount Everest and a swim around Hong Kong Island for the Splash Foundation.
The big shift came when Thielke moved to Hong Kong in 2019. For the first time, running became more than training – it became a way to connect.
“Before I moved to Hong Kong, I did not know that you could run and chat with friends or take photos of the scenery,” Thielke said.