Video | Four Trails is one the hardest ultra-marathons on Earth, and this racer tried it 4 times
Looking back at her four attempts to complete the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge, Sarah Pemberton shares how she navigates failure
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Runner attempts 298km ultra marathon, four times
The HK4TUC is one of the hardest ultra-marathons on Earth.
It connects all four of Hong Kong’s major trails – MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong and Lantau in one go. There are no checkpoints or support allowed, though runners have help travelling between the trails. If they reach the end in sub-60 hours, they are deemed a “finisher”. If they reach the end in sub-72 hours, they are deemed a “survivor”.
Sarah Pemberton, a Hong Kong-born and raised runner, has attempted to do it not once, but four times. She was the youngest person to complete the challenge as a 26-year-old in 2020, until the record was broken by Glen Yick in 2025.