Hong Kong has the densest network of runnable trails of any major city on Earth. Within forty minutes of Central you can be at the start of a 100-kilometre ridge route. Locally we call them by number — MacLehose, Wilson, Hong Kong Trail, Lantau — and every long-distance runner here knows them by section. This is the guide I'd give a new ultra runner who's just moved to Hong Kong, or a visitor in town for a few weeks of training.
Five trails. Section-by-section, with water sources, elevation, what each is good for, and how I use them when I'm building someone toward a target race.
1. The MacLehose Trail
MacLehose Trail
The MacLehose is the spine of Hong Kong trail running and the course of the HK100 — Asia's flagship 100-kilometre ultra. It crosses the New Territories from east to west, picking off every major peak between Pak Tam Chung and Tuen Mun.
Sections 1–3 (Sai Kung East): rolling coastal trails, often technical, with serious heat exposure. Long Ke Wan beach is one of the most beautiful spots in HK. Water at Pak Tam Au and Long Ke.
Sections 4–6 (Ma On Shan & Lion Rock country): the climbing starts here. Ma On Shan (702m), Buffalo Hill, the brutal Pat Sin Leng off-shoot if you're feeling brave. This is the meat of HK100 training.
Sections 7–10 (Tai Mo Shan to Tuen Mun): includes Tai Mo Shan (957m, HK's highest peak) and finishes through the Tai Lam reservoirs — the same country park The 9 Dragons starts in.
2. The Wilson Trail
Wilson Trail
The Wilson runs south-to-north, crossing both Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It's steeper than the MacLehose, more urban-adjacent in the south, and it's the trail I send most 9 Dragons runners to for their long days.
Sections 1–4 (HK Island and East Kowloon): The Twin Peaks staircase out of Stanley Gap will teach you everything you need to know about HK climbing — 1,000 stone steps straight up. Then Wilson takes you north over Devil's Peak before crossing the harbour at the Tseung Kwan O ferry.
Sections 5–6 (Sai Kung West): overlaps part of the MacLehose. Long climbs, short bombing descents — perfect for vertical training.
Sections 7–10 (Tai Po and beyond): crosses Pat Sin Leng — eight ridge peaks chained together. This is where you'll learn whether your legs really climb. Pat Sin Leng is the closest HK gets to The 9 Dragons' Nine Dragons ridgeline in profile.
3. The Hong Kong Trail
Hong Kong Trail
The Hong Kong Trail runs across the island from Victoria Peak to Big Wave Bay. It's flatter than the New Territories trails and accessible from anywhere on the island in under twenty minutes — which makes it the workhorse for HK Island-based runners doing weekday long efforts.
Sections 1–3 (The Peak to Aberdeen): family-friendly, mostly wide path. Good for tempo work, not great for vertical.
Sections 4–6 (Pok Fu Lam to Tai Tam): the trail tightens into proper single-track. Mount Parker and Mount Butler in section 5 are your only real climbs on the island. Both will make you breathe.
Sections 7–8 (Tai Tam to Big Wave Bay): finishes through Shek O Country Park with views over the South China Sea. A natural choice for a Saturday 30-kilometre run if you live on the island.
4. The Lantau Trail
Lantau Trail
The Lantau Trail loops the island. Sunset Peak (869m), Lantau Peak (934m, HK's second-highest) and the Olympic Trail are all on it. If you're racing TransLantau by UTMB, this is your home course.
Sections 1–3 (Mui Wo to Pak Kung Au): the steady warm-up. Wide and runnable.
Sections 3–6 (the Twin Peaks of Lantau): Sunset Peak followed immediately by Lantau Peak. Back-to-back 900-metre summits, all on stone steps. If you can do these two without walking, you can race TransLantau 50 km.
Sections 7–12 (Tai O loop back to Mui Wo): coastal, undulating, occasional steep climbs. Finish with the Olympic Trail — quiet, beautiful, deceptively undulating.
5. The Nine Dragons Ridgeline
Nine Dragons Ridgeline
The route that gives The 9 Dragons its name. Nine connected ridges between Tai Lam Country Park and the back of Tai Po — Tai Tung Shan, Castle Peak, Wo Tong Kong, the Tai Lam reservoir summits, ending at the Tai Po Tau watershed.
It's not an official government trail. You'll piece it together from the country park network, the catchwater paths and the unmarked ridge sections that runners have linked over the past decade. Bring a GPX. Bring more water than you think you need — there are long stretches without any.
Best used as: the back-to-back simulation weekend for any 9 Dragons distance from 50 km up. Run 25 km of it Saturday, sleep, run another 25 km of it Sunday. That's what race weekend feels like.
For the actual race route, the GPX files are on the 9 Dragons race page and at the9dragons.asia.
How I'd Use These for a 16-Week Build
If you've got 16 weeks to a 50 km / 50 mile target race in Hong Kong, here's roughly how I'd assign trails:
- Weeks 1–4 (base): Hong Kong Trail for midweek long runs (20–25 km), MacLehose sections 1–3 on weekends. Get your legs used to HK stone steps.
- Weeks 5–8 (vertical): Wilson Trail Pat Sin Leng repeats. Lantau Twin Peaks once. This is your climbing block.
- Weeks 9–12 (specificity): Run the actual course or its closest equivalent. For 9 Dragons → Nine Dragons ridgeline back-to-back weekends. For TransLantau → loop the Lantau Trail. For HK100 → run consecutive MacLehose sections.
- Weeks 13–15 (taper): Drop volume but keep elevation. Hong Kong Trail tempo on Tuesdays. One last long run on the target course at week minus three.
- Week 16 (race week): Stay off the trails. Walk Bowen Road instead.
Heat first, everything else second
Hong Kong heat will beat any amount of fitness if you don't acclimate. From May to October, every long run on these trails should start before 6 am and be done by 10. Read our 9 Dragons training plan for the full heat acclimatisation protocol — it works for any HK ultra, not just 9D.
Water Sources You Can Trust
Treated tap water is available at most country park entrances, BBQ sites, and pavilions on MacLehose, Wilson, HK Trail and Lantau Trail. The unofficial Nine Dragons route has fewer sources — plan accordingly. Don't drink from streams or reservoirs.
The reliable refill points I use repeatedly:
- Pak Tam Au, Pak Tam Chung, Wong Shek Pier (MacLehose start)
- Tai Mei Tuk visitor centre (Pat Sin Leng)
- Sunset Peak Youth Hostel (Lantau)
- The Peak Galleria (HK Trail start)
- Tai Lam Country Park entrance (Nine Dragons / Wilson finish)
One Last Thing
Every trail above is open to the public. Most are well-signposted. None of them require fees or permits. The country parks staff are some of the best in Asia — if you get lost, hike to the nearest pavilion and you'll find a map.
Train on these five trails for sixteen weeks and any HK ultra is in reach. The trails are the secret of HK trail running — they're better than anything we could design.
Train For The 9 Dragons
The full 20-week plan to Hong Kong's hardest under-100-mile race — heat, hills, mental prep and gear.
Read the Training Plan →