I will be going over to hong kong for a 5-day break tomorrow. Will be looking to do some running over there. I will be staying at Tsim-Sha-Tsui. From what I see on travel brochures it is quite urbanised over there with lots of hills so I guess there must a number of places to run.
Any suggestions/input is greatly appreciated!
Do a search on this forum and you will find some postings from Dev Paul’s last trip to HK about places to run and swim.
It’s pretty crowded and poluted (and hot! - 35C at the moment) so I tend not to run outside when I am there. I have run on the southside of HK island though - a bit nicer there.
Man, if only I was back there I could show you some old trails on Hong Kong Island that we found when we were kids.I was born there and lived on the Island for sixteen years.I'll tell you one run that I used to do which is on the Island and is in my old neighbourhood.You would have to take the MTR to HK Island or catch the Star Ferry to the Island.From the Star Ferry terminal on HK Island you can catch the number 6 bus or catch a cab to the Adventist Hospital on Upper Stubbs Road.There is a huge roundabout there and just below the Hospital the is a pedestrian Rd called Bowen Rd.Run along Bowen Rd for about 5k and you will get amazing views of the city to your right.At about 5k there will be a steep road heading up on your left,take that road up and you will end up at the park at Wan Chai Gap(Magazine Gap).You will be back on Stubbs Rd which you have to cross to get to the park.On the left of the park entrance there is a road called Blacks Link.Take that and you will run uphill for a few k's until you reach the saddle under Mt Cameron and Mt Nicholson.At that point you have crossed the Island and you will run downhill until you get to Deep Water Bay Road.Turn left at Deep Water Bay Road and run to Repulse Bay Road which you will turn left on and run downhill-ish for a few more k's until you are back where you started at the Hospital.I used to run this as a teen so you should manage just fine.There are heaps of trails in there as well but you would get lost if I tried to tell you about them.
If you want a different run then just run the entire length of Bowen Road until you hit Magazine Gap Rd and then you can either run all the way into Central District or catch the Peak tram at the Bowen Road terminal which will take you downtown to about a ten minute jog to the Star Ferry again.Take water and money with you.
There are lots of places to run at The Peak as well in fact you can run downhill all the way to Central from the Peak Tram Terminal at The Peak.The road is called Old Peak Rd and it starts from the park at Mt Austin behind the Peak Tram Terminal.Do one lap of Mt Austin and then run all the way back to the Harbour.The Peak Tram is easy to find and is worth the trip.
Try and Google Map HK Search for a map or ask your consierge.
Last 2 times I stayed on Hong Kong Island. If you can stay near Victoria Park, they have a nice 50 m outdoor pool (which was closed in Jan, but open now). I just run along the waterfront and randomly on city streets. If you get out early, you can run anywhere…like Vegas, Hong Kong is more of a “nite city”. For short trips, I don’t worry too much about where I run. You can run anywhere. I use it as a means to “tour” the city and see parts that you would never (or want to) go to.
Dev
If, like me, you are screwed by the time change, I found running the streets early in the morning pretty good. In the summer it rains, so the pollution is reduced slightly; it is cooler; early so the traffic is minimal; and you get to see some awesome sites early in the morning - local things that tourists don’t see.
I didn’t find running any problem - this was 8 years ago though.