Four Trails is one the hardest ultra marathons on Earth, and this racer tried it four times
Looking back at her four attempts to complete the Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge, Sarah Pemberton shares how she navigates failure and difficulties.
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. In this episode of Listen to Her, Pemberton went on a hike with the Post’s Regina de Luna and shared what she has learned from all her Four Trails journeys.