HK100 elevation profile.[Photo provided to China Daily]

How to join the race?

There is no requirement to have completed any other particular event. You do, however, need to be an experienced trail runner and must be sufficiently skilled and trained. Applicants must submit a ballot in a lottery that opens in September on the official website www.hk100-ultra.com, with a nonrefundable charitable donation of HK$100 (80 yuan). Successful applicants are drawn from the ballot and pay an entry fee of HK$1,200.

Where to stay?

The Pak Tam Chung Holiday Village and the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village are pretty basic, very cheap and a bit like a scout camp. They are both located near the starting line. I stayed at Regal Riverside Hotel (www.regalriverside.com) in Shatin district, which cost me about HK$700 per night. It takes from 20 to 30 minutes in a taxi (about HK$120) from there to the starting line.

How to see the race first-hand?

You can register to take a VIP coach arranged by organizers to the start, finish and various checkpoints along the way. It leaves for the start at 6:30 am from Causeway Bay on the day of the event and visits various checkpoints to follow the elites' progress. The tour will finish at Tai Mo Shan Rotary Club Park, where you can wait for the champions to cross the finish line.