Sassy Mama Supports: Hard As Nayls Charity Run With After Race Party

This month we’re highlighting the family-friendly Hard As Nayls charity event because we love how it combines family bonding time with fun and positive messages.

The trails around Clearwater Bay are some of the most scenic in Hong Kong boasting spectacular views and rugged hillsides. This September they will play host to a unique trail race event, Hard As Nayls, designed for families to enjoy running together over courses of either 4km or 8km, starting from the Tin Hau Temple Site in Clearwater Bay. The family races will take place on Saturday 29 September and sign ups are open now. For those of you who want a real challenge, there are also 16km and 50km races taking part on Sunday, 30 September. Full race and route details can be found here.

The family races will be followed by a BBQ and after race party with music, entertainment and food. The organisers have plans to create a fantastic community event with support from some of Hong Kong’s leading sports and fitness organisations including Pinnacle Performance, Joint Dynamics, Escapade Sports and Gone Running in addition to leading online retailer of environmentally friendly products, Plastic Free HK and talented BMX display riders, MeekBoyz.

Read more: That Mama: Lisa Odell, Founder Of Plastic-Free HK

Maintaining its ongoing commitment to reducing the environmental impacts of trail races, Hard As Nayls will supply filtered water to runners (no plastic bottles), will not provide goodie bags, and race t-shirts will only be available to purchase.

The event organiser gives all the proceeds from the event to charity. In addition to giving a contribution to the widow of Hong Kong Policeman, Andy Naylor, this year’s event is also in support of Sai Kung Stray Friends as they expand their kennel facilities.

There are also plans to launch a new initiative, the Hard As Nayls Incubator (HANi) aimed at getting children out running with their parents both on the track and on the trails. The HANi sessions will combine running track with talks from some of the city’s best runners – the goal is to inspire the next generation of athletes, and the proceeds from Hard As Nayls will subsidise these so that there is only a nominal cost.

This legacy reflects that of Andy Naylor, who committed a considerable amount of time to involving young people in running.

When: 29 and 30 September
Where: Tin Hau Temple Site, Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong. Click here for map.
How much: $350/team for family races, $400 for 16km and $550 for 50km
For more information: www.hardasnayls.org   www.facebook.com/HardAsNayls

Thanks to Mawgan Batt for her contribution to this article.