SINGAPORE — One could say that Ong Kai Wei went off the beaten track during the Chinese New Year period last month.

While most Singaporeans were either visiting relatives and friends or feasting on New Year goodies, the 37-year-old bachelor opted to mark the festive period in a completely different way — by running 298km in three days in Hong Kong.

Taking part in the gruelling Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge (HK4TUC), he became the first Singaporean trail runner to complete the event within the stipulated cut-off time of 64 hours. His total time was 50hr 59min.

The HK4TUC was first conceived by Andre Blumberg, a Hong Kong-based ultra-runner, a year ago. It is made up of four trails — the Wilson, MacLehose, Hong Kong and Lantau — for a combined distance of 298km. The total elevation gain of the event is about 14,400m.

The race is so hardcore that there were just five people at the starting point on Feb 10. In the end, only three people, including Ong and Blumberg himself, completed the entire route.

But what makes Ong’s recent achievement even more impressive is the fact that he only picked up running three years ago out of necessity.

“I took up running in 2009 because I wanted to pass my IPPT (Individual Physical Proficiency Test),” he said with a laugh.

A love affair with running gradually blossomed. And then he started craving for new highs in running. They came in the form of seeking out more challenging routes.

“My brother then introduced me to the North Face 50km run,” he said. “From there, I started doing MacRitchie trails and many other marathons and ultra-marathons until I finally got my first podium finish at the North Face 100km in 2011.”

When asked how he had prepared for the gruelling HK4TUC, Ong said: “This run required more mental strength than anything else. Indeed, I would say that it is 90 percent mental. Of course, it helped that I ran a few of the trails (Wilson and Maclehose) a couple of times before to familiarise myself with the routes. And I just stayed positive and never thought of giving up.”

The DSO National Laboratories researcher’s training also included running for about 10 hours a week, for a year.

“I had to build my base, so my training included a lot of road and trail running and stair climbing,” he said. “I concentrated my training on the techniques needed to activate the correct muscles — glutes and hamstring. I did a lot of squats and strengthened my core.”

But in Hong Kong, he also found himself encountering challenges that were hard to prepare for, such as erratic weather conditions as well as fatigue.

“The most challenging part was staying awake,” Ong said.

Another challenge — running at all times with a bag filled with energy gels and bars, protein powders, water, a torchlight and warm clothing.

“It’s a self-sufficient race so you need to carry everything you need for the day,” he said, adding that the bag weighed about 6kg.

Having conquered the HK4TUC, Ong now wants to compete in the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run, the world’s oldest and most prestigious trail race.

When asked if he had any advice for aspiring trail runners, Ong simply said: “All you need to succeed is discipline and determination.

“The most important thing is to train consistently and be patient. That will strengthen you mentally.

“Anyone can be a trail runner.”

Details of the HK4TUC:

— 4 trails in 3 days (298km in 64 hours)

Wilson trail: 78km (elevation: 4,600m)

MacLehose trail: 100km (4,500m)

HK trail: 50km (2,000m)

Lautau trail: 70km (3,300m)

— Total elevation: 14,400m

Ong’s journey:

Day 1: Start at 4am; Completed Winston Trail in 13 hours and 11 minutes (Rest for 5 hours)

Day 2: Start at 4am; Completed MacLehose Trail in 16 hours and 26 minutes (No rest)

Day 3: Start at midnight; Completed HK Trail in 7 hours and 42 minutes; Completed Lan Tau Trail in 13 hours and 40 minutes