Asia Trail Master champion John Ray Onifa will return to Hong Kong’s Barclays MoonTrekker as one of the featured runners supporting The Nature Conservancy’s Run for Nature initiative.
The overnight trail challenge takes place on 30–31 October 2026 across Lantau Island. Thousands of runners, hikers and corporate teams are expected to tackle 20km, 30km and 40km routes, with the longer courses climbing Lantau Peak before sunrise.
Champion returns to MoonTrekker
Onifa, widely known as “Stingray”, is the reigning men’s Asia Trail Master Championship Final champion. He has also won Barclays MoonTrekker twice, in 2018 and 2023, and returns for his third appearance.
He will be joined by Gildas Humeau, winner of the event’s Mixed Pair category in 2025. Humeau is preparing for his seventh MoonTrekker and will compete as a solo runner this year.
“I want my running to stand for something beyond performance,” Onifa said.
Both runners are using the event to encourage greater appreciation and protection of the natural landscapes that underpin trail running. Onifa said he hopes the initiative will help more people experience the outdoors and feel motivated to protect it.
Three overnight trail routes
Barclays MoonTrekker was launched in 2009 and has become one of Hong Kong’s most recognised overnight trail events. The 30km Moonlit and 40km Sunrise routes climb Lantau Peak, Hong Kong’s second-highest mountain, while the introductory 20km course is reserved for first-time MoonTrekker participants and does not summit the peak.
The format combines a night-time endurance challenge with conservation fundraising. Organisers say the event has raised more than US$2.6 million for children’s education and environmental conservation since it began.
Eleven years supporting conservation
The 2026 event marks the 11th year that The Nature Conservancy has served as MoonTrekker’s sole charity beneficiary partner. Contributions from participants, donors, volunteers and corporate teams support science-based conservation projects across Asia Pacific.
Recent work highlighted by the organisation includes two restoration sites in Hong Kong’s Deep Bay, protection for 840,000 hectares of seascape in Indonesia’s Riau Islands with local partner Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, and improved protection and management for 87,000 hectares of tropical forest in Borneo.
“When people unite behind nature, real and lasting impact becomes possible,” said Anthony Gao of The Nature Conservancy.
William Sargent, founder of Barclays MoonTrekker, said the event is about more than reaching the finish line. He described the journey, the people participants meet and their shared connection with nature as central to the experience.
Barclays MoonTrekker 2026 details
- Date: 30–31 October 2026
- Location: Lantau Island, Hong Kong
- Routes: Intro 20km, Moonlit 30km and Sunrise 40km
- Charity partner: The Nature Conservancy
- Featured runners: John Ray Onifa and Gildas Humeau
More information is available from Barclays MoonTrekker and The Nature Conservancy in Hong Kong.
