Established in 2007, Steelcase, The Dragon Run is Hong Kong’s premier ocean paddling race for local and global small-craft paddlers (outrigger canoe, surfski, and paddleboard). This race unites ocean athletes worldwide to enhance the spirit of the global paddling community, challenge top paddlers to push their limits, help intermediate-level paddlers to gain valuable experience and introduce novice paddlers to the thrill of ocean paddling.
The Dragon Run is committed to:
- Offering a world-class race for many levels of ocean athletes.
- Championing women’s empowerment and diversity, equity and inclusion, offering equal prize money for both women’s and men’s OC1 and Surfski categories and partnering with the nonprofit Women in Sports Empowered WISE Hong Kong which helps girls and women to thrive without limitations, using sports as a tool.
- Protecting our precious ocean environment by encouraging paddlers to be aware of their everyday footprint, take action to use fewer single-use items and help clean up our sea and coastlines, in partnership with the nonprofit Plastic Free Seas.
We are excited to have elite paddlers returning this year with these names already signed up:
Cory Hill – Winner of ICF Canoe Ocean Racing World Championships in 2015 & 2017. More significant achievements include the Molokai World Champion (2023, 2018 & 2015);20 Beaches (2018 & 2019) and Hong Kong Dragon Run (2018 & 2019). Molokai Solo 2023.
Hank McGregor – A South African marathon canoeist and surf ski racer. He has won eleven gold medals at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships.
Kira Bester – The Gorge Downwind Champion 2023 – Oregon USA Surfski Champion. Up and coming South African paddler.
Mackenzie Hynard – Australian paddler with the NK team. A world class surfski paddler known to be a master of big wave paddling but also a fantastic person!
Oscar Chalupsky – Corporate and Motivational Speaker, Mentor, Coach, 12x World Champion, Published Author, Cancer Warrior.
Gordan Harbrecht – German paddler with a decade of experience under his belt, Harbrecht is a seasoned ocean ski paddler who has earned recognition for his exceptional skills and unwavering passion for the sport. The Gorge Downwind Champion 2023.
Melanie van Niekerk – won the women’s S1 surfski in Cape Town.
Róisín Cahill – Irish World U23 medalist and European champion 2021, 2022.
Joshua and Matthew Fenn of the Fenn surfski brand. South African elite paddlers.
Lindsey Shank Hawaiian Team Kamanu paddler, winner of the The Gorge Downwind 2023 and podium in the Molokai Solo 2023. Former Dragon Run winner plus many more championships.
Jack Seymour – Hong Kong paddler and former Dragon Run winner, now a world champion. Jack has been living in Hawai’i for the last 2 years, where he has had several podiums, and even a win in the OC1 circuit. He recently won the open men’s OC6 race at IVF world distance champs in Samoa.
Angie Dolan – Elite paddler from Hawaii