“I’d never done anything like that and I didn’t want the LT70 to be the first time I tried it when it counted. So I was always holding back a little bit but I used the FKT as a bonus to push when it got tough.”

Despite the impressive time, Loasby said he held back a bit, and was entirely focused on performing well at the LT70, which is a virtual race in December.

“It wasn’t easy, I just think I didn’t push to my absolute limit, I still have some left, which is what I wanted,” he said.

“I am so focused on the LT70, I knew that all the work I’m doing is for the LT70. I’ve avoided so many races, I gave up a space in the Standard Chartered Marathon. I just didn’t want to risk anything. All eyes on the goal, all eyes on the prize.”

Loasby’s background is in road running, and he set a number of track records for Hong Kong youth and men, including the 3,000m.

Loasby has also set up a running club, which focuses on promoting a healthy, sustainable relationship with running for children, rather than a win-at-all-costs culture.

Since starting trail running, Loasby has been on a sharp learning curve. He ran the Lantau 2 Peaks race and really struggled with cramp.

He then ran a 55km and dropped out, before running 100km around his flat – it was 240 laps and he was joined by friends. He finished, but had a meltdown in the July heat.

“Those three experiences, where I had very bad showing, those are times when there were huge learning points. The FKT was a display that I learned from those, and I was able to execute damage control when I got dehydrated. And it showed I could exercise self-control, knowing the LT70 is the big one,” he said.

Still, there were more lessons to pick up from the challenge.

“It was definitely a struggle at the end, the last 10km was not great,” he said. “I was tired, I wanted to stop. I was on the verge of cramping a lot. It was really dry, I was covered in salt, my whole body. My shirt was like a crisp, and flaky. My whole face was white.

“The hydration was a good lesson, I got away with it but I’ll have to do it better for LT70,” he said.

Loasby was supported by his mother, who drove around Lantau giving him food and water.

“I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said. “She’s done 12 Trailwalkers, she knows what she’s doing. She gave me stuff I hadn’t thought of like chicken stock, which was a lifesaver.

“It is quite a bonus to do the FKT and still have something left in the tank because hopefully it means I can recover quickly, as it’s only six weeks or so to the LT70.

“And then, maybe I can give a bit more, or push the boundary a bit more and sit on my butt for Christmas.”