Expert teammate: adriaan bouten's running story

Trail runner from Decathlon Kowloon Bay store

In addition to offering an extensive range of sports products, Decathlon prides itself on employing a team of passionate athletes to support you on your sports journey. Adriaan has also worked at Decathlon in Belgium – when he arrived in Hong Kong, the company had just made its entry into the local market, and he decided to rejoin the Decathlon family. He now works as the store manager at the Kowloon Bay store.

I love the work environment in Decathlon Hong Kong, because I often get the chance to talk about running with our customers. It helps me to learn more about Hong Kong. I remember a customer telling me about a night race on Lantau Island called “The Moontrekker”. I looked it up right away and registered for the next race.

Adriaan bouten

31 years old
Sports: Trail running, road running
Service & Operation Leader at Decathlon Kowloon Bay store

Born in Belgium, Adriaan has been participating in long-distance events for 15 years. He came to Hong Kong 3 years ago and enjoys exploring Hong Kong’s trails: “I love nature in Hong Kong – when you’re running up and down the trails, you never fail to be amazed by the stunning landscape. Hong Kong has lots of trail running events and online challenges, which really helps to keep you motivated and encourage you to discover new places.”

Despite the cancellation of many trail running events over the past year, Adriaan has persevered with his training and recently ran the full 50 km length of the Hong Kong Trail. He also discovered an online challenge called “Peak Master”, and plans to explore the trails on 125 different peaks. “The Peak Master challenge involves climbing lots of different peaks. Recently I’ve been discovering different routes in Sai Kung and Pat Sin Leng – each route is quite challenging, because you have to follow the markings left by other runners.” Adriaan often recommends Hong Kong as a hiking and trail running destination to his friends in Europe – he knows the local trails better than many locals!

Adriaan's trail running gear choices:

Xt7 trail running shoes

The shoes are designed for trail runs of up to 80 km on wet and muddy trails. The midsole is made from Kalensole EVA foam for enhanced cushioning.

I’ve been using the Kalenji XT7 for the last two years, including my recent 50 km run along the Hong Kong Trail. The shoes are really lightweight, but still provide plenty of support. They also respond very well – even when I’m running on rocky or uneven paths, the soles keep my feet really comfortable.

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15 L hydration trail running bag

This 15 L bag provides you with an efficient way to carry all what you need for your trail runs up to 300 k.

Keep your gels, bars, smartphone and soft flasks in the front pockets.

8 pockets in the front and 7 in the back.

Stay hydrated: 2 L water bladder included, storage for 2 soft 500 mL flasks.

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EXPERT TEAMMATE: ADRIAAN BOUTEN'S RUNNING STORY

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Credits: Runner's World HK