TransLantau 2026 — crew brief
A proposed three-day shoot on Lantau Island, 13–15 November 2026, following the TransLantau by UTMB races: three camera operators working one camera per place, a small van with a driver on the Saturday and Sunday mornings, and a base in Mui Wo five minutes from the finish arch. This page is the working plan, so you can see exactly what each role does, where, and for how long. Everything is subject to confirmation with the organiser.
We film the races the way they're run — on the move. Each operator works alone at every set-up: 30 to 60 minutes in a place, then a car, a van or a trail to the next one. Nobody stands at the finish line for hours.
- What we're shooting. All four races. The TL100 night start, headlamps over the passes, Tai O and Ngong Ping after midnight, dawn on Lantau Peak, the TL100 winner and first finishers at the arch before dawn, the TL50 start and its wave coming down Radio Hill, Shap Long as the field enters the Chi Ma Wan peninsula, the cut-offs, Sunday's two starts, the winners, golden-hour finishing and the prize-giving. Forty-eight set-ups over three days; the only long ones are the summit at dawn, Radio Hill for a whole wave, and the ceremony.
- How we move. The Director drives his own car; a hired small van with a driver carries the other operators on Saturday and Sunday mornings and holds food, water and spare batteries. Everything in Mui Wo — the arch, the pier, Silvermine Bay, the Radio Hill trailhead — is on foot from the hotel. No taxis, no buses. Walking only where a vehicle cannot go: Tai O car park to the waterfront (12 min), Ngong Ping car park to the Big Buddha (8 min), the Shek Pik and Ham Tin lay-bys (3–5 min), Ham Tin to Shap Long (20–25 min, flat), and the planned hikes — Lantau Peak, Radio Hill, Lo Yan Shan, the Olympic Trail. Hike times are budgeted at crew pace with a camera in a backpack.
- Base and hours. Mui Wo: one room at the Silvermine Bay Hotel for Op 2 and Op 3, the Director in an apartment above Fusion; both five minutes from the arch. Drives from there: Ham Tin 10 min, Pak Kung Au and Shui Hau 20, Ngong Ping 35, Tai O 50. Food and drinks in the van and at the aid stations. A meal break in every shift; at least 10 hours between shifts, usually more. Lighting is a headlamp and a small LED; tripod and lights only on the fixed camera.
Coverage by race
| Race | Start | On the course | Finish | Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL100 Fri 19:30 → Sat | Director at the arch, Fri 19:15–19:50 | Nam Shan, Pak Kung Au, Shui Hau, Shek Pik dam, Tai O stilt houses, Ngong Ping (four set-ups), Lantau Peak in the dark and at dawn, Pak Kung Au tail, Ham Tin at the morning peak, Shap Long back-markers, Ham Tin cut-off, Chi Ma Wan, Lo Fu Tau descent | The arch before dawn 04:35–06:45 (Op 2); Mui Wo pass-through and finishers 13:50–14:40; golden-hour finishing 17:15–18:15 | Men ≈ 05:58: Op 2 at the arch + fixed cam. Women ≈ 09:30–10:00: fixed cam |
| TL50 Sat 09:00 | Op 2 at the arch, 08:40–09:25 | Radio Hill descent onto the Pui O road, Shap Long as the field enters the peninsula loop, Chi Ma Wan tail, Mui Wo mid-race pass-through, Lo Fu Tau descent | Golden-hour finishing 17:15–18:15 (Director) | Men ≈ 13:54: Director at the arch + fixed cam. Women ≈ 15:00–15:20: fixed cam |
| TL25 Sun 09:30 | Director at the arch, 09:15–09:45 | Radio Hill summit (Op 2), Shap Long at the peak (Director), Ham Tin tail (Op 3), Lo Yan Shan ridge, Chi Ma Wan mid-pack and tail, the last kilometre into town | Arch 14:00–14:15 (Director), recovery area (Op 2), last kilometre 12:50–13:40 (Op 3) | ≈ 12:09 / 12:40: Op 2 at the arch + fixed cam |
| TL15 Sun 10:30 | Op 3 at the arch, 10:05–10:45 | Radio Hill descent shot on the way down (Op 2), Pui O trailhead as the field pours onto the road, Ham Tin at the TL15 peak (Op 3), the last kilometre as the bulk finishes (Op 3), TL15 cut-off at the arch 14:30 | As TL25, plus the last finishers and sweepers 14:15–15:00 (Op 2) | ≈ 11:41 / 11:55: Op 2 at the arch + fixed cam |
Every race gets a start, on-course set-ups, a finishing block and a winners' wide from the fixed camera; only the TL100 and TL50 women's winners are fixed-cam only.
Winner windows
| Race | Estimate | Fixed cam window | Trigger (LiveTrail) | Coverage |
|---|
Estimates use a first-runner factor on the organiser's "fastest" times (TL100 ×1.05, TL50 ×1.40, TL25 ×1.52, TL15 ×1.33). Women's windows assume a 1.15–1.20 ratio to the men's time; confirm field depth with the organiser.
Hikes at crew pace
| From → to | km · m | Runners | Crew (light kit) | Surface |
|---|
Crew minutes assume one operator carrying a camera, lenses, batteries and a small LED in a lightweight backpack, a headlamp at night, and a rest stop on the long climbs. Add 20 % for a gimbal rig.