China’s Lin Chen arrives at the 2025 UTMB as one of the fastest-returning women, having taken fourth in 2024. In our first interview with Lin, we talk about her background in running, how she found her love for ultrarunning, to what she attributes her rapid improvement over the last two years, and her goal for this year’s UTMB.
For more on who’s racing, check out our in-depth women’s and men’s previews and follow our live race coverage starting Friday.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Lin Chen Pre-2025 UTMB Interview Transcript
[Editor’s Note: This interview was done with a translator.]
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar with Lin Chen before the 2025 UTMB. How are you, Lin?
Lin Chen: Hi, everyone.
iRunFar: When we interview someone for the first time, we like to find out about their history with running and sports. What is your history with sports?
Chen: Actually, when I was at school, when I was studying, I have nothing to do with sport, with the practice of the sport. And it was only because of the passion that I liked my practice, and I want my body to be more healthy. That’s how I come to that sport.
iRunFar: And how did you find trail running and ultrarunning specifically?
Chen: So, when I first started to trail run in the mountains, I liked the freedom and the pleasure that I really feel from the inner of myself. And also it helps me to decompress from pressure and the stress from the daily life. My road to the ultra trail running actually, it stems to my coach because he find out that I have the talent in terms of endurance, and he think that I may be a good performer in longer distance. And this is why he registered Chen Lin for the first time in a 168-kilometer race, the 100-mile. And she won this race for her very first participation of a 168-kilometer race.
iRunFar: And you won that, but did you also enjoy that experience?
Chen: I feel like throughout the ultra trail running, give me a lot of impressive moments of my life, especially when I managed to win some races. That’s the highlight of my life.
iRunFar: Yeah. Well, you started out with a win at 100 miles, but you have improved a lot the last two years on a higher competition level. What is the reason behind your improvement the last two years?
Chen: So as she explain, her very first experience of ultra trail started with her very first win in that 168-kilometer. So only since then she started to do more practice in ultra trail and participate more. And only in the past two years has she started to do international races, which is different from previously only Chinese local races. And even though her first participation in Western two years ago wasn’t a success, but that made her visible from a global stage and she received a lot of encouragement and the congratulations and the attention from the international community. And this made her feel very honor of this. And also last year she won the fourth place for female in UTMB. And this also give her a lot of attention, a lot of visibility, and she become more and more visible in the global stage. And she feels very grateful and honor of that.
And participating in the races together with higher-level competitors, athletes, very professional competitors. If she has to share some experience about her faster progression in the past two years, one word that she can share is focus. In the past two years she has very little social activities. She didn’t make new friends, she didn’t do anything else. She focused on training, competing, and recovering.
And also before every race, she always go to the places to get used to the environment to know more in order to get herself more used to the local environment of the race. And yeah, that’s the secret.
iRunFar: So maybe just a more professional and focused approach, yeah.
Chen: Another person that she wants to thank is her coach. In Chinese culture, we will call this person a priceless person, because her coach guide her to this right way and help her to get closer to her objective. So yeah, that give her advices on how to practice, how to train, and how to do races.
iRunFar: So last year you were fourth at UTMB. Can you share a little bit about that experience?
Chen: So, big mountains like the ones in Chamonix region, she has never seen it before coming to the UTMB last year. So, while she was climbing through this kind of a slope, it’s never ending. But this kind of mountains is something that she like very much, and so she did enjoy the mountains here, environment here. And she thinks also that if she gets more time to train and get used to this kind of mountains, this will help her to perform better in other races, so she’d like to be able to train longer in the Chamonix region.
iRunFar: And so when did you arrive? I was going to ask what could you improve for this year, but it’s maybe spending more time in the big mountains?
Chen: She thinks that having training sessions or simulations in the real condition of the race is definitely helpful for preparation. So, she’s been in Chamonix this year for 40 days already, and her objective this year is to beat herself of last year. Trying to get a better time than last year.
iRunFar: And so you’ve enjoyed the running. Have you also the last few years enjoyed traveling to spend a few months in the United States, to spend a few months here in France and the Alps? Have you enjoyed that aspect?
Chen: Yeah, of course. So, when she started to ultra trail in different places, she has an objective to check a map of the earth through the experience of trail running, and she also know local people, make friends with local people every time when she train and race in a place. And it’s also funny for her to feel very friendly and small towns like Auburn or Chamonix very well, so every time come back and find a place that she knows, it’s a pleasant experience.
iRunFar: Well, congratulations on your success so far, and enjoy your race this week.
Chen: Thank you. Thank you, thank you so much.
iRunFar: And one bonus question. So, you’ve run many races in China as well, what is your favorite race to run in China so we can come visit?
Chen: She’s very proud that there are many great races in China, such as Chongli, Ninghai, and Tsaigu. Most interestingly, the prize money for this races are very attractive.
iRunFar: Thank you.
