Chi Lingjie from East China's Shandong province traveled an unconventional route to arrive at her dream destination.

In late March, the 35-year-old runner claimed victory in the women's category of the 168-kilometer trail race at the 2026 Mt Gaoligong Ultra, a prestigious international competition in the mountains in Tengchong, Yunnan province.

The event brought together elite runners from across the globe, including Sonia Ahuja from the United States, the first woman of Indian origin to secure a podium finish in the Badwater Ultramarathon — a grueling 217-km race often considered the toughest in the world — and Andrea Kooiman, also from the US, who completed the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run, a challenging 321.8-km race around North America's largest alpine lake.

Chi's rise to prominence has been the result of unwavering perseverance. The March victory capped her third attempt at the race. The first time, she had to withdraw due to a sprained ankle.

"When I participated again the next year, I remembered the spot where I had previously withdrawn and reminded myself to slow down and stay calm," she said.

In her second attempt, Chi experienced hematuria and had to drop out again.

"During my third attempt, I remembered the lessons from my first two tries. In the mountains, it's vital to stay calm and fully appreciate their beauty. I focused on being present and quiet, imagining myself as just another part of the landscape, like a flower or a blade of grass," she said.

Her arduous journey to the championship mirrored the path Chi took en route to becoming a professional athlete. Her talent for long-distance running, discovered in middle school, helped her gain entry to a reputable high school and later a university, eventually leading to a job at a Shandong tax bureau.

However, she left her job in 2016 and moved to Beijing to pursue a planning position with a sports company. It wasn't an easy decision for Chi, as her modest background meant she couldn't afford to pursue her dream impulsively.

In her early days in Beijing, she lived quite frugally and often worked late into the night. "I was actually quite happy because I found a career I was passionate about, so even though I was tired, it didn't feel that way," she said.

A year later, she unexpectedly led a team to victory in an amateur endurance race, outpacing a seasoned veteran and kicking off her career in outdoor sports.

It wasn't until 2021 that Chi's marathon career literally got on track. She began training with seasoned runner Yang Dinghong and impressively clocked a time of two hours and 34 minutes in a marathon trial. Considering that two hours and 40 minutes is the benchmark for elite amateurs, the performance was truly remarkable.

In her next official race, Chi failed to break the 2:40 mark. It seemed like a persistent curse -the closer she got to her goal, the more elusive it became. In an effort to improve, she ramped up her training, but that only resulted in a joint injury.

Over the next two years she saw no progress and even faced setbacks before gradually returning to her original mindset: as long as she could run, nothing else mattered.

In 2024, Chi transitioned to trail running and found a new path amid the mountains and forests."Running in the mountains, surrounded by tranquility and accompanied by birdsong and floral scents, is an absolutely amazing experience. I completely fell in love with running in nature," she said.

Lyu Weiwei, Chi's coach, describes her as a truly dedicated runner.

"Looking back on her athletic career spanning over a decade, she has overcome numerous setbacks and challenges and even considered giving up at one point. Thankfully, after switching to trail running, she's discovered a path to success that truly aligns with her strengths," Lyu said.

In late 2024, inspired by Yao Miao, often hailed as China's queen of trail running, Chi established a training camp in Kunming, Yunnan, to inspire and empower other women.

"Many mothers bring their children to train here, and single women come as well, choosing to make this place a spiritual haven. Together, they strive to achieve their running goals and treat this place as a home," Chi said, adding she believes the innate resilience in those women — their unwavering determination and refusal to succumb to family or work pressures — makes them remarkable.

"When I struggle to keep up with my training or face challenges, they are the ones who provide me with extra motivation," she added.