In the valleys of the French Alps on August 28, China's Yao Miao crossed the finish line at the UTMB OCC (Orsieres-Champex-Chamonix) ultra trail race in second place, following a grueling 55 kilometers of trail running. But 10 days later, Kenya's Joyline Chepngeno, who originally crossed the line first, was disqualified for a doping violation, promoting Yao to champion.

The Athletics Integrity Unit's ruling and Yao's ascension to the top of the standings made her a back-to-back winner at the foot of Mont Blanc. And combined with a 2018 victory in the CCC (100 kilometer category), Yao became the first Asian athlete, male or female, to claim three UTMB titles in different event categories.

The 28-year-old who "ran out" of the mountains of Guizhou Province, and has had her life defined and crowned by those towering peaks, continues to write new chapters in the history of Chinese trail running.

Yao once dreamed of escaping her rural life in Guizhou. Instead, she became a world-renowned trail runner, embracing the very terrain she sought to leave behind. After initially failing to make the provincial track and field team, Yao found her calling in trail running. She quickly began to dominate the national scene, earning the nickname "China's Queen of Trail Running".

Yao's career faced a setback in 2019 due to injuries and health issues, leading her to temporarily switch to marathons. But her passion for the trails took her back. Now supported by a team well-versed in scientific training methods, she has adopted a healthier approach to competition while continuing to win, having learned to balance her fierce desire for victory with the joy of running itself.