Busan Institute's Kim Jinhee to Represent South Korea at World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

An Ordinary Office Worker Who Ran at the Institute, Now Running on the World Stage

Kim Jinhee, a researcher at the Environment and Safety Research Division of the Busan Institute, will represent South Korea at the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), which will be held in Canfranc, Spain, from September 25 to 28.

Kim is not only an environmental policy expert but also one of Korea's top trail runners. She drew attention in 2023 by setting a new Korean women's record (16 hours, 25 minutes, and 20 seconds) in the UTMB CCC 100km course at the Ultra Trail Running event.

She has also achieved major results, including first place in the 2022 Trans Jeju 100km, second place in the 2023 Amazean Jungle Trail by UTMB 100km category, and first place in the 2024 Oxfam Trailwalker 100km mixed team. She is currently sponsored by Hoka and Patagonia.

This championship, organized by World Athletics, is the most prestigious global stage for mountain and trail running, with around 1,700 athletes from about 70 countries participating.

Kim will compete in the 80km long trail event, which crosses the border between France and Spain and features an extreme course with a total elevation gain of 5,700 meters.

Her participation on the world stage is closely linked to the support she receives from the Busan Institute. As a family-friendly certified organization, the Busan Institute actively guarantees work-life balance for its staff and provided special leave to encourage Kim's challenge at this event. Kim began running in 2010 with the institute's running club, "Yeondala (Children Running at the Institute)," and has since grown from a working professional runner to a world-class athlete.

This participation is significant not only for Kim's personal achievement but also for Busan and the institute. With more than 100 million viewers tuning in to the world championship, it is expected to promote "Vibrant City Busan" and "International Sports City Busan," while also contributing to the institute's dynamic organizational image and its future research in sports, tourism, and environmental policy.

Kim expressed her determination, saying, "Thanks to the institute's strong support, I am able to stand on the world stage. As a researcher studying the environment and as a trail runner, I will do my best with the belief in 'running to save the Earth.'" She added, "I hope this challenge will deliver a message of courage and hope to the citizens of Busan, especially to women."

The Busan Institute stated, "We sincerely congratulate researcher Kim Jinhee on her participation and consider this a model case for supporting staff growth and work-life balance," adding, "We will actively support various challenges in the future."

In August, Kim also competed in the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) 100-mile course in Chamonix, France, and is expected to achieve remarkable results in this championship as well.

Busan Research Institute employees are cheering for player Jinhee Kim.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.