Beyond the Bench with Dr. Ethan Bernard Linck

I always despised exams and assignments back in school. Even though assignments and exams are a nice way of testing what you learned, I did not like it. Imagine going back to graduate school at the age of 28! But Dr. Christine Lattin’s class on “Scientific Communication for Biologists” changed my perspective on how I viewed assignments! Writing, peer-reviewing, interviewing and just interacting about how to do good science for your future was extremely fruitful! I’ll be sharing more in an upcoming blog post about how Christine has a real gift—not just for science, but for helping others communicate it clearly, passionately, and effectively.

One of our assignments was to interview a scientist/researcher/graduate student “not about their academic work”, but about their hobby away from science. Christine calls it – Beyond the Bench Blog, and I absolutely loved the idea. Honestly, science can be boring at times if you are not interested in something that you do not understand profoundly! But hobbies like stargazing, painting, birding, photographing, LEGO-making are super cool and is a great way to know the person completely even though your backgrounds do not match professionally.

When Christine first mentioned about this interview, the first person that came to my mind was Dr. Ethan Bernard Linck from Montana State University. I had reached out to him as a potential graduate student way back in 2023. Even though, I did not end up working with Ethan, I really liked the questions he asked. For example – “What is art to you?”

Cut back to 2025, I had the opportunity to ask him some interesting questions about his hobby – Trail Running!

Here’s how it went –

Dr. Ethan Bernard Linck is an assistant professor at the Montana State University whose research spans natural history, population genomics, ecophysiology, and macroecology to understand patterns of genetic and species diversity, particularly in birds. He is also deeply engaged with questions of environmental ethics and the societal relevance of conservation science. Outside of research, Ethan is a dedicated trail runner—a passion that began in high school and has continued through nearly a decade of competitive racing. He occasionally coaches’ endurance athletes in an informal capacity and also enjoys writing, backcountry skiing, gardening, and tinkering with bikes and old trucks.

Contact – ethan.linck@montana.edu

RP:  How would you explain your research to a fifth grader?

EL: I study where biodiversity comes from, and why biodiversity is found where it is — why some species live in certain places and others live elsewhere.

Photo 1. Dr. Ethan Linck – in the field on Mt. Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea, 2018

RP: What first drew you to trail running? Was it a sudden discovery, or did someone introduce you to it?

EB: When I was in high school, I ran for the cross-country team. Sometimes the races were on trails, sometimes more on golf courses, but that got me into running and spending time outside. When I moved to Oregon for college, I wanted a way to explore this amazing new state and be out in nature — but within the limits of a weekend. It seemed like the perfect way to combine my background in running with my love for natural places.

RP: You grew up in Vermont and now live in Montana, do you have any favorite trail that holds special meaning for you?

EB: Honestly, my priority is any trail I can run to directly from my house. I really avoid driving partly because of carbon emissions, but also because it just makes the whole experience simpler. That’s one of the beautiful things about the sport for me: it’s so simple. All you need are a pair of shoes and shorts. Here in Bozeman, Montana – there’s a pretty big trail network right at the edge of town. A few times a week, I run in Highland Glen, a nature preserve with rolling Intermountain Valley grasslands. I also spend a lot of time on the Foothills Trail, which winds along the base of the Bridger Mountains north of town. [Bridger] They are actually an old limestone reef range, meaning they were once the bottom of a sea. So, you find a lot of fossils. They’re steep, tall, offer incredible views — and they have great birds too.

Dr. Ethan Linck racing the Mt. Taylor 50K in New Mexico, 2019

Backcountry skiing outside of Cooke City, Montana, 2024 – A Wintering hobby for Ethan away from trail running!

RP: What would you say is your personal favorite accomplishment? Something you’re really proud of — something you truly cherish?

EL: I’ve never been the fastest runner, but I’ve won some races here and there, and that’s felt good at the time. But honestly, I think the deeper satisfaction comes less from the outcome and more from how it feels while you’re doing it. There are a few races — not famous ones, just really local — that I ran almost ten years ago now. But on those particular days, I just felt really good. My training had been strong, and I was able to compete in a way I was proud of. Crossing the finish line knowing I had given it my all — that I couldn’t have run a better race, is incredibly satisfying regardless of where you place in the standings, that feeling stays with you.

One race that especially stands out is the first race I ever won: the Leadville Silver Rush 50 Miler, back in 2014. It’s a 50-mile trail race in Leadville, Colorado — really high elevation, between about 10,000 to 12,500 feet. I actually shared about half the race with the person who eventually came in second. We had this amazing experience running together, getting to know each other a little. Even though I’ve won other races since and maybe even had technically better performances, that one remains really special to me — because it changed what I believed about myself.

Reaching the summit of Sunlight Peak (4,287 m) in Chicago Basin in the Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado. 

RP:  When you’re preparing for these long runs, how do you approach your physical and mental preparation?

EL: Running has changed for me over the years. I used to think in terms of building up over months—training for distance, staying consistent, and taking care of myself. Now, I take a more balanced approach: I run a similar amount year-round, with seasonal ups and downs. I no longer rely on long build-ups; instead, I make a few strategic adjustments—like going longer on weekends or mixing in a midweek speed workout. I’m still running six days a week.

Ethan racing the Jemez Mountain Trail Runs 15-miler, 2023

RP: How do you think trail running has influenced the way you perceive landscapes or ecosystems, given your background in ecology and ornithology?

The Wind River Range in Wyoming

Ethan Bernard Linck: I think one thing it has given me is a very geographical perspective, where I like a large-scale perspective on biological diversity.

Just by interest in the hobby, I have a pretty good knowledge of the distribution of mountain ranges across the Western United States. Trail running is by definition moving quickly over landscapes. You see the landscape at a larger scale than you might if you’re doing just a couple of miles a day hiking. As a result, you see these changes across elevational gradients and I think it gives you this broader perspective that has almost certainly shaped my interest in biogeography and large-scale patterns of biological diversity. But beyond geography, I think trail running helps you get access to habitats that are otherwise really remote and have little disturbance with relatively undisturbed ecosystems. Aside from that, I have an interest in physiology that I would not have developed, particularly high-altitude physiology coupled with respiratory physiology, because you, as an animal, get to experience the constraints of hypoxia. You understand how your muscles work! You get a sense of the aerobic requirements for your muscles. It wasn’t something I was interested in as an undergraduate or as a postdoc. And till this day, I think trail running has had a profound impact in my life and how I see things in a macroecological way.

Learn more about Ethan’s research – Linck Lab

Read about Ethan’s achievements here – Trail Running