During that first year, Lin took the silver medal in the marathon at the national level. In October, 1998, at a national sport meet, Lin assuredly bet his coach he'd win a gold medal, saying if he didn't he would enter Taipei's new 100-km ultramarathon.
1998 年 10 月全國區運會，自信滿滿的他向教練發下豪語，若沒有拿到金牌，就「罰」他參加首屆台北國際 100 公里超級馬拉松比賽。