“Samgyeopsal - Cheonggukjang is the secret” 1st place in Seoul running 10km

“This is my best time since I retired (1:13:45), and it's even more meaningful to experience a victory that I couldn't achieve as an athlete in a race with so many people.”

Choi Beom-sik, 27, who crossed the finish line first in the men's half-marathon (21.0975 kilometers) at the 2024 Seoul Half Marathon (co-organized by Chosun Ilbo, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and Seoul Sports Federation) on Monday, comes from a long-distance running background. He retired in 2020 after more than a year as an unemployed athlete at the Gosan Military Administration and has since been working as a freelance track and field coach and portrait photographer. With the recent boom in running, he has more than 20 students taking private lessons. He says he enjoys teaching running and has improved his own times.

To prepare for the race, she joined a running crew called “Noisy,” a group of 1997-born runners. Choi missed the chance to participate in the Seoul Half Marathon last year because it was quickly oversubscribed, but she won the race in her first outing. “There was exciting music playing in the tunnel in the middle of the race, which helped me pick up my pace,” Choi said, adding, “It was a different experience from other races.”

Moon Bo-yeon, 45, finished first in the women's half in 1:26:59. “After finishing third in the 10km last year, I wanted to finish first this time, so I trained hard,” said Moon, who has 15 years of marathon experience and runs and coaches a running academy in Songpa-gu, Seoul. “I was running in second place until the middle of the race, 안전놀이터 and then I managed to overtake. I'm proud of myself for the good result.”

“The Seoul Half Marathon is a great way to see the sights of Seoul, including the National Assembly, Yeouido, and the Hangang Bridge,” said Moon. “The weather was hot, and there were some unexpected hills, so it was quite difficult, but it's an attractive race that I would like to run again.”

In the men's 10-kilometer race, Kim Sung-ha, 32, a track and field coach from Indong-cho, Incheon, was the first to cross the finish line in 32 minutes, 36 seconds. He was more than a minute behind the second-place finisher (34:15). “I had regrets as an athlete,” said Kim, who started running marathons when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school and retired in 2019. I was away from running for a while, weighing 90 kilograms during the pandemic (I usually weigh around 60 kilograms), but I thought, 'I shouldn't be like this,' so I started running again as a New Year's resolution last year.” ”Marathons are fascinating because it's a battle with yourself. It's also special to be able to compete with people of all ages and genders in good faith.”

He said he runs 15 kilometers four to six times a week around Seunggicheon, near his home in Incheon, to improve his game. “I hope it will motivate the students at Indongcho. I will challenge the full course in the future,” he said.

The women's 10-kilometer race was won by Japanese runner Eri Kawabata, 40, who finished in 39:10. She narrowly edged out second place (39:16). It was the first time a foreigner had ever won the women's 10-kilometer race. “It's been my routine for 10 years to run 10 kilometers before work three to four times a week,” said Kawabata, who works for a financial company in Tokyo, Japan. “It was hard to start in Group D, but when I arrived, I was first. I ate a lot of pork belly and cheonggukjang, which was the secret to my first place finish.”

“It's hard to find a marathon in Japan where you can run while looking at the river like this,” said the former 800-meter and 1500-meter runner, who briefly competed in track and field for three years in elementary school. “When I ran over the Mapo Bridge and looked at the Han River, I was moved to tears,” he said. “You need a heart that doesn't give up. Marathons are more about the mindset than the legs,” he emphasized.