Popular South Korean Runner and Influencer Dies at 25 After Collapsing During Half-Marathon
Yoo Ji-won collapsed near the finish line of the Seoul Race and was pronounced dead at a local medical facility.
Tragedy struck the international distance running community with the death of South Korean athlete and running influencer Yoo Ji-won, 25, during the Seoul Race half-marathon on Sunday.
Yoo collapsed less than a half-mile from the finish line of the 13-mile race. A race official found her unconscious and immediately contacted emergency services. She received CPR and was transported to a local medical facility, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Authorities have not yet released the exact cause of her death.
The Seoul Race organizing committee issued a statement on Monday confirming the incident and extending condolences to Yoo's family and the running community. "We pray for the repose of the deceased and extend our deepest sympathy to the bereaved family facing this sudden sorrow," the committee stated. "We would also like to offer our condolences to the participants, whose hearts must be heavy upon hearing the tragic news of the deceased."
A fellow runner and friend, identified only as Bummy, described the moments after the race. He wrote that upon crossing the finish line, he noticed a crowd gathering and initially assumed someone had sustained a minor injury. He then sought Yoo on the awards podium before receiving the news of her collapse. "I dropped everything and rushed to the hospital, hoping to see you one last time, but I am so sorry I couldn’t stay by your side until the very end," he recounted.
Yoo was a prominent figure in the amateur running scene, amassing over 9,000 followers on Instagram, where she shared her training and athletic achievements. Her final social media post on October 4 detailed her finishing time for a six-mile run.
Beyond her running pursuits, Yoo was also a professional artificial intelligence semiconductor researcher at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Her Instagram page has since been flooded with tributes from fans mourning her loss.
Supporters expressed their grief online, with messages such as "I hope you run your heart out in the sky" and "May her soul rest in peace I hope you shine bright up there too."
Yoo had previously completed the full Seoul Marathon earlier in the year, finishing with a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes, and 32 seconds. [IMAGE3]