KAIST Graduate Student Runner Yoo Ji-won Dies During Marathon

Yoo Ji-won, a KAIST graduate student who has been active as a running influencer, collapsed during a half-marathon race and was taken to the hospital, where she ultimately passed away. As the accident occurred just about 500m before the finish line, the sudden news of the young runner, whose daily life was filled with a passion for running, is causing growing sorrow.

The Seoul Race Organizing Committee announced through its official website on the 12th that one participant of the 2026 Seoul Race has died. The accident occurred around 8:49 AM on the 11th, when the race was held. A female runner in her 20s participating in the half-course suddenly collapsed at the 20.6km mark; after receiving emergency treatment on-site, she was transported to a medical institution by a 119 ambulance for treatment but ultimately died.

The official distance of a half-marathon is 21.0975km. The point where the accident occurred was about 500m before the finish line, just as the participant was about to finish the race after running a long distance. However, the distance to the finish line does not explain the cause of death or the circumstances of the accident. To date, it has not been officially disclosed exactly under what circumstances she collapsed or what the cause of death was.

The deceased participant is known to be Yoo Ji-won, a KAIST graduate student and amateur runner. Through her personal account and running-related content, she communicated with people who enjoy running by sharing her daily running life and training process. She was known for steadily devoting herself to running while continuing her studies and research, and recently continued her activities by appearing in running content featuring female runners together.

Running seems to have been more than just exercise for Yoo Ji-won; it was a medium to share her daily life and passion. As she continued running while focusing on her studies and research, and interacted with other runners by sharing her training process as content, the news of her sudden death is coming as a great shock not only to those around her but also to the running community. However, regarding the deceased's personal life and the situation at the time of the accident, an attitude of respecting the bereaved family's grief and the deceased's privacy is needed rather than unconfirmed speculation.

The race organizing committee also officially expressed its condolences. The committee stated, "We pray for the repose of the deceased and express deep condolences to the bereaved family facing this sudden sorrow." While also offering comfort to the participants, they stated their position to closely examine matters related to the accident and continue necessary follow-up measures.

The 2026 Seoul Race, marking its 24th year this year, was held with a half-course and an 11km course, and it is known that a total of 12,000 people participated. In a race where many participants run at once, on-site medical response and rapid action for emergency situations are important, but the judgment regarding the specific circumstances and the response process of this accident must be made based on confirmed facts. For now, it is necessary to wait for additional official explanations regarding the cause of death and the process of the accident occurrence.

Running is a sport that tests one's limits and moves toward a goal. However, no record or completion can come before a person's life. The news of Yoo Ji-won, who passed away with the finish line in sight, has left deep sadness for many runners. While mourning the deceased, who cultivated her daily life through running and shared that joy with others, deep condolences are also being extended to the bereaved family.

In some quarters, there are loud voices calling for restraint in marathon competitions. Marathons originated from the battle fought between Greece and Persia on the Plain of Marathon around 490 BC. While the narrative is passed down that the messenger Pheidippides ran 240km from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of Greece's victory, there is no evidence that this is a fact.

It is worth noting that the opinion that various adjustments and improvements are needed, as marathons are effectively extreme sports, is not a new matter.

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