Shin Hyun-soo tops elite men's field in Korea
Women cheer for 'race queen' Lee Sook-jung
For Shin Hyun-soo (32, KEPCO), the 2014 Gyeongju International Marathon was a comeback race. In 2011, just one year after joining KEPCO, Shin underwent surgery for pain in the lower part of his right foot. After struggling to recover for three years, Shin regained his confidence at the 2014 Gyeongju International Marathon, where he finished second in the elite men's race.
Nine years later, this year's Gyeongju International Marathon, held on Nov. 21, was his "second comeback". In July of last year, Shin underwent another surgery. This time, it was for pain in the lower part of his left foot. After rehabilitation, he finished the race with a time of 2 hours, 21 minutes, and 1 second, topping the elite men's field in Korea.
"My pacemaker, who was supposed to run with me until the 30km mark, was unwell and only ran 12km. "At that moment, I remembered my son, who is due to give birth next month, and I thought, 'Let's be a father who is not ashamed of his son,' and I was able to run to the end," he said.
To prepare for the race, Shin ran more than 250 kilometers a week. "I heard that Kenyan athletes run about 220 kilometers a week, so I ran more than that," he said. "I had surgery on both my feet, so I don't have sore feet anymore. I will increase my training volume in the future."
Lee Sook-jung (32-K-water), known as the "Queen of the Race" in the elite women's division in Korea, took the top spot with a time of 2 hours, 36 minutes and 1 second. It was her fifth career victory in the event, after winning in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. "The goal of 'winning the race marathon five times' was a burden, but thanks to the good weather, I was able to win again," said Lee. 19가이드03