Running influencer dies after collapsing just 500 meters from finish line

Running influencer Yoo Ji-won has met her demise after collapsing just 500 meters from the finish line of a half-marathon. 

The 25-year-old South Korean runner and KAIST graduate student was competing in the 2026 Seoul Race on October 11. 

Yoo Ji-won regularly shared her running journey with her vast online following. 

She became unconscious at 8:49 a.m. Sunday, around 20.6 kilometers into the half marathon at the 2026 Seoul Race, according to a statement the organizing committee released on Monday. The standard half marathon distance is 21.0975 kilometers. 

A race official found her unconscious on a downtown street near Jonggak subway station, which alerted emergency services. She was subjected to CPR prior to being taken to a hospital in an ambulance; however, she never regained consciousness and passed on shortly thereafter. 

"We pray for the repose of the deceased and extend our deepest sympathy to the bereaved family facing this sudden sorrow," the committee stated, adding that it will carefully investigate the case and take appropriate actions. 

An initial comment from a race official to local media suggested that Yoo may have fainted after straining herself too much, but no official findings have been released yet. 

The race, organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper, drew around 12,000 runners to a half marathon and a shorter 11-kilometer (6.8-mile) race through central Seoul, including landmarks such as Gwanghwamun and Heunginjeongmun, the city's historic eastern gate.