The late Yoo Ji-won. [Instagram capture]
The late Yoo Ji-won. [Instagram capture]

Yoo Ji-won, a runner in her 20s who collapsed about 500 meters from the finish line at the 2026 Seoul Race and was rushed to hospital, has died. Tributes have been pouring in online for the amateur runner, who shared her passion for the sport widely before her death.

The Seoul Race organizing committee announced the participant's death on its official website Monday. According to the committee, the incident occurred at 8:49 a.m. Sunday at the 20.6-kilometer mark of the half-marathon course.

The official half-marathon distance is 21.0975 kilometers, placing the collapse roughly 500 meters short of the finish line. Emergency treatment was administered on the scene before Yoo was transported by ambulance to a medical facility, where she later died.

"We offer our deepest condolences to the bereaved family, who are facing this sudden grief," the organizing committee said. "The committee will carefully review all related matters and continue with the necessary follow-up measures."

The exact circumstances of Yoo's collapse and the cause of death have not been confirmed. As the event was co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, swift fact-finding and follow-up action are expected.

Born in 2001, Yoo was a KAIST graduate student conducting research on AI semiconductors, as well as an amateur runner and running influencer who shared her love of the sport with a wide online following. Her social media accounts documented her training, race results and interactions with fellow runners.

What began as a hobby gradually became a pursuit of personal bests. Through consistent training, Yoo brought her 10-kilometer time down to the mid-36-minute range. At the New Balance Half Marathon in March she recorded a time of 1 hour, 22 minutes and 1 second.

Her race results were equally notable. She won the women's masters category of the 10-kilometer event at the 2026 Gunsan Saemangeum Marathon on April 5. She often shared the message that running should be enjoyed for the long haul — injury-free and focused on building a personal record over time.

Because Yoo had been so active in sharing her experiences with other runners, the shock of her sudden death has hit the running community especially hard.

One user wrote on her social media page: "I made eye contact with Jiwon while she was cheering me on enthusiastically at the Gongju Marathon, and I broke into a big smile. She was such a wonderful runner — I always rooted for her in my heart. I can't believe it, and I'm so heartbroken."

Other tributes have continued to flow in. "She was a runner I truly admired and always cheered for," wrote one user. "Every time I watched her run in videos, I thought, what an incredible runner." Another wrote: "I always rooted for her, but today I find myself having to pray for her — it hurts so much." Others simply said: "I will remember her for a long time."


betterj@heraldcorp.com