The first Mapo Seo Yoon Bok Marathon will be held on April 19 as a future-oriented sports festival
Mar 07, 2025
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It is the first big event in 78 years since Seo Yoon-bok won the Boston Marathon with a world record of 2 hours, 25 minutes and 39 seconds on April 19, 1947, raising the spirit of a pioneer in the marathon in Korea.
When Seo Yoon-bok won the championship, Korea was at a time when the entire Korean Peninsula was swirling due to the controversy over the pros and cons before the establishment of the government after liberation. Seo's victory was a major event that announced Korea to the world for the first time, and the Korean Peninsula was excited with cheers beyond ideological and generational conflicts for a moment.
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Chairman Oh Chun-jin of the Seo Yoon-bok Commemoration Project Promotion Committee explained, `If Son Ki-jung's victory in the Berlin Olympics is meant to be a 'overcoming the past' that has caused the people's sorrow by deleting the Japanese flag, the meaning of Seo Yoon-bok's victory lies in the 'future orientation' that proudly wore the Korean national flag on his heart and shouted for the joy of the people.'
Mayor Park Kang-soo of Mapo-gu, who will host the event, said, `We will put the Seo Yoon-bok Marathon on the list of large-scale competitions honoring the nation's marathon pioneersHe emphasized that Mapo, where Seo's alma mater (now Sungmun High School, then Gyeongseong Commercial Practice School) is located, is the birthplace of the marathon hero".
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Meanwhile, the Seo Yoon-bok Commemoration Project Promotion Committee will soon unveil on-and-on T-shirts and commemorative medal designs featuring Seo Yoon-bok's portrait and signature to commemorate the launch of the competition.
The following is a question and answer with Oh Chun-jin, Chairman of the Committee for the Commemoration of Seo Yoon-bok.
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▶It is the first competition in 78 years since winning the Boston Marathon in 1947 and eight years after Seo Yoon-bok passed away. Through the competition, I hope that we all will run toward the future in the festival atmosphere, shouting Korea like Seo won the championship.
-What are the characteristics of this year's competition?
▶ Settlement of the competition is the top priority this year, and it aims to lay the foundation for establishing itself as an international competition in the future. With the exchange with the Boston Marathon in mind. That's why we're putting our capabilities into raising the level of the competition program.
-What program do you think you can specifically put forward?
▶First, the T-shirts and medals that participants are most curious about. We are designing and producing it with an international sense so that it can be put overseas right away. You can also look forward to flash mobs, brass bands, and performances on the day of the competition.
-Please also say something about your future plans.
▶The big road map is to lead the K-marathon as it becomes an international competition by holding the competition over and over again, and to pave the way for international exchange. At the same time, I would like to model the Seo Yoon-bok Marathon as a venue for a sports festival. Please show a lot of interest and response.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
