MBN marathon variety show 'Run to Live' season 2 ignited viewers' hearts from the first episode with a race full of sincerity.
On the first episode of season 2, which aired on the 24th (Mon) at 10:10 p.m., the players who served as director general, deputy director general, commentators and coaches in season 1 — Seon, Lee Young-pyo, Yang Se-hyung and Go Han-min — directly appeared as "players," revealing the start of a faster and fiercer race. In addition, as new faces, Choi Young-jun, Lim Se-mi and Jung Hye-in, followed by special guest former national volleyball player Kim Yo-han, joined the first competition, raising expectations for the upcoming "ultimate crew battle."
The first race of season 2, which began with autumn, was the 10km event "The 2nd Respect Run," held at Misa Regatta Park in Hanam. Before the race, Bae Seong-jae introduced Seon, Lee Young-pyo, Yang Se-hyung and Go Han-min, who moved from season 1 members to "players." Seon exclaimed, "Now we are players!" expressing enthusiasm, and then new faces Choi Young-jun, Lim Se-mi and Jung Hye-in and special guest Kim Yo-han joined to complete the "ultimate crew" lineup. With everyone gathered, Seon said, "This season is a 'crew battle.' We will travel to running crews across the country and hold team battles, and in the end we will participate in the 'ultimate crew' competition under the Run to Live name and aim to win!" Immediately after, they entered their first race, a 10km event to test their skills, and ran together with about 7,000 civilians including uniformed workers such as firefighters, police and soldiers at Misa Regatta Park, befitting the title "Respect Run."
Ace Go Han-min surged forward from the start, saying, "A stage for me has been set," and moved into the upper ranks. Maintaining his sprinting, he passed the 1km mark in 10th place overall, lighting a green signal for his goal of "making the podium." Meanwhile, Director General Seon and deputy director general Lee Young-pyo started late to take the stage but quickly caught up with the Run to Live crew that had started earlier. The two then engaged in a race to defend their pride.
In the middle of the race, an unexpected happening occurred. Right after the start, Choi Young-jun's runner cam got separated from him, causing a "ghost running(?)" situation where he ran alone without a camera. The production team and commentators could not find him, creating tension, but he ran steadily and crossed the finish line in 54 minutes 07 seconds. After the race, he said, "Because only I had no camera, some people couldn't believe I finished," and humorously verified his finish medal himself.
Lim Se-mi ran without faltering but showed signs of fatigue during the race. She confessed the aftereffects of an injury, saying, "Three months ago I slipped on a rainy road and injured my ankle. There's still fluid in the bone, and I was told bone fragments are floating around in there." Despite ankle pain, Lim Se-mi endured with willpower and crossed the finish line in 51 minutes 36 seconds, proving she is a new ace.
Yang Se-hyung ran alongside firefighters he met during the race, shouting, "Fighting!" and enthusiastically responded to voices cheering for him from all around. As a result, Yang Se-hyung finished in 53 minutes 20 seconds, earning warm applause. Kim Yo-han, with his 2m tall physique, ran comfortably, raising his pace in the middle of the race and finishing in 56 minutes 11 seconds. Jung Hye-in, who had taken six months off because of a soccer-related injury, experienced a midrace dip in condition but, saying "The coolest thing in any sport is to not give up and finish," she did her best until the end and achieved the feat of beating her personal best by 1 minute 58 seconds, finishing in 1 hour 1 minute.
Go Han-min, who had surged to the front earlier, complained of hamstring pain in the middle of the race but endured to the end with the thought, "I want to show my dad that I can run." As a result, Go Han-min achieved a personal best (PB) of 35 minutes 35 seconds and placed fourth in the men's division, making the podium. It was a valuable achievement in a masters race filled with strong competitors and his second individual podium, adding significance.
The highly anticipated showdown between Seon and Lee Young-pyo was decided in the final 200m. Lee Young-pyo had the early advantage, but Seon mounted a late sprint and successfully overtook him. Seon finished in 44 minutes 40 seconds to place second within the Run to Live crew, drawing praise that he was "truly like a Director General." Lee Young-pyo finished in 44 minutes 44 seconds for third place and performed well, though he gave a bittersweet smile at being beaten by Seon. He added, "I didn't know Seon hyung was right behind me the whole time. If someone can draft behind me and sprint like Seon hyung, I'll be the draft for them anytime. That's teamwork!" emphasizing teamwork once again.
Meanwhile, actor Jin Sun-kyu drew attention by visiting the race site to cheer for the Run to Live crew, and Lim Se-mi and others warmly called for him to join next time, saying, "Let's run together next time~." The preview also captured the passionate appearances of new faces Lee Ki-kwang, Im Soo-hyang and Yoo Seon-ho, raising expectations for the next broadcast.
MBN marathon variety show 'Run to Live' season 2 airs every Monday at 10:10 p.m.
[Photo] OSEN DB, MBN
[OSEN]