On the October 22nd episode of the MBC variety show ‘I Live Alone,’ Kian84’s challenge at the New York Marathon was revealed, deeply moving the audience. Building on his experience of completing his first full marathon in Cheongju a year ago, he set a goal to finish within four hours at the New York Marathon, one of the world’s largest marathons.
At the massive event with over 60,000 participants, Kian84 had trained systematically for a year to keep his promise to himself. As the starting signal went off, he began running energetically toward his personal goal, buoyed by the support of spectators. In the early stages, he passed other runners with a relaxed smile and a brisk pace, smoothly progressing through the race.
However, at the 20 km mark, he hit a physical limit, facing challenges in his pursuit. Especially while crossing the uphill section known as the ‘bridge of death,’ Kian84 had to sit down at the 31 km point due to exhaustion. Inspired by other runners who were running with crutches, he shared, “I felt I had to run harder,” expressing his feelings at that moment.
Ultimately, Kian84, fueled by the support of the Korean community, crossed the finish line with a Korean flag draped over him, completing the marathon with a time of 4 hours, 48 minutes, and 16 seconds. He expressed his pride in his challenge, saying, “I’m not a national representative, but there was a strange sense of emotion when I unfurled the flag.” The next day, he engraved his time on the medal and humorously noted that his name was not in The New York Times, yet he declared his ongoing pursuit of self-discovery through running.
Kian84’s challenge is not over. He will continue to take on challenges for himself, and it is anticipated what kind of inspiration his journey will bring.
