In the 'Ancient City of a Thousand Years' race, long-distance powerhouse Seoul Bae Mungo won its second consecutive high school marathon title and 12th overall, led by a group of athletes wearing 'must-win' headbands. He broke his own record for most wins.

Bae Mungo won the boys' race in 2 hours, 20 minutes, 40 seconds at the 40th Kolon Sectional Marathon (co-organized by Chosun Ilbo, the Korea Athletics Federation, KBS, and Kolon) in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, on Tuesday. The time was about two minutes slower than last year's winning time (2 hours, 18 minutes, 23 seconds).

Bae Mungo took the lead from the first section (7.7 kilometers) and never looked back. Wearing a black headband with the word "must-win" on it, she breathed hard and gradually widened the gap to second place. In the third leg (6.7 kilometers), sophomore Zhu Wan Shim repeated her victory from last year. Park Woo-jin (junior), who ran the last six legs (8.195 kilometers), was the first to cross the finish line with a steady and stable race. He waved his arms and roared before crossing the finish line. In this event, the high school division runs the full marathon course (42.195 kilometers), which is divided into six sections.

Bamungo won his second consecutive title after winning last year's event. Bamungo won three consecutive titles (2004-2006) and broke the 2:09 mark (2005) for the first time since the 2000s.  토토사이트 He slipped to fourth place the following year, but after regaining the top spot last year, he once again savored the air of the top. Bae Mungo won the title for the 12th time in his career, breaking his own record for most wins. Gyeongbuk Cheongdo (2 hours, 23 minutes, 18 seconds) came in second and Gyeonggi Cheongdo (2 hours, 24 minutes, 37 seconds) came in third.

In the girls' high school division, Kyungbuk Chego, which rallied under the banner of "Happy Running," won the title with a time of 2 hours, 47 minutes, 42 seconds. After a fierce battle for the lead with Gyeonggi Cheongdo, the final runner, Hong Ji-seung, a freshman, raised his arms in the air to break the tape.

Gyeongbuk Chego, which won its first title in three tournaments in 1987, tied with Sangji Girls' High School for the fifth time in its history as the most decorated high school girls' team. Gyeonggi Chego finished second (2 hours, 48 minutes, 34 seconds) and last year's winner Seoul Shinjeong High School finished third (2 hours, 52 minutes, 35 seconds). Yeongcheonseong Boys' and Girls' High School went from third to first at the midway point of the third leg when Kim Eun-sun (sophomore) went from third to first, but was automatically disqualified from the race after the fourth leg runner was injured.

In the middle school boys' race, the team of Jin Yoo-chang (junior), Baek Eun-woo (junior), Park Chang-hwan (sophomore), and Kim Sung-eun (freshman) won in 55:17, while the middle school girls' team of Kim Joo-yeon (sophomore), Kim Ha-eun (freshman), Han Hae-yoon (junior), and Cho Yoon-ah (senior) won in 59:34. The secondary school category is a 15-kilometer run split between four runners.

In the "Run Crew" category, which was added as an official category this year, Daegu-based team RUNNING MATE was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 2:34:54. Kwon Bo-kyung (32), Park Hong-seok (35), Lee Su-bok (53), Jeong Soon-yeon (50), Kwon Ki-hyuk (53), and Song Young-joon (47) ran in order. In the Run Crew category, a group of non-elite student-athletes competed as a team, with four men and two women splitting the 42.195 kilometers.

Since its inception in 1985, the event has become one of the most prestigious middle and high school track and field competitions in Korea. All of Korea's marathon stars, including Hwang Young-jo (54), Lee Bong-joo (54), Ji Young-joon (43), and Lim Chun-ae (55), have competed in the event. So far, the race has produced 27 winners at home and abroad. The history of the Korean marathon is the history of the Kolon Leg Marathon.

Gyeongju residents and tourists who came out to see the cherry blossoms waved and clapped as the runners passed by, cheering them on as they ran. The 'Quack Guari-troop' was also on hand to play wind chimes and cheer them on. During the race, hailstones suddenly poured down, but the runners were not deterred.