Shim Jong-seop emerges as promising runner at Dong-A Marathon

The 2014 Seoul International Marathon and 8th Dong-A Marathon was held on a beautiful spring morning in Seoul on Sunday.

A total of 131 elite runners (97 males and 34 females) from 10 countries participated in the 42.195-km marathon course. The marathoners departed from Gwanghwamun Plaza and finished at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium. Some 21,000 participants as masters also raced in the full course marathon, while 3,000 others joined the 10-km run dubbed “Seoul Challenge” to enjoy the spring marathon feast.

A new promising runner has emerged in men’s domestic competition as Shim Jong-seop finished first with a time of 2:14:19 in his second career bid at a full-course marathon on the day. The 23-year-old marathoner cut by more than six minutes from his previous personal record (2:20:21), which he set at the Seoul International Marathon last year, giving a boost to the Korean men’s marathon that remained in a slump. Shim has been received expectations from the public as a marathoner who finds hope in marathon despite his difficult environment.