South Korean running influencer and AI researcher dies after collapsing 500m from Seoul Race finish line

South Korean runner Yoo Ji-won died after collapsing near the end of the 2026 Seoul Race, at age 25.

The organising committee confirmed the fatality and expressed support for her family, while investigations are ongoing.

Tributes from various communities including runners and engineers have flooded her social media following her death.

SEOUL, Oct 14 — South Korean running influencer and artificial intelligence semiconductor researcher Yoo Ji-won has died after collapsing during the 2026 Seoul Race, according to Resonate Voices .

She was 25 years old and was a graduate student at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Yoo lost consciousness at the 20.6-kilometre mark of the 21-kilometre half-marathon course, roughly 500 metres from the finish line.

“At around 8.49am on October 11, an emergency situation occurred when a participant in the half course collapsed at the 20.6km mark,” the organising committee stated.

“After immediate first aid on site, the participant was transported to a medical facility by 119 ambulance for treatment, but unfortunately, passed away.”

Medical authorities have not confirmed an official cause of death.

The Seoul Race Organising Committee confirmed the fatality in an official statement to participants on Monday and extended its support to her family as investigations continue.

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“We respectfully pray for the deceased’s peaceful rest and extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved family facing this sudden sorrow,” the statement added.

“We will carefully examine this incident and proceed with necessary follow-up measures without fail.”

Yoo, who was born in 2001, earned wide admiration in South Korean running circles for combining elite athletic endurance with demanding scientific research at KAIST.

She began distance running in 2022 and cultivated a devoted online following by documenting her training alongside her laboratory work on next-generation computing hardware.

Her performances established her among the country’s leading amateur long-distance runners.

On March 15, 2026, Yoo finished the full Seoul Marathon in two hours, 56 minutes and 32 seconds.

That result secured her a “sub-3” marathon finish — a highly prized standard achieved by very few non-professional runners.

She had earlier claimed victory in the women’s masters 10-kilometre category at the Gunsan Saemangeum Marathon in the spring.

After her collapse, false claims spread on social media suggesting hospital staff had treated and released her to recover at home.

Friends and running partners stepped in online to set the record straight and appealed for privacy for her family.

“Jiwon continued to be hospitalised after collapsing, and she continued to have a hard time without ever being discharged,” one acquaintance wrote on social media.

The friend urged fellow runners to focus on honouring her memory and praying for her family instead of circulating unverified information.

Since then, tributes have poured onto Yoo’s social media accounts from club runners, engineers and athletics fans throughout South Korea.

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韩国长跑运动员柳智媛在2026年首尔马拉松比赛接近终点时倒地身亡，年仅25岁。

组委会确认了这起死亡事件，并向其家人表示慰问，目前调查仍在进行中。

在她去世后，包括跑步爱好者和工程师在内的各界人士纷纷在她的社交媒体上表达了哀悼。

首尔，10 月 14 日——据 Resonate Voices 报道，韩国跑步网红兼人工智能半导体研究员柳智媛在 2026 年首尔马拉松比赛中晕倒后去世。

她25岁，是韩国科学技术院（KAIST）的研究生。

Yoo在21公里半程马拉松赛道的20.6公里处失去意识，距离终点线大约500米。

组委会表示：“10 月 11 日上午 8 点 49 分左右，半程赛中一名参赛者在 20.6 公里处晕倒，发生紧急情况。”

“现场立即进行急救后，该参与者被119救护车送往医疗机构接受治疗，但不幸的是，他最终去世了。”

医疗部门尚未确认官方死因。

首尔马拉松组委会周一向参赛者发表官方声明，确认了这起死亡事件，并向死者家属表示慰问，同时调查仍在进行中。

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声明还补充道：“我们虔诚祈祷逝者安息，并向遭受这突如其来的悲痛的家属致以最深切的慰问。”

“我们将认真调查这起事件，并毫不含糊地采取必要的后续措施。”

出生于 2001 年的柳承龙，凭借其在韩国科学技术院 (KAIST) 的出色运动耐力和严苛的科学研究，在韩国跑步界赢得了广泛的赞誉。

她于 2022 年开始长跑，并通过记录自己的训练以及在下一代计算硬件方面的实验室工作，培养了一批忠实的在线粉丝。

她的出色表现使她跻身全国顶尖业余长跑运动员之列。

2026年3月15日，柳成贤以2小时56分32秒的成绩完成了首尔马拉松全程。

这一成绩让她获得了“3分钟以内”的马拉松完赛成绩——这是极少数非职业跑者才能达到的极高标准。

今年春天，她曾在群山新万金马拉松赛女子10公里组比赛中获得冠军。

在她晕倒后，社交媒体上流传着一些虚假消息，称医院工作人员已经对她进行了治疗，并让她回家休养。

朋友和跑步伙伴们在网上发声澄清事实，并呼吁尊重她家人的隐私。

“智媛晕倒后一直住院治疗，病情持续恶化，始终未能出院，”一位熟人在社交媒体上写道。

这位朋友敦促其他跑者将注意力放在缅怀她和为她的家人祈祷上，而不是传播未经证实的信息。

此后，来自韩国各地的跑步俱乐部成员、工程师和体育爱好者纷纷在柳的社交媒体账户上表达了哀悼之情。

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