With a running population of 10 million, the running craze is sweeping South Korea, and ‘You Have to Run to Live’ depicts the marathon challenges of beginners, offering viewers a ‘runner's high’.
On the morning of the 18th, an online production presentation for MBN's entertainment program ‘You Have to Run to Live’ was held. The event was attended by Sean, Lee Young-pyo, Yang Se-hyung, Heo Jae, Yang Jun-hyuk, Ahn Seong-hoon, Yulhee, and MC Bae Seong-jae along with PD Bang Il.
‘You Have to Run to Live’, which will premiere on the 19th at 8:20 PM, is produced as a special project to commemorate MBN's 30th anniversary. It captures the process of stars from various fields challenging themselves to a marathon, overcoming their wounds and limitations.
PD Bang Il stated, “When you have a lot on your mind or feel frustrated, running can help shake off that heavy heart. I thought that in these politically and economically tough times, the theme of running could provide viewers with some joy, even if just for a moment,” explaining the intention behind the project.
He added, “If stars from various fields challenge themselves to a full marathon and show sincerity, viewers will be able to indirectly feel the runner's high.”
If selected as MVP, there will be an opportunity to participate in the Sydney Marathon, one of the world's top seven marathons.
PD Bang stated, “Participation in the Sydney Marathon for the MVP has been confirmed. We are preparing the best perks so that they can enjoy delicious food and travel in Australia,” expressing his expectations. He also mentioned, “We will also provide carbon credits worth 20 million won. I think the biggest feature is donating while running.”
The management team leading the stars who are challenging running for the first time is solid. Marathon donation angel Sean and Lee Young-pyo serve as the crew leader and deputy leader, while Bae Seong-jae and Yang Se-hyung will relay the marathon challenges of the crew. Former national marathon athlete Kwon Eun-joo joins as the director, Chuncheon Marathon representative winner Lee Yeon-jin as the tactical coach, celebrity marathon record holder Ko Han-min as the pacemaker coach, and Shim Eui-ddeum as the fitness coach.
Sean humorously introduced himself, saying, “I’m the leader. I’m a singer, but I run more than I sing.” He expressed, “I want all 50 million citizens to run. I decided to participate with that goal in mind,” adding, “When I said I would participate, my wife (Jung Hye-young) said, ‘The time has come. Finally, a running entertainment show is starting. It sounds fun.’”
He also stated, “It has been 14 years since I started running seriously. I have participated in competitions once a year since 2008, so it has been 17 years since I started marathon running. With that consistency, I will make all 50 million citizens run.”
As the leader, Sean plans to lead the participants. He said, “I want to play the role of a pacer,” expressing his passion, “I always say it’s a PB (Personal Best) restaurant. No matter the distance or time, I will help them achieve a PB by pushing them a little faster than their own records.”
He added, “In the past two weeks, I helped my first daughter achieve a 10km PB, and just the day before yesterday, I helped actress Lim Se-mi achieve her 10km PB. If you run with me, it’s definitely possible.” Bae Seong-jae humorously remarked, “It sounds good, but if you listen closely, it smells like blood. A bloody personal best,” and Sean added, “We both collapsed after running 10km.”
Lee Young-pyo, the deputy leader of the running crew, stated, “I felt that no matter how much of an athlete you are, if you are not prepared or trained, you cannot run 41.195km.” He continued, “Regardless of age or gender, if you sweat, you can eventually run. That’s the charm of marathon. It’s not something anyone can do, but anyone can do it.”
He added, “If you can run 1km, you can run 2km. Ultimately, you can run all 41.195km. I want to play a role that helps people feel a sense of achievement in life by achieving one step at a time.”
The 16 running beginners challenging the marathon include Heo Jae, Bang Eun-hee, Yang Jun-hyuk, Bae Yoon-jung, Son Jeong-eun, Jo Jin-hyung, Choi Jun-seok, Sleepy, Kim Seung-jin, Ahn Seong-hoon, Yulhee, Lee Jang-jun, lawyer Yang So-young, specialist Han Sang-bo, chef Jeong Ho-young, and neuroscientist Jang Dong-seon.
Yang Jun-hyuk runs for his child. He said, “I’m in my mid-50s, and my baby is 100 days old,” adding, “I will run hard for my baby.” He also expressed, “I have a desire to have a second child and want to raise them to play baseball. I need to be healthy. I will run hard.”
Lee Young-pyo commented, “Baseball is the epitome of a static sport, isn’t it? Baseball takes a long time but is played while standing,” and added, “Isn’t it a huge twist to run a full marathon after playing baseball, which is the epitome of a dynamic sport?” encouraging Yang Jun-hyuk with a subtle remark. Yang Jun-hyuk humorously retorted, “There are a lot of baseball fans,” causing laughter.
Yulhee returns through ‘You Have to Run to Live’ after overcoming the pain of divorce. Yulhee married FT Island’s Choi Min-hwan in 2018 and has one son and two daughters, but they divorced in December 2023. The two are experiencing legal conflicts over custody and property division. She plans to show her process of overcoming this while running with her divorce attorney, lawyer Yang So-young.
Yulhee expressed, “Thank you for casting me. As someone who has never exercised, I was curious about how far I could push my limits. I approached this with a heart of determination beyond just effort. I am grateful to be able to run with legendary seniors,” she said. She also mentioned, “I will do my best to run through the tough times and complete the marathon.”
Yulhee added, “My first child has entered elementary school. When I said I would run a marathon, they said, ‘I think I can do better!’ It felt encouraging. When I practice, it feels reassuring to run with my son.”
She mentioned that her lifestyle has changed significantly while challenging herself to marathon running. Yulhee said, “The way I spend my day has changed. I used to just lie in bed, but these days I spend my time productively and energetically. My acquaintances are very surprised and have been encouraging me a lot.”
Ahn Seong-hoon was discouraged from challenging the marathon by his agency, but now they are supporting him while drawing a ‘big picture’. He said, “When I first expressed my desire to participate, my agency didn’t believe me. They had never seen me exercise and were worried I might collapse while running. They also mentioned that there are many events in spring. They asked if I could handle overlapping schedules.”
He continued, “I wanted to try something new, and I felt that if I didn’t take this opportunity, I might not be able to exercise in my 30s, so I asked my agency. Now they are even trying to schedule marathon events,” he said, adding, “My agency hopes that if I become a runner, they might invite me to marathon competitions. I will do my best in everything,” he said, mentioning the agency’s ‘big picture’ and causing laughter.
Finally, Sean urged, “Watching ‘You Have to Run to Live’ makes me happy. If you’re happy, watch ‘You Have to Run to Live’. And go out and run.”
‘You Have to Run to Live’ will premiere on the 19th at 8:20 PM.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
