Delivery Worker Running Marathon Course Like an 'Olympian' [Paris Olympics]

After the Women's Marathon Finale, the First-Ever Public Marathon Event
Korean National Team Fails to Qualify for Olympic Marathon

Until now, the finale of the Olympics has been marked by the 'men's marathon.' The upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics has sparked attention by announcing that the final event of the competition will be the 'women's marathon,' embracing innovation even before the opening ceremony, and that a marathon race will be held afterward, allowing the general public to run the exact course just completed by the Olympians.

In Beijing, China, a delivery driver who has been training for marathons while making parcel deliveries is gaining attention. Ruan Yusuo, who won the amateur division at the 2021 Beijing Half Marathon with a time of 1 hour 10 minutes and 31 seconds, is the main figure.
[Photo by Fenghuangwang Capture]

This marathon race, open to anyone aged 20 and above, is the first-ever Olympic event open to the general public. According to the organizing committee, over 800,000 registrants from around the world competed fiercely for a spot.

The marathon will start at 9 PM local time on the 10th at H?tel de Ville (Paris City Hall) and finish at Place des Invalides. A total of 20,024 participants, having overcome intense competition, will showcase skills and stamina comparable to Olympians.

In Beijing, a delivery worker who has been training for marathons while doing parcel deliveries has attracted attention. Luan Yusuo, who won the amateur division at the 2021 Beijing Half Marathon with a time of 1 hour 10 minutes 31 seconds.

Olympic Marathon.
Photo by GettyimagesKorea

In an interview with local media, he said that although he was confident in running?having consistently won school sports day races in elementary school?marathons were unfamiliar to him. It was by chance, encouraged by acquaintances, that he entered a marathon race.

He delivered parcels during the day and went running in the park at night, practicing for just over two months before competing. In his first full marathon, he recorded a time of 4 hours 23 minutes 43 seconds, marking the beginning of his connection with marathons.

After hearing about the marathon race for the general public at the Paris Olympics, he decided to participate. Seeing that all information was in foreign languages, he showed great enthusiasm by preparing for the event with the help of his wife and translation tools.

He accumulated scores by recording his usual exercise activities such as running and cycling through an app, and succeeded in obtaining qualification for the Paris Olympics through a lottery.

For a while, Luan Yusuo wore sandbags on his legs while delivering parcels during the day and trained intensively after work, reportedly running 400 km in a month.

In Beijing, China, a delivery driver who has been training for marathons while making parcel deliveries is gaining attention. Ruan Yusuo, who won the amateur division at the 2021 Beijing Half Marathon with a time of 1 hour 10 minutes and 31 seconds, is the main figure.
[Photo by Fenghuangwang]

While the participation of amateur athletes has become a hot topic, unfortunately, the Korean national team did not qualify for this event.

The qualification criteria set by World Athletics (WA) for the Paris Olympics required athletes to participate in WA-recognized competitions between November 1, 2022, and May 5 of this year, achieving the qualifying standard or accumulating a certain level of ranking points. The qualifying standards were 2 hours 08 minutes 10 seconds for men and 2 hours 26 minutes 50 seconds for women. No Korean athletes met these qualifying times or ranking points.

Since liberation, Korea has participated in 16 finals out of 19 Olympics starting from the 1948 London Games, securing qualification for 10 consecutive Olympics from the 1984 LA Games to the 2020 Tokyo Games. However, the prevailing assessment is that participation in the 2028 LA Games will also be difficult if current trends continue. The qualifying standards for major international competitions are set reflecting the global trend of athletes' records, but Korea has been unable to keep pace with the worldwide trend of improving marathon times.

Meanwhile, at this Paris Olympics, North Korea will participate in the men's marathon with Han Il-ryong through the 'universality quota' system, which allows athletes from various countries to compete in the Olympics.