Running influencer Yoo Ji-won has died aged 25 after collapsing near finish line as friend speaks out
The Seoul Race Organizing Committee has confirmed that a participant had died during a half marathon in the South Korean city.
The person to have died has since been identified as fitness influencer Yoo Ji-won by a friend and fellow running content creator.
In a moving post shared to Instagram, he recalled the first time he met her. The man, who goes by @bummy_5 on the social media platform, penned: "I met Dazza Gozza in the first place and walked Chuncheon half together. I wanted to be an unusual person ever since, but, at that time, I thought it was just a passing relationship.
"And time passes we meet again at GMW. I never thought we'd be this close until then. The routine running together has become so natural."
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"Even if it's drizzling, even if it's raining heavily, I'm always happy as the moment we run together," he continued.
"It's all thanks to the support that I'm able to love and enjoy running this much. There were so many moments together that it took me a while to choose a photo."
The guy went on to say that he'd been at the finish line when Ji-won was supposed to have completed the race...
"Near the finish line of the Seoul Race, I saw a crowd gathering and thought someone must have been hurt," he wrote in Korean. "As soon as I crossed the finish line, I looked for you on the awards podium, but then came the unsettling news, and I began to sense a reality I didn’t want to believe.
"I dropped everything and rushed to the hospital, hoping to see you one last time, but I am so sorry I couldn’t stay by your side until the very end."
Elsewhere, the Seoul Race Organizing Committee shared details into what happened on the day in question.
"On October 11th at around 8:49 AM, a participant on the half course of the Seoul Race collapsed at the 20.6km mark," it penned in a translated Korean post on Instagram.
"After first aid on the scene, they were transported to a medical facility by an ambulance via 119 and received treatment, but unfortunately, they passed away."
The organization went on to send its condolences to the friends and family of the runner who died.
It added that it will 'closely monitor the situation and take necessary follow-up measures'.
Reportedly a cause of death is yet to be determined, says PEOPLE.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
Niamh Shackleton