Running the 42.195 km in "blood-stained sneakers": "I thought it was a pebble, but..." Park Min-ho's fighting spirit shone brighter than any medal [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

Marathon national team member Park Min-ho (27) finished the men's marathon at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in 8th place without withdrawing, despite suffering a laceration to his sole during the race.

Park recorded a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 35 seconds over the full 42.195 km course on the Nagoya road circuit in Japan on the 26th, placing 8th among the 19th participating athletes.

Park was running in the leading pack up to the 15th km mark of the race before sustaining a laceration to his sole on a downhill section near the 20th km point. As a result, his pace slowed from the middle of the race, and he passed the turnaround point in 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 25 seconds (8th place). Footage released after the race showed his sneakers stained red with blood, attesting to the grueling nature of the competition.

Park reflected, "At first, I thought a small pebble had gotten stuck, but I realized my sole was torn. It is regrettable that I could not maintain my pace due to the pain." He added, "I withdrew midway at the previous World Championships due to poor condition, but this time I resolved not to give up and finished to the end," vowing to "prove myself as an athlete who has grown further through quiet preparation."

As his "blood-stained sneakers" video spread across various social media (SNS) platforms, netizens praised his fighting spirit, commenting, "I cannot imagine how much pain he must have been in" and "I see strong will rather than just the result."

Meanwhile, fellow competitor Kim Hong-rok placed 10th with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 27 seconds. The gold medal was claimed by Yamashita Ichitaka (Japan), who recorded a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 49 seconds. The Korean men's marathon team failed to secure a medal at this tournament as well, marking their fourth consecutive Asian Games without a medal since Ji Young-jun's gold medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.

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*This content was translated by AI.