Shinee’s Minho gives up marathon result following controversy over alleged physical assistance
The K-pop star apologised and voluntarily relinquished his marathon record after footage of another runner seemingly pushing him forward sparked allegations of a rule violation.
Shinee member Minho has voluntarily relinquished his marathon record after a video emerged suggesting another runner apparently pushed him forward during the 2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon. The 34-year-old K-pop star completed the 42.195km course in 3 hours and 18 seconds, just 18 seconds shy of a sub-3 finish. However, the controversy erupted when footage showed what appeared to be a pacemaker runner placing his hands on Minho's back and waist, seemingly giving him a push.
This prompted accusations of rule violations, as physical assistance is generally forbidden during races, with exceptions only for helping fallen athletes. Minho acknowledged his shortcomings in a public apology on November 3, stating he felt ashamed and vowed to learn from the experience. He also announced he would not accept his result.
The marathon organizers accepted Minho's decision to forfeit his record on November 4, but left open whether Masters division rules would apply, meaning no official disqualification was issued.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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