Marathoner Kim Hong-rok hopes to follow in coach's steps with Asian Games podium finish

Marathoner Kim Jae-ryong reached the Asian Games podium in Japan 32 years ago. This month, his protégé Kim Hong-rok will try to do the same.

In the men's marathon at the Asian Games Hiroshima 1994, Korea's Hwang Young-cho crossed the finish line first after a fierce battle for the lead with Japan's Toshiyuki Hayata. Kim Jae-ryong followed the pair to finish third. Standing together on the podium, the two Korean runners were overcome with emotion as they watched the Korean flag flutter in Japan.

Kim Jae-ryong is now coaching Kim Hong-rok, who is regarded as the future of Korean marathon running. The young athlete is now training in hopes of raising the Korean flag in Japan once again — this time at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.

Kim Hong-rok grew up running through the mountains and fields of Yanggu County, Gangwon. He then enrolled at Baemoon Middle School, famous for producing track and field athletes, in his third year of middle school.

His path into athletics was hardly surprising, given that athletic talent runs in the family.

"My father was a boxer, and my Japanese mother competed in track and field," Kim Hong-rok said in a recent interview at the Daegwallyeong ridge in Gangwon, where he was training at high altitude. "Influenced by my older sister, my two younger brothers and I also took up athletics. Except for my youngest brother, who is a racewalker, the rest of us specialize in long-distance running."

Kim Hong-rok attracted little attention through high school, but his talent blossomed on the road.

He ran his first full marathon in 2022 and swept the domestic men's titles at major races last year, including the JTBC Seoul Marathon, hosted by an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily. His personal best of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 9 seconds, set in March, is the 11th-fastest time ever by a Korean runner. It is also the third-fastest among active Korean runners, behind Park Min-ho at 2:10:13 and Shim Jong-seop at 2:11:24. Park, who has the fastest time of the three this year, and Kim Hong-rok will compete at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which begin Sept. 19.

"When Hong-rok joined [our team] last year, I confidently told him that he could run in the 2:09 range within three years," manager Kim said. "His times are improving every year as he works on his speed."

Kim Jae-ryong helped lead the golden age of Korean marathon running alongside Hwang, Kim Wan-ki and Lee Bong-ju. Although he never won an Olympic medal, he finished second at the Boston Marathon in 1993. He also placed fourth at the World Championships that year, the highest finish ever by a Korean runner.

The country's competitiveness in marathon running in those days was built on "blood, sweat and tears."

"I don't like talking about 'back in my day,' but we really did train an enormous amount back then," manager Kim said.

Kim Hong-rok's relentless approach to training is another reason why the manager sees considerable potential in him.

"Of all the runners I've seen, Lee Bong-ju was the toughest, but Hong-rok isn't far behind," the manager said. "After he completed an intensive training program that had him running as much as 70 kilometers [43.5 miles] a day, I gave him a week off. Then I found out he'd secretly gone and run another 40 kilometers."

Korea's elite marathon runners have lost ground in recent years to the point that their times are now not far ahead of those posted by the country's top amateur runners. Kim Hong-rok, however, is focused on improving at his own pace.

"Marathon running is a solitary sport," Kim Hong-rok said. "I'll steadily work on improving my times without worrying about what other people think."

Marathon runners generally reach their prime in their 30s. The protégé is still in his early 20s and remains a work in progress. A considerable gap also separates his times from Asia's best. Japanese and Chinese runners have posted times in the 2:05 range, while Middle Eastern countries also field naturalized athletes from Africa.

"I think the flat course will give him a chance to break into the 2:10 range," manager Kim said.

The young athlete expressed hopes ahead of his first international competition representing Korea.

"Anything can happen in a marathon," Kim Hong-rok said. "My first goal is to set a personal best, but it would be even better if I could win a medal and put it around the necks of my coach and my parents."

BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]