On the 7th, I headed to Busan to participate in the Give and Race organized by Mercedes-Benz Korea.
The Give and Race is a fundraising campaign jointly held by the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee and the Foundation for Children and Future, aimed at supporting underprivileged children and youth. Launched in 2017, it has become a flagship community program for Mercedes-Benz Korea.
Over the past seven years, the cumulative number of participants in Give and Race has reached over 131,000, raising a total of 6.6 billion won in donations. Mercedes-Benz’s Give and Race has been praised for successfully establishing a culture of giving.
This year’s 11th event set a record with over 20,000 participants, raising 1.01766 billion won. On the day of the event, the starting point at BEXCO was packed with a crowd of 20,000. The stage was energized by MCs HaHa and Prime, who uplifted the participants before the start.
Right after that, Matthias Beitel, chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee, and Lee Hoon-kyu, chairman of the Foundation for Children and Future, took the stage to conduct the donation ceremony.
After the donation ceremony finished, the 10km group began their race. I also challenged myself in the 10km group, starting the run in the last F group with Chairman Matthias Beitel. He was impressively energetic, charging forward at a frightening pace, leaving Benz Korea staff far behind.
I have run in short distances often, but this is my first time attempting a long-distance race like 10km. I lacked the experience and soon found myself alternating between walking and running. The challenge of running with 20,000 people simultaneously created a bottleneck, especially when going up the Gwangandaegyo Bridge, leading many to slow down to brisk walking or light jogging.
Upon reaching the top of the bridge, participants stopped momentarily, lying down or sitting to rest while taking selfies against the backdrop of the sea. The ability to walk or run on a bridge typically reserved for vehicles provided a refreshing experience of Busan’s waterfront.
This unique experience could possibly explain why the participation rate soared to a record 20,000 for a single event. As I made my way across the bridge, young volunteers with flags cheered on the runners with high fives, motivating me to alternate between fast walking and running.
Not only regular participants but also university running clubs and military personnel contributed to a supportive atmosphere. Hearing each other’s cheers provided great encouragement amidst the challenges.
The course on the Gwangandaegyo Bridge is steeper than expected, with frequent falls. During a downhill section, one participant fell and injured their knee, requiring emergency medical assistance.
The routes split between those running 10km and those opting for 8km. The 8km runners quickly veered onto the Gwangalli Beach road, while those choosing 10km took an exit before making a more challenging ascent. While the downhill stretch was energetic, the uphill return proved quite difficult.
Upon descending the bridge, I began running along the Gwangalli Beach road. The path narrowed as runners tired, and looking back, I could still see a throng of people on the Gwangandaegyo Bridge, each person maintaining their own pace.
From a distance, I could hear the celebratory sounds from the stage hosted by MCs HaHa and Prime, and I could finally see the finish line for ‘GIVE N RACE’. Despite the hot weather, I pushed through, recording a final time of 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 38 seconds.
I didn’t focus on beating my record but rather on completing the race. I set a goal to participate in next year’s Give and Race and to cut my time by at least 5 minutes.
The 50,000 won participation fee was meaningfully used to support underprivileged children and youth. The ‘Give and Race’ event, which combines running and charity, has now established itself as a representative culture of giving in South Korea. I hope that the next 12th Give and Race will gather even more participants and transform into a festive celebration rather than just a simple charity event.
Busan=Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr