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Shinee’s Minho gives up marathon result following controversy over alleged physical assistance
SHINee’s Minho has relinquished his result in the 2026 JTBC Seoul Marathon after footage appeared to show another runner pushing him during the race. The incident prompted questions about whether he received prohibited physical assistance, and drew attention to rules intended to ensure fair competition.
Minho completed the 42.195km course in 3 hours and 18 seconds, narrowly missing the under-three-hour “sub-3” milestone by 18 seconds. He apologised on 3 November and said he would not accept his result; organisers accepted his decision and will not issue an official time. They have not established a formal rule violation or disqualified him, and are still considering whether rules for amateur runners apply.
In short
- Minho relinquished his marathon result after footage prompted scrutiny.
- He finished in 3:00:18, 18 seconds short of a sub-3.
- Organisers accepted his decision but have not found a formal violation.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Relinquishing the result is a reasonable way to protect confidence in a race where every runner is expected to compete without physical assistance. Even if no formal violation has been established, declining an official time recognises the concern raised by the footage and avoids treating a potentially assisted performance as fully comparable with others’ results.
The case against
A result should normally be withdrawn only after organisers establish that a rule was broken, rather than on the strength of ambiguous footage and public pressure. Since the organisers have not found a violation and are still considering which rules apply to amateur runners, accepting Minho’s time could be defended as fairer and more consistent with due process.