Suh Yun-bok

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Suh Yun-bok

Suh Yun-bok (born January 9, 1923) is a former South Korean athlete, who is best known as the winner of the 1947 Boston Marathon.^[1] He won the race with a world best time of 2:25:39 under the coach Sohn Kee-chung, the Korean winner of the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.^{[citation needed]} His participation in the Boston Marathon was financed by donations from servicemen in the United States Forces Korea.^[2] His win was the only time a world best for the men's marathon was set at the Boston Marathon. The previous world best was set by his coach Sohn in Tokyo, Japan in 1935. At 166 cm tall and weighing 56kg, he was said to be the shortest winner ever of the Boston Marathon.^{[citation needed]}

In 1948, one year after the Boston victory, Suh raced the marathon in 1948 Summer Olympics held in London. He retired in 1949.

[edit] Marathon career

May 1946: Champion at the 1st All-Korea Marathon (전조선 마라톤 선수권대회)
September 1946: Champion at the 1st Korea National Track and Field Meet (전국육상선수권대회)
October 1946: Champion at the Korea National Sports Festival (전국체육대회)
April 1947: Set a world record of 2:25:39 at the 51st Boston Marathon
June 1948: represented South Korea in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London