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Why is Running Man so popular?

by Helen Bosch
variety show
variety show

K-Pop Blog > Overview > Entertainment Show

The longest running entertainment show in South Korea aired for the very first time on July 11, 2010. The show quickly gained popularity and is still one of the most popular Korean entertainment shows after more than 12 years; not only in South Korea itself, but all over Asia! Today, we can look back on over 600 episodes that featured countless famous actors, athletes, comedians, and K-pop idols as guests.

We're talking about Running Man, of course!

If you haven't seen the show yet and are still looking for something to fill your TV evenings with, you have many hours of fun ahead of you: In this article, we'll explain why Running Man is so popular and recommend you a few of our favorite episodes!

As of August 2021, Running Man is the longest running entertainment show in South Korea! On August 15, episode 564 aired. With this, the show broke the record of "Infinite Challenge." Infinite Challenge aired for a longer period of time - 13 years - but has fewer episodes: 563 in total. Since Infinite Challenge was canceled in 2018, it's only a matter of time before Running Man breaks the record in terms of number of years as well.

  • What is Running Man about?
  • The Cast
  • The Guests
  • Why is Running Man so popular?
  • Our favorite episodes

What is Running Man about?

In the first episode, nine famous personalities were locked in an empty shopping mall at night. In two teams they competed against each other to escape: They had to complete tasks while looking over their shoulder to avoid being caught by the opposing team. This was because each player had a name tag attached to their back with Velcro, and if that was torn off by an opponent, the player was eliminated and not allowed to compete again! The losers had to wait at the end as punishment until the shopping mall opens again and the first visitors came in.

And so it went on! Sometimes in teams, sometimes everyone against everyone, the members of the show competed against each other and had to complete tasks, solve puzzles and, above all, protect their name tag on their backs! The so-called "name tag elimination race" was the main part of the show and was played in all imaginable variations: Sometimes the name tags were huge, sometimes tiny, sometimes the eliminated players had a chance to get back into the race, sometimes there was a cheater in their midst and much more.

The biggest wish of most of the guests of the show was to tear off a name tag themselves once in the Name Tag race!

The episodes were also always shot at a landmark: These included parks, museums, flea markets, an English village, temples or historical sites. So Running Man took viewers all over Seoul and South Korea! Over the years, a number of international episodes were also recorded: The show traveled to many other Asian countries such as Thailand, China, Japan or Vietnam. In addition, they also visited Australia, England or Switzerland!

Over time, the episodes were divided into two parts:The Name Tag Race and other games. These other games could be anything: tricky puzzles, word games, sports competitions or strategy games.

running man still cut: jin seokjin in paper boat with guest

It was not uncommon for the participants to also play a role because the episode was based on a story: from zombie apocalypses to James Bond, a dispute over family inheritance to a night in a school haunted by ghosts, it was all there!

Today, the Name Tag race, which was the focus of Running Man for many years, is rarely played. Many fans suspected that it was due to the increasing age of the show's members, as the Name Tag races were often physically demanding. However, in the 600th episode, Yoo Jae Suk, a member of the show, explained that there was a completely different reason: It was simply difficult in the long run to keep developing new variations of the game. While many fans missed the game a lot, others got tired of it, and ratings plummeted when Running Man pulled it out once again.

So today Running Man is focusing on other games, but that doesn't hurt the show. It continues to be popular and successful!

The Cast

Running Man had a fixed cast from the beginning, which was present in every episode. Today, the cast consists of seven members:

running man cast poster 2022
  • Yoo Jae Suk: Host & Comedian
    (Episode 1 - Today)
  • Haha: Singer and member of the duo "RGP" (the duo used to be called "Skull & Haha")
    (Episode 1 - Today)
  • Ji Seok Jin: Comedian & television presenter
    (Episode 1 - Today)
  • Kim Jong Kook: Singer (former member of the group "Turbo")
    (Episode 1 - Today)
  • Song Ji Hyo: Actress
    (Episode 6 - Today)
  • Yang Se Chan: Comedian & Singer
    (Episode 346 - Today)
  • Jeon So Min: Actress
    (Episode 346 - Today)

In 12 years there were of course one or two changes, but less than you would expect from this long period of time. As you can see, 5 of the 7 current cast members have been with us since the beginning! (Song Ji Hyo joined back in episode 6, so we'd count her as part of the original cast as well). Even the newest members - Yang Se Chan and Jeon So Min - have been a part of the show for more than five years now! (Their first episode aired in April 2017).

In total, there are only four former cast members:

  • Song Joon Ki: Actor
    (Episode 1 to 41)
  • Lizzy: Singer (former member of the girl group "After School")
    (Episode 18 - 25)
  • Gary: Rapper & Songwriter
    (Episode 1 to 324)
  • Lee Kwang So: Actor
    (Episode 1 to 559)

Gary and Lee Kwang Soo were staples on the show for many years and Running Man fans still miss them today! Gary left Running Man in 2017 and Lee Kwang Soo just last year, in 2021.

The Guests

running man episode 300 still cut: Lee Kwang So and BTS Jimin

Actors, comedians, K-pop idols, athletes and more. It's impossible to list all the guests, as hundreds have now visited the show. From individual guests to entire groups like SNSD (episode 63), BigBang (250), Got7 (271), BTS (300), Twice (328) or Blackpink (330 & 525).

If your favorite stars are not among the examples, you can simply ask the Internet if they have been guests on Running Man.

Why is Running Man so popular?

The humor, the likable cast members and the famous guests are a recipe for success. But the biggest reason of all is probably the chemistry between the cast members: they have an almost familial relations and tease each other like siblings. Precisely because the cast very rarely changes, there is a solid dynamic and many many inside jokes. So for die-hard fans of the show, there's nothing better than the episodes where the cast is among themselves and there are no guests. New fans or those who only watch the show sometimes are more interested in the celebrity guests instead. The stars can show a different side of themselves with the often unusual games! Moreover, the concept of the show is simple to understand: A winner is determined and the losers get a penalty.

running man cast selfie: jae suk, haha, kwangsoo, seok jin, ji hyo, jong kook, gary

Running Man owes its success mainly to the immense popularity in other countries! According to an interview by Haha, international episodes in the early days of the show - for example, episode 50 in Thailand - were very successful in Southeast Asia. Thanks to that, the show got more attention in Korea. It is now translated into many different languages and has fans all over the world! Over the years, it has been remade in China and Vietnam, among other countries. This year, "Running Man Philippines" is also scheduled to be launched.

As you can see, Running Man's popularity continues unabated! The show airs on Sundays on the SBS channel and still manages to beat the ratings of programs that air on other channels at the same time.

Now that you know everything important about the show, it's time to make up your own mind and watch a few episodes. If you still need inspiration, we'd be happy to recommend a few of our favorite episodes!

Our favorite episodes

Episode 4 / Guests: Jessica from SNSD & Nichkhun from 2PM

In one of the early episodes, Kim Jong Kook, one of the cast members, showed what he is made of. In the show, he is feared because of his strength and it is considered especially hard to take his name tag off. At least since this early episode, we know how strong he really is. For 20 minutes he resists the efforts of several opponents who all together try to take his name tag! Check out the breathless race and missions: The whole thing takes place at the museum and goes deep into the night! (The race continues in episode 5).

Episode 162 / Guests: 2PM, Sistar, BEAST (today "Highlight"), MBLAQ, Girls’ Day, APink

A few of the most popular idols go head-to-head in the ultimate battle! Each cast member of Running Man forms a team with two members of an idol band. The teams compete against each other in several fun games. Our highlight is a competition in the swimming pool: the teams have to get as many of their members as possible on the island in the middle of the pool while pushing their opponents down!

The episode aired in 2013 and the idol guests are especially interesting for fans of older K-Pop groups, but even those who don't know them will definitely have fun with the episode!

Episode 525 / Guests: Blackpink

The popular girl group plays three entertaining games with the Running Man Cast: It starts with the famous name tag race, followed by a truth game where all the participants put on some cute bunny ears that react to emotions like nervousness and excitement. Finally, everyone gives it their all in the last game: we'll just reveal that there's a slide, lots of soap and some very passionate fights involved!

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