Synopsis
Cho Won (Cho Seung Woo) is a young autistic man who is wholly dependent on the support of his mother Kyung Sook (Kim Mi Sook). When he was a young boy, he would sometimes harm himself and could not communicate well with other people. Few people understand his condition, and now he is a man, he is very often misunderstood – and sometimes even attacked by people who think he has bad intentions. His long-suffering mother wishes there was a way that she could make him happy and even allow him to enjoy some kind of independence. Cho Won has one outstanding talent, however: He is a very capable runner. But there is one drawback – he cannot pace himself, so often runs to the point of exhaustion before collapsing.
Kyung Sook thinks that running makes Cho Won truly happy, so wants to help him take part in competitive events. She seeks the help of Jung Wook (Lee Ki Young), an alcoholic former marton runner who now teaches PE as part of his community service. After Cho Won takes part in a 10km race and places third, Kyung Sook sets her son an almost impossible goal: to complete a full-course marathon in under three hours, Jung Wook warns her that this is a potentially dangerous goal: Over the course of 42.195km, runners who sprint at full speed without pacing themselves risk potentially fatal heart problems. But Kyung Sook thinks that with Jung Wook’s help, Cho Won can realize this incredible feat. Is she right? All will be revealed on race day...
This film was based on a true story.
“Marathon” is a 2005 South Korean movie that was directed by Jeong Yoon Cheol.
