For the first time, a reporter stepped forward to ask Yi Han a question.
“Please, go ahead.”
“Yes. There are rumors that you are serving as a pacemaker, Yi Han. Is this true?”
At that question, the coach and two athletes looked flustered. Yi Han slightly turned his head and gauged the coach’s expression. The coach subtly shook his head, as if telling him not to speak. After confirming that, Yi Han looked back at the reporter from TBZ Broadcasting.
“It is true.”
“Ah, then are you going to quit halfway through?”
“I will run until the end.”
“But if you are a pacemaker, shouldn’t you run at a pace for the team’s ace rather than your own pace?”
“That is correct.”
“You have to maintain the most suitable speed for the ace, An On-ho, but if you run like that, lactic acid will accumulate quickly and you will be unable to continue. Will you really be able to run more than thirty kilometers?”
“I can run.”
“What gives you such conviction?”
Yi Han paused briefly before opening his mouth. All the surrounding athletes and reporters focused their attention on him.
“If I lower my original pace by one step, that will become a speed at An On-ho’s limit.”
“Excuse me?”
For a moment, everyone tilted their heads as if asking what he was talking about.
“That is all for my answer.”
Yi Han refused to take any more questions. But these were reporters who would not miss such a scoop.
“Wait! What do you mean by that?”
“Are you saying that An On-ho does not have what it takes to be the ace?”
The coach tried to quell the reporters’ excitement and shook his head.
“Everyone, hurry!”
“Yes!”
In the end, after asking the security guards to intervene, they quickly ran to board the plane.
The atmosphere among the coach and athletes seated in their seats was awkward.
“Why did you do that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I signaled you not to say anything.”
“I didn’t see it.”
The coach furrowed his brow.
“Hoo.”
But he did not say another word. He simply leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, suppressing his anger on his own. On the other hand, An On-ho was glaring at Yi Han as if he wanted to kill him. Whenever Yi Han turned his head, An On-ho would return to his original expression, as if asking when he had ever made such a face.
Keuk.
Yi Han laughed inwardly. And he turned his gaze to the window. The clouds visible beyond the window, and the buildings briefly glimpsed between them, were gathered in a tiny space to form a single whole.
Small.
From the sky, even that vast and wide world looked truly small. The 42.195 kilometers I run must look very small from here as well.
Yi Han’s heart grew lighter. I can run.
Once he resolved himself like that, everything seemed possible. Further worries and concerns were nothing but useless acts. Yi Han put his mind at ease and took a brief rest.
The coach and athletes who disembarked from the plane headed to where the track and field events were being held. It was not far, so it did not take long.
“Right, this is the stadium. Unpack your luggage and rest today. We will start practice from tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
“The lodgings are that hotel over there. Let’s go.”
After briefly surveying the stadium, the coach and athletes headed to the hotel. The three athletes participating in the Olympics each had separate rooms. Yi Han entered his room, unpacked, and changed into comfortable clothes. Then he headed to the room where the coach was staying.
Ding-dong.
Not long after he rang the bell, the door opened.
“What is it?”
“I am going to train.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest?”
“I am fine.”
“Hmm, alright. Do as you please.”
Yi Han slightly bowed his head and left the hotel. After walking for about ten minutes, he arrived at the stadium. There were not many athletes yet, but he could still see a few. Like Yi Han, they could not stay still and were already training.
Having found his spot, Yi Han began stretching.
“Hoo.”
Repeatedly relaxing his muscles slowly while surveying his surroundings. Among the athletes circling the field now, one or two were people he had seen on television.
They had entered.
Of course, they probably did not know Yi Han, but Yi Han knew them very well. It was Haile Gebrselassie, the runner enjoying the most worldwide popularity. He was Ethiopian and held records close to the world record. And he also saw Paul Tergat of Kenya running not far away. He too held records that did not fall behind Haile Gebrselassie’s.
They would be in the lead group.
Yi Han carefully observed their movements and envisioned the day of the competition in his mind. He intended to preserve his stamina behind them, minimizing wind resistance as much as possible. If Yi Han’s prediction was right, roughly fifteen people would belong to the lead group. He had to make good use of them.
Swish.
Having finished stretching, Yi Han slowly began circling the track. One lap was four hundred meters. Today, he would do one hundred laps. One hundred laps would be forty kilometers. It was almost the distance of a full marathon, but Yi Han did not think much of it. However, since he did not know when the pain would occur, he only paid a little attention to that. Since he would not die, it did not matter. The cause of the pain had not been identified. There was no problem whatsoever, making it all the more mysterious. However, conversely speaking, it meant that even if he ignored the pain and ran, it would not cause any harm to his body. No, even if he were to die while running… Yi Han increased his speed bit by bit with a resolute gaze.
The next day.
The three athletes competing in the marathon for South Korea, the dozen or so juniors who had accompanied them, and the coach were gathered in one place eating breakfast.
“Everyone, eat up.”
“Yes!”
“On top of that, the marathon is the last event at the Olympics, so we have time to spare. But if you train too hard, your condition will deteriorate, so be careful.”
“Understood.”
“We will train every other day. After stretching, you will run the full marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers, then cool down again and return to the lodgings. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Good. For now, eat breakfast and rest.”
In no time, the coach had finished his breakfast and rose from his seat. The remaining athletes ate the food they had not yet finished while making small talk.
“Yi Han, Senior.”
“Yes?”
Jeong Seong-gwang, a sixth-year junior sitting beside Yi Han, was watching him with sparkling eyes.
“What is it?”
“What you said at the airport.”
“Yes.”
“What did it mean?”
“Who knows.”
Yi Han looked at Jeong Seong-gwang and smiled faintly. Jeong Seong-gwang asked persistently, as if curious, but in the end, he could not get an answer. But precisely because of that, he felt even more anticipation. “Senior, I will be rooting for you at the competition.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
The sound of their conversation was buried under the commotion of the others. But Yi Han had no intention of speaking openly. Everything would be revealed at the competition.
Before he knew it, Yi Han had finished his meal and stood up from his seat.
“I’m off.”
“Please rest well!”
Receiving the juniors’ greetings, Yi Han headed to his room and began light exercise. He performed full-body exercises for about thirty minutes, then performed lower-body-focused exercises.
“Hup, hoo.”
He spent the morning like that. There was no particularly special training after that either. He rested after lunch until three o’clock, when it seemed the coach’s orders had finally come down.
Knock, knock.
“Senior, we are ordered to assemble!”
“Alright.”
Yi Han answered and took something out of his bag. It was a 2kg sandbag. He strapped two to each ankle and two to each wrist. He intended to undertake training bearing sixteen kilograms.
This should be enough.
Having finished his preparations, Yi Han immediately left his room. When he arrived at the hotel entrance, he saw the coach. Of course, he also saw the athletes standing behind the coach.
“Right, everyone is here. Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
More than a dozen men, with the coach at the front, headed to the stadium. Today, there were far more athletes present than yesterday.
“One track lap is four hundred meters. We will treat today as a race, with Yi Han at the front, and run one hundred and a half laps. On-ho and Un-jae will stand behind Yi Han, and the rest of you follow along for practice.”
“Yes!”
“Good. Then let’s begin stretching.”
The athletes began warming up in time with the coach’s cadence.
“Hut, two, hut, two.”
Having sufficiently relaxed their muscles through stretching, the coach looked at Yi Han and gave his order.
“Take them and run.”
“Yes.”
Yi Han answered and stepped onto the track. Behind him followed An On-ho, Yeoun-jae, and more than a dozen junior athletes.
“We will go at lead-group pace.”
At Yi Han’s words, An On-ho and Yeoun-jae nodded, and the other juniors answered loudly.
“Yes!”
Having received their answer, Yi Han struck the ground.
Pat.
And he shot forward at a slightly fast pace. At this speed, they should be able to follow up to one hundred laps without difficulty.
He pictured Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat from yesterday. But compared to them, this was slow.
At this speed, he would not be able to catch the lead group they maintained. Yi Han glanced back slightly, and his eyes grew resolute.
Keep up. Yi Han turned his head back to the front and raised his speed a little more.
Swish.
They had only run about ten laps so far. But already, rough breathing sounds could be heard from behind. Yeoun-jae, who had been making a troubled expression, opened his mouth.
“Y-Yi Han, Senior.”
“Hup, hoo.”
Yi Han exhaled and turned his head. And he sent a questioning look. “I think it is too fast…”
“This is the lead pace for this Olympics marathon.”
“How do you know that, Senior?”
“Because I saw it yesterday.”
Yi Han turned his head as if annoyed.
“If you cannot keep up, then give up.”
At those words that stung his pride, Yeoun-jae shut his mouth. And he surveyed An On-ho, who was running beside him. Judging by outward appearances alone, An On-ho looked more relaxed than Yi Han. In the end, Yeoun-jae could only furrow his brow, thinking that his own skill was lacking.
“Tch.”
Silence fell once more. Only breathing sounds and the sound of feet striking the ground filled the space. Yi Han, who had been running for a while like that, looked at the coach.
“This is lap fifty.”
Fifty laps meant twenty kilometers. Just then, a few athletes of other nationalities entered the stadium.
Paul Tergat?
Yi Han’s gaze stopped on him. Of course, he saw the other athletes who had come with him, but the fastest athlete was Paul Tergat. Were they going to run?
Watching Paul Tergat begin to warm up, he felt a strange anticipation. If he ran with them, he would be able to grasp the flow of the lead pace a little more accurately. Come.
Yi Han’s gaze was so intense that Paul Tergat, who was quite far away, could feel it. Perhaps curious as to who the owner of that gaze was, Paul Tergat looked around. Their eyes met. Paul Tergat showed a strange smile upon seeing that intense gaze, then soon turned his head and continued stretching.
“Coach.”
“Why?”
“May I run seriously for a bit?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. I will run at a speed that can maintain the lead group, thinking of it as a race.”
Paul Tergat looked at the track, his eyes sparkling. The coach looked at such a Paul Tergat and tilted his head.
“Is there someone you know?”
“One person.”
“Who?”
“A Korean athlete. His name is Yi Han…”
“Yi Han?”
The coach tilted his head. It was because he had never heard the name Yi Han before.
“I saw him about six years ago.”
“Huh, six years ago?”
“Yes. I lost to him back then. He was such a rookie at the time that he probably does not even know that he beat me. I have wondered what he has been doing since then…”
It was the first time he had seen Paul Tergat explain someone in such a way. Since it was the first time he had made such a request, the coach had no choice but to listen to him.
“Very well. Run to your heart’s content. Enough to make those guys feel fear when they see you.”
“Thank you, Coach.”
Paul Tergat smiled and turned around. At that moment, with a burning gaze he had not shown his coach, he stared fixedly at Yi Han.