Entertainers 'Delayed' by Showbiz: 'Running Stars'—Harry Styles Finishes Full Marathon in Three Hours

Many celebrities maintain a regular fitness routine to keep themselves in top shape. Among them, there are even those who have turned exercise into a way of life—fans jokingly call them 'athletes whose careers were delayed by showbiz.'

SHINee member Minho from South Korea is a leading example. This year, he quietly came to Singapore to participate in the intense HYROX fitness competition, partnering with 'Physical: 100' Season 2 runner-up Hong Beom-seok in the Men's Doubles Open, where they finished in second place.

Running has long been an indispensable part of Minho's daily training. Now 34, he frequently shares running and fitness routines on social media, displaying his passion for working out. Recently, Korean celebrity Park Myung-soo posted a video on his YouTube channel of him traveling in Dubai with Minho, during which they both signed up for a local 5km marathon. Out of 370,000 participants, Minho stood out and took first place with a time of 19 minutes 56 seconds, demonstrating professional runner skills, while Park Myung-soo finished in 35 minutes 5 seconds.

Besides Minho, which other artists are 'hidden' stars in running?

Taiwanese actress Ivy Chen is always known for her love of sports. Now 43 and the mother of two, she still maintains a disciplined workout habit, often sharing yoga, swimming, and mountain climbing routines on social media. She revealed on the reality show 'Divas Hit the Road' that she keeps up a habit of running every morning.

In August 2024, she posted videos and photos of her journey in Sweden, taking on a 110km hiking challenge and even doing a headstand along the way. Back in 2017, she signed up for the Shanghai Marathon as her first-ever full marathon, treating the run as a 35th birthday present for herself. In fact, two kilometers before the finish line, she was already lifting a beer to celebrate early.

Ivy Chen has her own '8-kilometer running philosophy'—she believes that 'nothing goes beyond eight kilometers,' and there is nothing you can't figure out after running eight kilometers. For her, running is a time to truly face herself, because her work and life are so busy. 'Running is the purest moment—at that moment you can talk to your body as you would to a friend.'

Harry Styles of the British band One Direction participated in the Berlin Marathon in Germany this September, finishing the full race impressively in 2 hours 59 minutes and 13 seconds. Completing a full marathon in under three hours is the dream result for many long-distance enthusiasts.

This year's Berlin Marathon saw 55,000 participants. Styles ranked 524th in his age division (over 30) and finished 2241st overall. This was Styles' second completed full marathon of the year. In March, he joined the Tokyo Marathon in Japan, finishing in 3 hours and 24 minutes—again, an impressive performance.

Local artist Patricia Mok is also a long-term running fan. She often shares running videos on social media and enjoys participating in a variety of running events. Even during Christmas, she kept up her workouts, posting running moments online.

In December this year, she signed up for the half marathon at the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon and documented her race experience in videos. In late November, she also took part in the 'Run For Hope 2025' charity event. To celebrate Singapore's 60th National Day, she completed four long-distance runs at 15 kilometers each to pay tribute to the nation.

Mok revealed in an interview in 2023 that she started running in school as part of the track and field team, and it has become a habit. She runs three times a week, each time for three to five kilometers. For her, seeing runners outdoors everywhere is the greatest motivation—she doesn't even need music to stay pumped. She believes running strengthens her body and also keeps her feeling agile.