MAN IN HIS 70S COMPLETE MARATHON UNDER PROMISE

[Anchor Lead]

A man in his 70s completed 210 marathons, totaling 8,848 kilometers combined, to keep his promise to the late mountaineer Park Young-seok. Here's how the 70-ish marathoner commemorates the renowned mountain climber.

[Pkg]

73-year-old Lee Yeong-gyun, a mountaineer and marathoner, starts a long race. He struggled to keep his pace in the pouring rain. He ran with the photo of late alpinist Park Young-seok on the front of his top. It was a tough race, but in 4 hours and 38 minutes, Lee Yeong-gyun crossed the finish line. He completed 210 full-course marathons, running a combined 8,848 kilometers. Lee promised to run 8,848 kilometers when Park began his 8,848-meter hike of Mount Everest in 2006. He has kept that promise.

[Soundbite] LEE YEONG-GYUN(73-YEAR-OLD MARATHONER) : "Young-seok, are you seeing this? I finally kept my promise to you. I miss you."

[Soundbite] HONG KYEONG-HUI(WIFE OF THE LATE PARK YOUNG-SEOK) : "My husband used to say that he would carry Lee on his back at the finish line. My heart breaks because he's not here to keep that promise."

Lee has served as the director of the Park Young-seok Exploration and Culture Foundation to organize several commemorative projects. In 2005, Park became the first in the world to achieve the True Explorers' Grand Slam, scaling 14 eight-thousanders and seven summits and trekking to both North and South Poles. He went missing in Annapurna in 2011. Lee hopes to let more people learn about Park Young-seok, so they can draw inspiration from the way he lived.

[Soundbite] LEE YEONG-GYUN(73-YEAR-OLD MARATHONER) : "Young-seok never gave up if there is even a 1% possibility. I will continue to make sure younger climbers learn what it takes to have an indomitable spirit likethat."