Student buzzing after breaking own world record

Otago Daily Times

23-04-2025

Ryan Yoon is in his final year of high school, is deputy head boy and has eight jobs.
The Burnside High School student also holds the Guinness World Record for fastest man to run a half marathon while wearing a beekeeping suit.
Ryan, 17, from Bishopdale, eclipsed his own world record by more than 20 minutes, finishing the Christchurch half marathon in 1hr 36min 24sec.
'I'm feeling a little sore,' he said on Tuesday. He had suffered cramp in his hamstring at the finish line.
Ryan broke the world record for a half marathon in a beekeeping suit in December in Xiamen, China, in a time of 1hr 57min 35sec.
The inspiration behind wearing the suit was to promote Ryan's partnership with Hive Energy and its natural sports gel.
Ryan is a sales executive for the Mosgiel-based company and facilitates a running club in Christchurch, Hive Runners, under their brand.
Hive Energy sponsored his races in China, where he ran four half marathons in 35 days, so he decided to create a buzz by wearing the beekeeping suit for all of them.
'The interest was the natural concept around health and performance. Honey and bees are quite sustainable,' he said.
Ryan said the beekeeping suit weighed about 2-3kg. He had been conditioning himself ahead of the Christchurch race by training in the suit for three hours a week.
'Going to the gym and running on the treadmill, I had a few looks from people. I started with controlled conditions first, working up to running outside,' he said.
The goal was to break one hour and 30 minutes. The suit did make it difficult.
'When you sweat it accumulates in the suit and started to get a bit claustrophobic, the more you run the heavier it gets, and I could I barely see anything.'
What got Ryan home was the support from the home crowd, he said.
'Definitely the cheers of the crowd kept me going, had to fight through – it was physically demanding and I needed that mental component to keep going.'
Outside of his record exploits, Ryan manages social media for Hive Runners, works at Tas
Fish n Chips and is a videographer for Kebab Connection, Sweet Oasis, Yang's Fried Chicken, Mobil Riccarton, and Bishopdale Bakery and Coffee Lounge.
He also manages the marketing for the kebab shop, petrol station and coffee lounge.
He has been on the student council at Burnside High for five years and is deputy head boy.
And he runs a minimum of 10 hours a week.
'I love it, it's good and there is that social element too.'
Ryan reckons he sleeps an average six to seven hours a night.
'I'm constantly working - one eye shut and one eye open.'
His next half marathon will be in Wellington in June - this time not in the beekeeping suit.
'I'll be so grateful to run normally and breath fresh air again,' he said.
Ryan is unsure what he will study at university next year.
'I'm not quite set with what I want to do, I have an interest in management, sports exercise and physio – or may something with food technology,' he said.