K-pop superstar and BTS member Suga surprised fans after secretly participating in a 12-kilometer marathon in California just hours before gracing the stage for their sold-out concert at Stanford Stadium.
On May 17, Suga joined the 2026 Bay to Breakers 12K Marathon in San Francisco, blending into a crowd of 20,531 participants and keeping his involvement under wraps until after the race.
READ: BTS to bring ‘Arirang’ world tour to Philippine Sports Stadium in March 2027
The unexpected appearance quickly became a talking point among fans and event organizers alike, especially after it was revealed that the rapper completed the run without asking for special treatment.
According to Bay to Breakers, Suga participated under the name Min Yunki with bib #1016.
"We were all excited. This is the event to attract that kind of attention. Everyone is welcome — community members, walkers, joggers, runners — and in this case, Suga. He's quite the runner, you can tell by his finish time," said Vice President of Partnerships for Bay to Breakers Phyllis Blanchard to ABC7.
“He was there to run, that's our takeaway. He wanted to participate like everyone else. He didn't want to let us know ahead of time. If he did, we would have given him VIP treatment. He just wanted to fit into the crowd and run his race," he added.
Despite attempting to stay unnoticed among thousands of runners, Suga still managed to catch the attention of fans, who later uploaded videos of the global star on social media.
Official marathon results showed that Suga successfully completed the 12-kilometer or 7.45-mile course with an average pace of 8:41 minutes per mile and a finishing time of 1:04:43.
His performance placed him 835th out of 9,291 male participants and 1,022nd overall among the event’s 20,531 runners.
Among those running nearby was Mateo Coulson, who only later realized he had shared the course with one of the world’s biggest music stars.
"I wish I had filmed the starting line. Then I would have had a video of him at the starting line. I definitely missed out," Mateo shared with ABC7.
Suga’s marathon feat became even more remarkable after he managed to return to Stanford Stadium in time to perform with BTS for their three-night sold-out Arirang World Tour concert.
However, some ARMY later noticed that the rapper appeared to perform with a slight limp, sparking concern among fans online. As of this writing, it has not been confirmed whether the observation was connected to his marathon participation.
After their California leg, BTS has since moved on to Las Vegas, Nevada, before heading back to South Korea and continuing overseas stops in Europe and the United Kingdom. The group is expected to return to North America in August.
Meanwhile, excitement continues to build among Filipino ARMY after BTS finally unveiled the ticket prices and seat map for the Philippine leg of their world tour at the Philippine Sports Stadium coming this March 13 and 14, 2027. Featuring a 360-degree stage setup, ticket prices range from ₱7,500 to ₱25,000.