Two weeks before the "RUN 2 U" in Manila fan meeting was announced, I was daydreaming about Byeon Woo Seok. He was first confirmed to visit Manila for a fan meeting last May 20, 2024. I was deep in the Lovely Runner rabbit hole at the time that I found it really amusing to even see the Lovely Runner actor as a guest in an episode of my favorite variety show, Running Man. Little did I know, that a fortnight after the actor's Manila fan meet announcement, PULP Live World would surprise the pants off of Filipino Runners (a.k.a Running Man fans) like me.
It was on June 3, 2024, when PULP Live World announced the second Running Man fan meet in the Philippines through an AI-driven announcement. Was their AI-modified announcement just an elaborate prank? The reality didn’t sink in. Honestly, even until the day before the fan meet, I couldn’t believe it. My ultimate bias, my actual gateway to all things Korean, my weekly source of laughter—Running Man was coming back to Manila! My heart (and wallet) was not ready, but I was at the laugh-until-I-cried level of happiness!
The day of the fan meeting was packed with excitement, especially since I went there with my family (my sisters, my husband, and our four-year-old son, who were all fans, in tow). Here were the highlights from the Running Man RUN2U fan meeting last July 6, held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena:
All The Highlights During Running Man's "RUN 2 U" in Manila:
1. There were many thrilling openers!
On the morning of D-Day, a fan zone was organized by Running Man PH, the official local fan club of the variety show. Like last year, there were several freebies up for grabs and games, where you can win various fan-made merch. Similar to last year as well, a few attendees got to join a game and won tickets, which were giveaways from a generous anonymous donor. Such a fun pre-event activity!
View this post on Instagram
ALSO READ: 9 *Unforgettable* Moments We Love During The 'Running Man In Manila' Fan Meet
We then got a treat from the hosts of the localized version of the show, Running Man Philippines namely Mikael Daez, Kokoy Do Santos, Angel Guardian, Glaiza De Castro, Buboy Villar, Lexi Gonzales, and Miguel Tanfelix. The cast performed exciting opening numbers at the "RUN 2 U" fan meet.
When the first notes of the OG Running Man Korea's cast played, I (and the rest of the arena) recognized the song right away and lost my mind. Yoo Jae Suk first came out and sang the first lines of “Spring Day” by the K-pop group they also admire a lot, BTS. He was shortly followed by the soothing raps and singing voices of Haha, Yang Se Chan, and Ji Suk Jin. Then, the crowd went wild as Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook took charge of the first chorus.
A line that keeps getting repeated in the song is, "Bogoshipda." It means, "I miss(ed) you" or "I want(ed) to see you." It is such a heartwarming message that pretty much answers why they decided to hold another fan meeting again in the Philippines. (P.S. Eagle-eyed Runners pointed out that Suk Jin was actually singing the song in a recent RM episode. Who knew it was an Easter egg for the fan meet all along?!)
2. It was just like watching a Running Man episode live.
After the first number, the cast gave their greetings and short interviews led by fan-meet hosts Kring Kim and Ryan Bang. As the segments went on and the special segments happened, it quickly felt like you were watching a Running Man episode live. The cast members had the funniest responses and retorts for each other, especially when they competed in the games.
There was also a cosplay activity, where selected Running Man fans dressed up like their idols and got to take photos and interact with them on stage. They even received signed gifts from the cast member they cosplayed as! The arena was filled with thousands of jealous spectators, but we all had a blast watching fellow PH Runners teaming up with the celebs and being competitive, as expected.
3. Each member showed off their charms in their solo stages.
Like in their "A Decade of Laughter" fan meeting, each of the cast got a chance to perform individually. Song Ji Hyo did a cute version of "Bam Yam Gang" by BIBI, while Ji Suk Jin showed off his singer roots in his rendition of "All of Me" by John Legend.
Backed up by rookie group SRG he produced himself, Haha hyped up the crowd with his reggae song, "Ice Bottle."
To mellow us down, Kim Jong Kook performed two of his ballads, which the fans surely loved! He sang "One Man," and his newest single, "Spring has Come."
Yoo Jae Suk lastly reprised his trot singer Yoo San Seul alter-ego and energized everyone with "Redevelopment of Love."
Among the solo stages, several Runners agreed that there was a new bias wrecker in town: Yang Se Chan. Sporting Freddie Mercury's iconic mustache, white sando shirt, and jeans, the comedian performed "Bohemian Rhapsody." With the impact of his shocking visuals, he owned the stage and poured his heart out in that number. ISTG, if you see it live, you’ll get bewitched by the "Se Chan Mercury."
4. It rained cool and kilig when they did the collab stages.
Honestly, seeing them perform solo stages gave me all the happiness in the world already. It was enough for me. So, I thought the next numbers would feature all of them as a group already. But, they came out with more special collab stages where two or more members did awesome performances together. There were really interesting sub-units that the Running Man crew formed solely for "Run 2 U". I feel like I should not spill too much about it, but I could not leave out the ones loved by many.
There was a heart-fluttering song number by the SpartAce couple. In case you didn't know, Sparta is Kim Jong Kook’s nickname while Ace is Song Ji Hyo’s. With too much kilig, I couldn’t keep my hands steady! There was also a super random song by a Freddie Mercury impersonator, a lovely actress, and two "centaurs."
5. The show ran longer than expected, yet it still ended too soon.
The show went extremely overtime. The South Korean artists and their fans surely had lots of fun that everybody lost track of time! Unfortunately, the highly anticipated fan video led by Running Man PH had to be cut from the show. The fan club posted it on their official channels after the event day, though, and several Runners said they wished the cast would still have the chance to see the fan club's video!
Thankfully, the cast still received the celebratory cake and other gifts that were part of the fan projects. Before we knew it, each of the Running Man cast was saying their goodbyes.
Towards the end of the show, they sang the Running Man version of "I Like It" by BTOB. Then, they debuted a new song that was initially composed on a segment in one of their recent K-pop-themed episodes. How amazing, right? They also did a medley of some of their encore favorites like "Loveable" by Kim Jong Kook and "Busan Vacance" by RGP (Haha’s reggae group). It was such a feast for our fangirl hearts!
Despite running out of time, the cast still knew how to end the show on a high note. As always, they went EXTRA with their fan service. Lucky VIP Standing audience members were able to get some of their merch signed, give the cast gifts, and take selcas with them. They even had mini "HA-terbomb" festivals, where Haha partied by splashing water bottles toward the crowds. Those of us in farther sections just enjoyed (and oggled at) the exciting experience and sang along to the fan meet closing songs.
6. There were remarkable mini meet-and-greets at the group photo ops.
Like in other fan meets, winners were drawn to get an exclusive group photo opportunity with the cast members after the show. My manifesting actually worked and by some chance, I was able to experience it, too—the first time after all the fan meets and concerts I’ve attended! The cast of Running Man Philippines also had the same opportunity.
In regular Hi-Bye sessions, you have maybe less than five seconds to see your idol up close. In this photo op, the cast was so accommodating! They shook hands with us fans, expressed their gratitude, and obliged us with other interactions beyond the quick photo sesh.
The most memorable encounter for me was upon entering the backstage room. Yang Se Chan warmly welcomed us with his big gummy smile and handshakes. I also had an extended handshake with "Nation’s MC" Yoo Jae Suk who looked me in the eyes and said thank you in Korean three times.
Until this moment, I cannot believe that dreamlike day happened. Do you know how "core memory" has become such a thing now? That’s what "RUN 2 U" feels like for me. I’ve been running with Running Man for about a decade now, and I will certainly keep running with them forever.
Bonus: Right when the show ended, the next leg of RUN2U was revealed!
It turns out that Manila was just the first stop of Running Man's fan meetings this year! PULP Live World officially announced that "RUN 2 U" is heading to Jakarta, Indonesia on August 10, 2024. Is anyone else dying to run to their upcoming fan meeting again?
Special thanks to PULP Live World.
