SHINee’s Minho Scores a HYROX Taipei Win With “Physical: 100” Runner-Up Hong Beom-seok

SHINee’s Minho just added another unexpected trophy to his growing list of achievements—this time, far away from the stage. The idol-actor competed at HYROX Taipei 2026 in the Men’s Doubles division alongside Hong Beom-seok, a standout athlete known to many fans as the runner-up of Netflix’s “Physical: 100” Season 2.

According to published race rankings, Minho Choi and Beomseok Hong finished with a time of 54:42, placing 1st in the 35–39 age group and 7th overall in the HYROX Doubles Men category at the Taipei event.

Why this win is a big deal

If you’ve never followed HYROX before, the results might not fully hit at first glance—so here’s the context. HYROX is designed as a standardized “fitness race,” combining running and functional workout stations in a fixed format: athletes run 1 km, then complete one workout station, and repeat that cycle eight times.

In Doubles, the teamwork element becomes the main storyline. HYROX’s official doubles rules specify that both partners must run together for the full 1,000m between each station, and separating can lead to a time penalty—meaning the pair has to match pace and strategy under fatigue, not just “split the work.”

That’s what makes Minho and Hong’s finish so impressive: their time reflects not only conditioning, but also coordination—how well they managed transitions, kept their running synchronized, and distributed effort across the stations without losing rhythm.

Minho’s “athlete era” is getting real

K-pop idols training hard isn’t new—but competing (and placing) in a global fitness race format is a different kind of visibility. HYROX events attract serious runners, hybrid athletes, and strength-focused competitors, so placing in the top tier—especially at a large field event—signals real performance, not just “celebrity participation.”

And Minho’s choice of partner makes sense. Hong Beom-seok is widely recognized for his athletic background and endurance, and media coverage around “Physical: 100” has highlighted him as a former firefighter and high-level competitor—someone built for pressure-heavy formats like HYROX.

The bigger picture: K-entertainment and fitness keep intersecting

This moment also fits a growing trend: Korean entertainment and competitive fitness have been blending more and more over the last couple of years, especially with shows like “Physical: 100” and rising mainstream interest in hybrid racing. HYROX itself has leaned into the spectator energy by hosting many races indoors with a tight, arena-like environment—perfect for creating viral “finish line” moments.

For fans, it’s another reminder of Minho’s long-running reputation: relentless, competitive, and strangely unstoppable—whether it’s variety shows, acting projects, SHINee schedules, or now a full-on fitness race podium.