'Running Man' Breaks Its Own Viewership Record, Secures Top Spot in Sunday Entertainment

The popular variety show 'Running Man', hosted by Yoo Jae-suk, has set a new viewership record for the year, maintaining its position as the number one Sunday entertainment show.

On October 8th, SBS's 'Running Man' achieved a 2.6% viewership rating among the 20-49 demographic, securing the top spot in its time slot and overall Sunday entertainment. The household viewership rating also rose to 4.6%, surpassing last week's numbers and marking the highest ratings of the year for the show. (According to Nielsen Korea's metropolitan area household data)

The episode featured the conclusion of the 'Age Notice Survival' challenge, revealing the results and showcasing the poster and age notice filming. The signature race was filled with intense competition among the members, adding to the excitement. Yoo Jae-suk emerged as the final winner, leading to mixed reactions among the members regarding their costumes. Ji Ye-eun, who got to shoot the first official poster, amused viewers with her bone-like Dooly costume, while Ji Suk-jin stole the scene as the half-human, half-beast Dooly's grandfather. Kim Jong-kook transformed into a muscular Hee-dong, and Song Ji-hyo became Doo-na.

Meanwhile, Haha ended up transforming into his mother, Yung Deok-jung, and joined Yoo Jae-suk and Yang Se-chan as princes from the Squid Planet. Yoo Jae-suk received prince props as a small perk for winning, while Yang Se-chan's beggar props provided laughs until the end. High-resolution individual and group poster shots of the members can be viewed on the official Running Man Instagram.

The episode also featured a 'Game of 2' race with guests Hong Jin-ho and Oh My Girl's Mimi. As team leaders, their unique pronunciation issues heightened anticipation, shining during the pre-mission '2 Listening Test'. Team members had to guess the correct answers from the passages read by the leaders, whose challenging pronunciations caused confusion. Ji Ye-eun stood out by perfectly interpreting 'Mimi language'.

Amidst betrayals and fierce competition, Hong Jin-ho claimed victory, while Kim Jong-kook was confirmed as the penalty recipient. Kim Jong-kook faced humiliation by receiving forehead flicks from both the production team and winner Hong Jin-ho.

Reporter: Jung Se-yoon, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr