S1·E127 New Year's Special! 12 Chinese Zodiac sign Race !

Episode recap

Running Man season 1, episode 127 aired as a New Year’s special titled “12 Chinese Zodiac sign Race !” The episode was filmed at Jangsado Sea Park in Jangsado, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. Guest participants for the broadcast included actress Choi Ji‑Woo, singer‑actor Jung Yong Hwa, CN Blue member Lee Jong Hyun, B2ST member Lee Gi Kwang, and Supreme Team rapper Simon D.

Running Man is a South Korean television program that debuted in 2010 and is classified as a comedy‑reality variety show (TMDB). In each installment the regular cast and invited guests compete in a series of games and missions designed to test physical ability, teamwork, and strategy (MyDramaList). The New Year’s special followed this established format, centering the competition around a race that referenced the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac.

The setting of Jangsado Sea Park provided a coastal backdrop for the challenges, allowing participants to engage in outdoor activities that leveraged the park’s natural scenery. While the specific tasks were not detailed in the supplied synopsis, the episode’s premise—an organized race linked to zodiac symbolism—suggests that the guests and regular cast members were divided into groups or pairs that corresponded to individual zodiac animals, a common thematic device in Korean variety programming.

Throughout the broadcast, the guests joined the regular Running Man members in attempting to complete the race objectives while navigating the competitive dynamics typical of the series. The inclusion of popular idols such as Jung Yong Hwa and Lee Jong Hyun, alongside a female actress and a hip‑hop artist, reflected the show’s practice of mixing entertainment sectors to broaden audience appeal.

By the episode’s conclusion, the competition adhered to the program’s customary blend of humor, physical exertion, and camaraderie, delivering a festive New Year’s celebration that highlighted both the cultural motif of the Chinese zodiac and the scenic venue of Jangsado Sea Park. The episode contributed to Running Man’s early reputation as a staple of Korean variety television, reinforcing its format of guest‑driven challenges within diverse locations.