S1·E402 Zombie Couple Race

Episode recap

The episode opens with the return of Seol Hyun and Hye Jeong of AOA, who are introduced as “summer queens.” They are joined by Song Min Ho and Kang Seung Yoon, both described as winners who have succeeded on music charts and variety programs, and they greet the audience together. Additional guests for the broadcast include Joo E of Momoland and Da Young of WJSN, completing the roster of participants for the day’s competition.

The central game for this installment is titled “Zombie Couple Race.” According to the episode synopsis, the regular members of Running Man and the invited guests are divided into seven separate teams. Within those teams, two participants are designated as zombies, while the remaining members are human competitors. The human teams must collect clues throughout the race in order to identify which teammates are playing the zombie roles. The synopsis frames the premise as a contest of deduction and endurance: the humans seek to expose the zombies, while the zombies attempt to remain hidden and achieve victory for their side.

Running Man’s format, as described in general references to the series, involves the cast undertaking a series of games and missions in order to win prizes and avoid penalties. In this episode, the “Zombie Couple Race” serves as the primary mission, combining elements of teamwork, strategy, and hidden‑role identification. The division into seven teams creates multiple parallel contests, each contributing to the overall determination of which side—human or zombie—will emerge victorious.

The episode’s narrative structure follows the standard progression of a Running Man broadcast: an introductory greeting by the hosts and guests, explanation of the game rules, division into teams, execution of the race with clue‑gathering activities, and a final reveal in which the identities of the zombies are disclosed. The synopsis poses the question of outcome—whether the zombies will win or the human race will prevail—but does not provide the result, leaving the conclusion open within the provided material. The episode therefore functions as a themed variation on the show’s established competitive format, emphasizing hidden identities and cooperative problem‑solving among the cast and guests.